Special Plants

There are more than 2500 different plants in the garden many not well known or not always easily grown in open ground. The garden has a fine early spring display of snowdrops (Galanthus) and later many herbaceous and shrub borders provide interest. Fritillaria mealagris, Crocus tommasinianus and Tulipa sprengeri have seeded themselves around the grass and borders and make a pleasing display in their season. There is a meadow area devoted primarily to the native daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus which has seeded itself freely.

Some plants are specifically associated with Glencoe.

Among those associated with the Garden are Zantedeschia aethiopica ‘Glencoe’ a free flowering vigorous form which has survived the severe winters of 2010 and 2011 virtually unscathed. Acanthus spinosus ‘Ferguson’s Form’ a clone not as tall as many clones and showing a remarkable resistance to mildew (named by Bob Brown of Cotswold Garden Flowers). Both of these were found in the garden. Rheum palmatum ‘Fergusons Red’ a plant spotted as different in a garden centre grown on and thought worthy of sending to an RHS Trial.

Ferguson, Keith & Lorna (2002). Notes from an English garden. Bulletin The Hardy Plant Society of Oregon. 18(2):27-30.

Ferguson, Keith & Lorna (2009). A vigorous clone of Zantedeschia aethiopica. The Hardy Plant 30(1):57-58.

Ferguson, Keith & Lorna (2011). Travelling for plants in Argentina and Chile. The Hardy Plant 32(2):3-12.

Ferguson, Keith & Lorna (2014). Gardening on heavy clay. The Hardy Plant 35(1):2-9.

Veratrum is one of the specialities of the garden with more than 15 varieties mainly from Europe and North America but also some of the Asian species. As foliage plants they add interest from spring onwards and the inflorescences make striking structural features.

Two selections have been made of V.album- V.album ‘Lorna’s Green’ grown for over 40 years originally from Alpes Maritimes vigorous, 2.5m tall with green pendulous flowers and V.album ‘Auvergne White’ a cutting from a single white flowered plant taken in 1989 in France as the name indicates this is notable for its late flowering and clean white flowers. There are fine clumps of V.nigrum which flower well as do V.flavum ‘Primrose Warburg’ and V.viride var viride (the earliest flowering species from Eastern USA).

Ferguson, Keith, (2008), Variation in Veratrum. The Hardy Plant 29(1): 31-36.

Ferguson, Keith (2010), Veratrum in cultivation. The Plantsman 9(2):98-105.

Trillium with some 15 species growing in the shaded borders generally flourish notable are sizable clumps of T.albidum, T.kurabayashi but also T.erectum, T.cuneatum, T.rivale, T.rugelii T.grandiflorum, T.ovatum, T.flexipes, T.underwoodii, T.discolor and T.vaseyi.

Ferguson, Keith & Lorna, (2006).In search of Trilliums in the southeast United States. Bulletin The Hardy Plant Society of Oregon 22(1):42-48.

Herbaceous Plants -Herbaceous borders are filled with a wide range of perennials to cover all seasons with Papaver orientalis cvs and some 10 or more large clumps of different Paeonia lactiflora cvs being particularly noteworthy. Phlox, Anthemis, Crocosmia, Helenium are among many others that provide summer interest while Asters, Colchiums and Nerines extend the season.

Woodland Plants – growing freely are many North American and Asian genera together with native and European species. To mention a few there are Jeffersonia, Hylomecon, Stylophorum, Maianthemum, Disporum, Impatiens, Cimicifuga, Erythronium, Podophyllum, Diphylleia, Polygonatum, Cyclamen hederifolium, C.coum, Galanthus and Eranthus.There is a host of ferns including some fine specimens of native Dryopteris and the western North American evergreen Sword Fern Polystichum munitum. Some ten or more species of Helleborus are present and H. x hybridus abounds.

Ferguson, Keith, (2010).The woodland plants of North America: east to west The Hardy Plant 31(1):43-50.

Moisture loving perennials - include 5-6 species of Ligularia and the same each of Astilbe and Rodgersia and a wide variety of Iris species especially Iris pseudoacorus. Three or four herbaceous Aralias and Gunnera tinctoria provide a good foliage contrast. Some species of Chrysoplenium thrive especially C.macrophyllum.. A few Cardiocrinums usually flower each year. The clone of Trautvetteria carolinensis grown from our own collection of seed in Virginia appears superior to some clones in cultivation.

Shrubs and trees - fine specimens of Berberis jamesiana, Cornus officinalis, C.mas ‘Aurea’, Ribes speciosa, Magnolias, Acer, Ilex and Prunus species. Calycanthus floridus, Ptelea trifoliata, Liquidambar styraciflua Lane Roberts and Worplesdon, Pterostyrax mature, Betula nigra, Betula pubescens, Betula utilis and a rapidly growing Tulip tree. Among the more unusual trees and shrubs are high Andean Polylepis australis with is rusty bark, Ribes menzesii, Lonicera elisae, Philadelphus purpurascens, Ribes laurifolia both wall trained and prostrate specimens, Berberis valdiviana, Heptacodium, Bupleurum fruticosum, Corylopsis sinensis f. veitchiana. Apart from those in the “Rose Garden” there a many climbing roses and varieties of Clematis on the walls of the house and “Old Garden”.

Ferguson, Keith, (2003).Autumn foliage colour from trees and shrubs. The Hardy Plant 24(2):43-46.

Plants for sale

A small number of unusual plants especially the garden specialities are available for sale at modest prices especially Zantedeschia, Veratrum divisions, seed raised Trilliums and some divisions of T.kurabayashii. Woodland plants and the more unusual shrubs are propagated from time to time. Excess plants propagated as replacements or as additions to the Garden regularly occur in small numbers but the range differs from year to year. These are available to interested garden visitors.