Gardening expert and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh, 75, has taken to his new YouTube channel, Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh, to share his five “must-have” perennials. Mr Titchmarsh claimed perennial plants are the “backbone of any garden” and, if well-cared-for, will return every year with beautiful foliage and flowers. Perennials, like most plants, do need to be planted in the right location with the correct soil type to thrive. However, if you get that right, you will likely see an abundance of growth year after year.
The gardening expert named five plants in his video, but he claimed one plant in particular should be planted in “every garden” — English Lavender ‘Vera’. He said, “Every garden should have this: lavender. The foliage, which is almost evergreen, smells like mentholyptus sweets [and is] really good for clearing your tubes.”
English lavender, which flowers from July to September, produces beautiful pale pink, white or purple flowers.
The plant is popular with bees and produces a strong aromatic scent that will attract pollinators to your garden.
Mr Titchmarsh recommended planting English lavender in your vegetable garden or borders in well-draining soil — anywhere the plant can bask in full sun.
“It will make a lovely low border. It only grows about 18 inches high, that’s about 45cm in the lower varieties,” he added.
He recommended buying the varieties ‘Hidcote’ or ‘Munstead’.
Another plant on Mr Titchmarsh’s list was Geranium ‘Wargrave Pink’. The hardy plant is one of the gardening expert’s “all-time favourites” and claims it is a plant he would “never be without”.
The plant grows to around 45cm and produces beautiful, bright pink flowers throughout the summer.
It’s perfect for cottage gardens and makes good ground cover. Geraniums thrive in sun and dappled shade and come in a variety of colours.
Alan Titchmarsh’s five ‘must-have’ perennials
- Scabious ‘Pink Mist’
- Pulmonaria ‘Twinkle Toes’
- Fern (Dryopteris)
- English Lavender ‘Vera’
- Geranium ‘Wargrave Pink’
