Even the most manicured garden will have little pockets that need attention. Avid gardeners wanting to add plants and flowers to parts of their greenspace that may be bare need to consider how much sun the area will get.
They also need to consider what other plants they are near and if they are elevated or open to garden pests like slugs and cats. So, it can be tricky to pick the perfect seed at times. But one gardening expert has said there is a particular type of flower that will grow well in full sun and in shade and say they need very little maintenance beyond the odd watering.
Ahead of the Chelsea Flower Show, The Ivy Collection is celebrating the event with a floral-inspired cocktail menu, in partnership with Lillet and the Ivy’s gardener Ryan Cahill has shared his advice on how to make any garden, big or small, beautiful.
Ryan, who has been gardening with The Ivy for three years, is part of a dedicated team of over 20 Ivy Gardeners who are responsible for looking after the beautiful gardens, terraces and indoor plants across The Ivy Collection’s restaurants nationwide.
And he said wildflowers are perfect for most gardens, he said: “I definitely recommend planting wildflowers – what I like to do is find a seed mixture that’s right for me, whether I’m going for a full sun area or a shady spot.
“I really like to put the seeds in areas of the garden that are forgotten or neglected as you can’t throw the seeds down and in a couple of months, you’ll be surprised with what comes up on its own.
“Usually, when you start wildflowers from seeds, you really don’t have to add a lot of effort in when it comes to watering or maintenance – they kind of truck along and do their own thing. They’re a really fun thing to experiment with.”
Ryan also had one particular flower that he loves for gardens because they love being in pots so they are good for all gardens, even if you only have a patio.
He said: “When it comes to outdoor gardening, one plant that I really love is Agapanthus.
“It’s a really good plant for container gardening because the roots of that plant really love to be rootbound and tight in the pot, so it’s almost like the longer they live in the pot, the stronger they become and the more blooms they’ll put up.
“They have long-lasting blooms and come in a couple of different sizes and colours and they’re popular among the bees – my favourite.”
He also had some advice on whether to grow from seed or buy a young plant.
Ryan said: “When it comes to growing from seed or young plants it depends on the flower – if you’re one of those people who likes to get ahead of the game, growing from seed is a good way to start annual plants – like marigold, for example – are really easy to plant from seed and you can get them going at home before the planting season starts to scratch that gardening itch.
“For some perennials, like Agapanthus, you can start them from seed, but it will be years before you start to see flowers.
“So, if you’re using perennials, I would recommend buying a young plant from the store.”