What to look out for in the Old Pond Garden April/May 2024

Tiarella ‘Spring Symphony’ – Foam Flower

Enjoy a symphony of colour with this extraordinary Tiarella! A charming, shade loving relative of the Heuchera.  In spring, slender stems rise above the leaves and hold a mass of pink and white starry flowers, giving a frothy effect – hence the common name the Foam Flower.

This variety has an Award of Garden Merit from the RHS and it copes in the difficult dry shade conditions under the Lime trees in the Old Pond Garden.

Cotoneaster horizontalis – Rockspray Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster horizontalis  is popular for the characteristic herringbone pattern of its stems, which develop into a decorative basketwork across the ground or on a wall, according to how it is trained. We are using them for structure in the Old Pond Garden as they have a presence in all seasons. Though small, the neat pink flowers are a magnet for bees and the bright red berries are eaten by birds. They have wonderful autumn colour too, so a good all-rounder in the garden.

Antirrhinum braun blanquetii ‘Lemon Sherbet’ – Snapdragon

Not in the Old Pond Garden, but a star plant! We grew these from seed last year, specially for the trough at the front of Charlton House. Snapdragon ‘Lemon Sherbet’ has large flowers in whites and creams. The plants have an upright, clumping habit, reaching 18″ (50 cm) in height. They are happy in poor soil, the leaner the better, and cope well with the dry conditions they get in the trough. They are short-lived perennials and once settled they will flower their heart out from April until October.

Other things to see

You might also spot the amazing Clematis flowering high up on the Stables wall, and the beautiful deep purple Lilac in the Peace Garden.