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Gardening Journal May 2022: Plant of the month - Papaver Patty's Plum

May 1st, 2022
Prized for their large flamboyant flowers, oriental poppies are a stalwart of the sunny herbaceous border, blooming from late May until July.
In May the signs of Spring are still around  with Nature’s re-animation in full effect now. There are fresh green leaves on the trees, new growth everywhere and many plants are continuing to sprout both leaves and flowers. The dawn chorus might occasionally drive you nuts at this time of year, but the beautiful birdsong signifies that the days are getting noticeably longer, and Winter is now almost a distant memory. Everything looks and smells fantastic and it’s easy to get lost in life outside.

Prized for their large flamboyant flowers, oriental poppies are a stalwart of the sunny herbaceous border, blooming from late May until July. Originally native to Turkey and Iran, there are now hundreds of different varieties to choose from, with flowers in a wide range of different colours and forms.

Papaver ‘Patty’s Plum’ produces deep black-purple flowers with a contrasting darker centre. The bristly, grey-green leaves are the perfect backdrop for these vibrant flowers. They will create a delightful display of rich colour in your borders, can be used effectively as cut flowers as well as being great for attracting butterflies and bees into the garden too.

Patty’s Plum is a poppy originally discovered growing in a compost heap at Kingsdon Nursery Garden, Somerset, UK, by Sandra Pope of Hadspen House, who had come to work in Mrs Patricia Marrow’s garden. After the damson colour of the poppy was noticed, Marrow propagated it. She and Pope later came up with a name “Patty’s Plum” because that is Marrow’s first name, and it is typical of Marrow to describe the colour as “Plum”.

Pattys plum forms a low clump of coarse, hairy leaves which usually go dormant, disappearing completely by late summer, after flowering. Because of this its wise to plant something beside Oriental Poppies that will get bushy later in the season, such as Rudbeckia, Russian Sage, or Autumn flowering grasses. Clumps should be moved or divided only in late summer or Autumn, when the leaves begin to show again. Pattys Plum - A great, big and blousy, reliable perennial that will create a bit of drama in your garden.

Jobs to be doing this month include:
Ornamental Garden:

• This month is a fast period of growth. Late frosts may catch early blooms and soft growth – remove any damaged growth.
• Spray roses with rose clear or similar.
• Weed.
• Continue to remove spent flowers of spring bulbs but not the foliage until it has withered and yellowed.
• Chelsea-chop time – If the Nepeta and Sedums are looking leggy then cutback by a third to encourage compact growth that will not collapse later in the season. This can be applied to the lavender, echinops, echinacea, aster, helenium and salvia too if felt necessary.
• Trim Rosemary, Thyme and Sage if not done in April.
• Cutback withered daffodil or tulip stems once they have turned yellow.
• Trim grass edges of borders regularly to keep neat and tidy.
• Prune spring flowering clematis.
• Stake and support herbaceous perennials if necessary.
• If daffodils gave a poor show lift and divide bulbs and replant.
• Continue deadheading spring bulbs.
• Start hardening off tender plants for planting out.

Vegetable Garden:
• Harvest Asparagus.
• Direct sow French beans and sweet corn if weather is warm enough.
• Start earthing up potatoes.
• Harvest early crops such as radish/lettuce etc.
• Refrain from planting tomatoes too early as they suffer if exposed to temperatures below 12 degrees.
• Sow pumpkins, cucumbers, courgettes, squashes under cover now and outdoors towards the end of the month.
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