After the extremes of this winter many plants have suffered in our gardens, in particular penstemons, pittosporums, shrubby salvias and Hebes. It’s now evident that some have not made it through the winter and its time to think about replacements.

The question is do we replace with what we had before, or do we try something different? If you like what you had before then yes replace with like for like, however if you fancy a change then why not think about something different, use this as an ideal opportunity to try something new in the garden.

Cistus, with its many hybrids and cultivars, is commonly encountered as a flowering shrub. The common name rock rose is applied to the species, a name also shared by the related genera Halimium, Helianthemum and Tuberaria, all in the family Cistaceae.

Cistus, derived from the Greek “kistos” is a genus of flowering plants in the rockrose family “Cistaceae”, which contains about 20 species. They are perennial shrubs found on dry or rocky soils throughout the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Portugal through to the Middle East, and also on the Canary Islands.

Cistus 'Silver Pink' has been very popular in gardens since its 1910 introduction to this country, it’s particularly free flowering, and forms a neat mound, with a profusion of delicate, papery, silvery-pink flowers, fading to almost white in the centre. Its great in a sunny spot at the front of a border or in a container, is one of the hardiest Cistus and is also quite drought tolerant too.

Not only is Cistus popular as a garden plant, but the leaves and stems of a few species (including Cistus ladanifer) are the source of a perfume ingredient called labdanum that has been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians. The common name, rock rose, derives from its native rocky coastal habitat and rose-like flowers. The charming rock rose flowers are usually white or pink/purple and often have distinctive maroon spots surrounding a central yellow eye.

Many Cistus are evergreen and many reach shrub-like proportions that make them popular hedge plants. But some like Silver Pink are smaller in habit. As its native habitat implies, Cistus is quite heat and drought tolerant. It also tolerates frequent pruning and poor soils. The flowers attract butterflies but each one only lasts about a day or two. Cistus plants produce large numbers of flowers and are full of colour for 2 to 3 months in the late spring or summer.

Cistus Silver Pink is an ideal specimen shrub amongst perennial planting providing evergreen structure in the winter months when the other plants have retreated, hibernating underground. In the summer its flowers mingle and work alongside the flowering herbaceous so it very much becomes part of the summer planting scheme too.

Good planting companions would include Papaver, Aster, Astrantia and Salvia - as well as grasses like Miscanthus, Panicum or Pennisetum too. As long as the soils not too wet in the winter this little shrub will provide you with interest all year round, an ideal addition to any scheme.

Jobs to be doing this month include:
Ornamental Garden:
• Lightly trim box balls – traditionally on Derby Day 6th June!! Would be nice to encourage the box topiary to grow larger while retaining the shape.
• Deadheading – Salvias as the flower heads go over, penstemons, roses etc.
• Spray any plants infected with aphids or black fly.
• Weed!!!
• Prune early flowering clematis.
• Cut back foliage of tulips.
• Trim other shrubs to shape as necessary.
• Plant warm season grasses such as penisetum and panicum
• Treat bindweed/groundelder and other invasive weeds growing among other plants by applying a glyphosate based weedkiller to their leaves.
• Prune ornamental cherries after their flowers have faded.
• There is still time to sow quick germinating annuals such as cosmos.
• Sow winter bedding such as violas etc.
• Cut back oriental poppies/pulmonaria etc after they have flowered. Remove all leaf as well to allow for fresh leave to sprout.
• Remove reverted shoots form variegated shrubs etc.

Vegetable Garden:
• Direct Sow carrots for autumn and winter harvest
• Sow Florence fennel and chicory.
• Plant out leeks once they are pencil thick.
• Put straw round strawberries.
• Water potatoes for good sized tubers.
• Feed tomatoes regularly
• Ventilate greenhouse.