I must have planted Astrantia major 'Roma' at the bottom of my lawn about eight years ago, and to be honest haven't given it any special care since.
Everyone is looking for plants that offer great garden performance, and I think I've hit the jackpot with astrantia. I must have planted Astrantia major 'Roma' at the bottom of my lawn about eight years ago, and to be honest haven't given it any special care since.
Like all hardy perennials they'll come back year after year, but some need lifting and dividing to keep their displays fresh and vibrant. Not so with astrantia, which produces delightful starburst blooms in June, that last all season long, gradually fading with age. 'Roma' adds a lovely pink to the display, but there are lots of other equally generous astrantias available in greens, whites and deep reds. Some even offer variegated foliage, but this isn't really to my taste.
Once planted, my flower borders go into overdrive, spreading as they want with very little direction from me. Neighbouring plants mix and mingle, looking far more natural to my eye than carefully orchestrated displays. One spreader I love is alstroemeria, which I've planted everywhere. I simply let it spring up among other plants, adding another tier of seasonal colour. Stems can be gently plucked from the soil to use as cut flowers, but I leave mine in place to enhance the display. Without tightly packed neighbours to provide support, taller varieties of alstroemeria would collapse; alongside astrantia, phlox and geraniums, though, they're fine.
You'll be hard-pressed spotting any bare soil in my borders. Every inch is accounted for, and the display in June is probably the best of the year!
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