By Geoff Fisher 
By Victoria Plum
Always surprises. The only honesty that has appeared for a few years in my garden has been the ordinary, dark-green leaved one. But several years ago I was given some variegated honesty that doesn’t seem to self-seed every year.
The leaves are gorgeously marked with subtle, pale variegations, which later in the year assume a ghostly presence at dusk – the leaves are so pretty in the half light after dinner on the terrace on a warm summer’s evening.
The flowers on mine are usually a pale mauve, though I’m told some are white or have a richer purple colour. This year, thank goodness, it has reappeared and is looking gorgeous already.
Plants like this I now never sow; I leave them completely to their own devices. They can look after themselves and surprise me when they grow and hybridise.
I’m pleasantly surprised by the Echinacea seedlings I sowed last year and left outside in a sheltered spot. I have tried different ways of growing these and in desperation bought plug plants, but never with much success.
However, these seedlings grew easily in the late summer, looked dreadful in the winter, but are now doing well, so I’m optimistic that they have been growing strong root systems and this year will be successful.
I don’t usually buy plants from supermarkets. They are often uncared for and in insubstantial light compost (to make transport cheap and easy) with enough fertiliser to last a few weeks only. They seem to be treated as disposable short-term decoration.
However, last year I felt sorry for a lonely leftover Conference pear tree at the Co-op in Reepham, so I brought it home and cut it off at knee height to encourage branching.
I watered carefully last spring and summer, which was dry (I usually leave a watering can full of water beside plants like this on “special care” to remind me to water every time I pass) and now this year it has 28 flowers. I doubt whether it will have that many pears!
Named “Conference” because in 1885 a conference was held to promote the cultivation of pears on home soil, and of the 600 surveyed this was the best. There are, of course, more delicious pears, but few grow well in this country.
This week’s Reepham & District Gardening Club AGM was swift and amusing as ever. There were some slight changes in the committee, thanks were given to those retiring and encouragement offered to new members.
Following the AGM, Guy Barker chatted to us about pretty plants that give good spring value in the garden. He mentioned honesty and Soloman’s seal. Sometimes the latter suffers from sawfly but seems to return absolutely fine the next year. I have the usual variety and also the stunning black one, which I think is very unusual.
Join us on Tuesday 19 May at 7.30 pm in Reepham Town Hall, Church Street, to hear Annette Hurt talk about “Changing from Chemicals to Nature”.
There is no plant sale this year, but please bring any spare plants to this next meeting to be sold by donation for club funds. This could become a regular feature.
Above: Variegated honesty. Below: Black Solomon’s seal. Photos: Tina Sutton
