A couple of A-1 plants for the garden
By Judith Rogers

Photo by Judith Rogers A photo of Astrantia.

Astilbe and Astrantia; two great plants for a shady garden.

Astilbe, which is sometimes called false spirea, has tall stems of graceful plumes in red, white, lavender, pink or coral above ferny foliage. Astilbes are happiest in a rich moist soil and are considered heavy feeders, and will require a high-nitrogen fertilizer in spring or fall. In spring, an addition of composted manure and/or fertilizer, or in autumn, a 20-10- 10 lawn fertilizer would give good growth results. Astilbes benefit from being divided every three years to maintain their vigour and because they like a moist soil, particularly need watering in July and August, the peak months for summer drought.

The dried seed heads can be left intact to extend seasonal interest and should the plant succumb to late summer dryness it can be cut back to the ground for regrowth of new foliage when cooler weather and moist soil is available.

There are many Chinese and Japanese hybrids available with heights ranging from 30 to 80 centimetres and they form a nice clump to compliment hostas, bleeding heart and astrantia.

The dwarf Chinese astilbe has dark green crisp foliage with spikes of pink flowers that only stands 15 to 20 cm tall, but it will seed around quite a bit so the flowers need to be removed right after they are finished. It's a good size for the front of a garden or in a partly shaded rock garden and if you have the room, let it multiply into a large patch.

Astrantia or masterwort, as it is also known, is a good companion plant to grow with astilbe, because it likes a moist organic soil in the shade.

Under good conditions, it can spread by runners, but generally stays in a clump 45 to 60 cm wide and grows to 60 to 90 cm tall. The flower bracts are covered in little starry flowers from June to August in shades of white to pink and deep ruby-red. Deadheading to lateral flower buds can prolong bloom and when the second flush is completed, the foliage can be cut back to the basal growth.

A. 'Sunningdale Variegated' is a sought after variety as the palmately lobed leaves begin as green and cream and turn green by summer, while the flowers are ivory to a soft pink.

Dwarf red masterwort is a compact form with maroonred flowers that is only 30 to 45 cm high and does well at the front of a border in a woodland garden.

At one time I was browsing through the book Foliage Plant' by the great British designer, author and owner of Great Dixter in England, Christopher Lloyd. One grouping of plants left me in awe as to how beautiful they were together. Lloyd had an astrantia with maroon flowers, Japanese painted fern that would pick up on the maroon and a green and gold hosta that illuminated the shady garden in which they were together. Having recreated the picture I used A. 'Ruby Cloud', the Japanese painted fern, a hosta that is nameless (but you could always use June instead) and then added brunnera Jack Frost to complement the silver from the fern. This is one collection of plants I never tire of.

Also, a correction from last week. The phone number for Field2Table is 294-0386.