Old-fashioned, elegant flowers

David Tarrant | Image: John Glover

Left: Myosotis sylvatica 'Music'

As a young child I was often taken to visit gardens of stately homes, plus I had two aunts and an uncle who worked for families with large, elegant gardens, so early encounters with certain plants – ones with what I would call old-fashioned elegance – are most definitely etched in my mind.

Let’s start with spring. Daffodils and narcissi (which, botanically, are all Narcissus, of course) were and still are a joy to behold. Seeing them naturalized in large drifts on lawns was always a thrill. All the big showy ones come out with a flourish in April and then, just when it all seems to be over, the poet’s narcissus begins to bloom, wafting its heavy perfume throughout the garden.

Narcissus poeticus var. recurvus was known locally as pheasant-eye narcissus because of the intricate colouring of the corona, or cup, in the centre: green, then yellow, and edged with bright red. The surrounding petals (the perianth) are pure white and, as the name suggests, are slightly recurved. Each flower is borne singly on a 35-cm (14-in.) stem.

According to the Reader’s Digest A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, this species is native to Switzerland. Like all narcissi, it prefers an open sunny spot in moderately fertile, well-drained soil that has adequate moisture during the growing season. It is, of course, much more spectacular if planted in clumps. Plant the bulbs in fall, covered by 7 cm (3 in.) of soil.

Parrot tulips (Tulipa) are the other magical bulbs of spring. In fact, both poet’s narcissus and parrot tulip are featured in those old Flemish paintings of what look like giant, make-believe flower arrangements in elegant porcelain vases. Such pictures were often hung in stately homes and, as a young child, I didn’t believe some of the flowers were actually real! Imagine my amazement, then, when I saw clumps of parrot tulips in a long border. Their red-and-green tepals looked just like parrot feathers.

The beauty I first saw so many years ago was called ‘Rococo’. Parrot tulips aren’t to everyone’s taste. The flowers are 15 cm (6 in.) or so across and are borne singly on 40-cm (16-in.) stems. The intricately feathered edges of the petals catch rain and cause the blooms to fall over, particularly in coastal B.C. gardens. But they are wonderful as cut flowers – and still magical to me. Parrot tulips prefer the same kind of soil and planting

conditions as narcissi.

Other cultivars to look for include Tulipa ‘Orange Favourite’, which looks good enough to eat – like a giant orange Jell-O! Tulipa ‘Black Parrot’ is also stunning – a deep-maroon colour. And a more recent introduction is Tulipa ‘Texas Gold’, which, as the name suggests, has bright-yellow flowers.

Another classic bulb that was always featured in those paintings was the crown imperial lily, Fritillaria imperialis. It is found growing naturally from southern Turkey through to Kashmir and is a hardy plant that prefers fertile, but well-drained, soil in a sunny spot. The bulbs, as many of you probably know, have a distinctive odour, a bit like skunk! Your nose will let you know exactly where they are in the nursery or garden centre in the fall. The strong scent from the roots and bulbs will deter moles in the garden.