Property News · July 30, 2016

Love butterflies? Say it with oregano | Alys Fowler


Alys Fowler gets some inspiration from a stroll through the Olympic ParkI took an early morning stroll through the Olympic Park in east London with the intention of going to hear the dawn chorus, but predictably I got distracted by the flora. The wonderful planting done by Nigel Dunnett et al four years ago still works, and that in part is due to the wildlife that treats it as home. I walked through flocks of goldfinches and starlings and watched mistle thrushes warble and wrens gobble berries. The bees were just getting going as the sun warmed up; it’s a rich landscape for foraging.One of the beds that worked particularly well was a simple combination of Origanum laevigatum ‘Herrenhausen’ and Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’. The deschampsia flowerheads wafted about in the early morning sun and the oregano flopped about in all its pink glory. It was a delightful bed, not wide, just running alongside the path: simple, wildlife-friendly and arresting. It would make a good combination for a front garden bathed in sun with poor soil or alongside a gravel drive. Even once the long-flowering ‘Herrenhausen’ is over, the seedheads will hold their own. Between now and then the whole thing will be crowned in butterflies and bees. Continue reading…

Source : theguardian.com
Read more…Love butterflies? Say it with oregano | Alys Fowler

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