I’ve gardened long enough now to recognise trends in plants. It was the recent RHS Tatton Show and it was interesting to see what what plants were repeated on the nursery stands in the floral marquee. To a certain extent, you’re always going to see familiar plants if you go to the same show each year, simply because nurseries are showcasing what’s at its seasonal best. For example, Agapanthus always feature at Tatton in July.

Several years ago I went to collect my purchases from the plant creche and it was full of the tall stems of Sidalcea ‘Elsie Heugh’. A prettier cottage garden type plant would be hard to find with its pale pink saucer shaped blooms arranged round a tall stem. The marquee was a mass of pretty pink blooms and the nurseries were stripped bare of their stock.

I can’t say that I noticed a particular trend this year, but what I did notice were some plants that were once quite hard to find becoming more mainstream.

Monarda ‘Garden View Scarlet’ in a garden border.

Take Monarda ‘Garden View Scarlet’. I spotted it on several stands this year and poking out the top of visitor’s bags. I have grown this plant for about three years, ever since I heard a speaker at a garden club mention that it isn’t prone to mildew like so many seem to be. This is a bergamot with a gorgeous, shaggy, lush red flower held on a tall stem above scented foliage.

Monarda ‘Garden View Scarlet’ up close.

These plants like sun and moisture and my soil in Didsbury is very free draining, but it seems to cope well and there is no sign of mildew. I beefed up the soil with some compost when planting and the plant has now made a large clump. In fact, it’s a bit of a wanderer and needs splitting. I’ll do it in the spring when it starts to show signs of growth.

Verbena Blue Spires

Verbena hastata is another plant that I spotted on several stalls – in its white form, ‘alba’, pink ‘rosea’ and ‘Blue Spires’. These are long-flowering, upright perennials with slender, branching spires of flowers that open slowly from the base of the bud throughout summer. They like open sunny sites and will grow tall if there is a bit of moisture in the ground (between 1 – 1.5m max). I have grown these plants for several years and collect their seed each autumn.

Trends come and go and there are always so many plants to choose from that it can be overwhelming to decide what to buy. Before you fall in love with something like a vivid pink Bouganvillea that reminds you of that wonderful holiday on a Greek island, just hold back and think of where you live and where you’re going to plant it. Having said that, I’m all for falling head over heels for a plant and, of course, pay no attention to trends. Remember, they come and go!