Chilton Nursery > penstemon

spotlight on > penstemon

a block of Penstemon Pensham Amelia Jayne This year we expect to stock around 40 varieties of penstemon - with about 30 available at any one time.

Our plants are grown in 3lt pots with the vast majority being grown outside, giving short, jointed, sturdy, bushy plants (not floppy).

They are competitively priced, at a D code in Herbaceous.

Plants are available all year round but clearly their peak selling season is when they are budding up ready to flower. Look out for more information on our looking good and availability lists around this time.

All pictures and labels are stapled on to eliminate the problem of untidy/lost labels.
All plants are potted into compost containing 12-14 month osmocote slow release fertiliser. Vine weevil control is also incorporated.

We have a good mixture of new varieties such as Pensham hybrids, tried and tested varieties including Garnet and Firebird, and the not widely available Geoff Hamilton.

History ...

The genus penstemon was first recorded by Dr John Mitchell in Virginia, North America, in 1748.

The plant was popularised in Europe by the great Victorian plant-hunters who collected its seed, including David Douglas, who found and named 18 species.
These were soon hybridised by various nurseries who developed new strains, which swiftly found their way into all the best British gardens.

In 1861 the first field trials of penstemon were held at the RHS grounds in Chiswick.

Our Top 5

Garnet > One of the most successful cultivars ever introduced. Highly floriferous and growing to about 90cm in the shape of a loose mound.

Firebird > Original name Schoenholzeri. Spectacular long-lasting flowering season. Persistent glowing scarlet-red flowers. Grows 1m high by 45cm.

Port Wine > Vigorous variety with large flowers in shades of claret from summer to autumn.

Geoff Hamilton > Wine-red flowers, translucent in the sun. Flowers from summer to autumn.

Beckford > Fresh cream bell-shaped flowers tinted with lavender and rose pink from July to September. Grows to 50-90cm in well-drained soil.

Garnet (Andenken an Friedrich Hahn)

Probably the best selling of all penstemon, Andenken an Friedrich Hahn is a vigorous, elegant, easy to grow plant.
Its soft garnet-red flowers can last from mid-summer to the first frosts if deadheaded regularly. It is fully hardy to -17 C and should survive for several years through all but the most severe winters.
Almost 90 years old, it is believed to be the result of crossing Southgate Gem with hirsutus, with the aim of creating a more reliable cultivar.
It was given the name Garnet in 1950 by plantsman Graham Stuart Thomas, although Andenken an Freidrich Hahn is its proper title.
In 1993 it received an Award of Garden Merit from the RHS.

New varieties from The Pensham Collection...

These cultivars have been exclusively bred at the Pershore nurseries of Edward Wilson in Pensham, Worcestershire.
> Amelia Jayne
> Blackberry Ice
> Czar
> Edith Briggs
> Eleanor Young
> Kay Burton
> Laura
> Loganberry Ice

Growing tips...

:: Deadhead for long-lasting flowering. Cut off the entire flower spike, not just the odd blooms. Deadheading is particularly important for penstemons growing in dry, poor soil or in pots.
:: Penstemon prefer well-drained soil in full sun. When planting, add grit to keep the roots dry during winter.
:: Don’t remove top growth until spring; leaving old stems will give some frost protection. Also mulch with dry leaves if possible.
:: Food and water are essential to keep penstemon flowering. However, too much nitrogen can cause too much foliage growth at the expense of flowers.

Propagation...

Penstemons generally only live for a few years but it is easy to take cuttings from them.
Cut 15cm shoots from near the bottom of the plant in late autumn and plant them in a coldframe to about half their depth. Shade from direct sunlight until late October and check the compost is moist, but not too wet, regularly.
You should find that by spring around half will have rooted.

Shoot tips also root easily, and are best taken in early September.
To take tip cuttings, remove a non-flowering shoot about 10cm long and pinch off the lower leaves. Insert cuttings in a shallow 13cm pot and loosely fill with multi-purpose compost. Seal in a clear polythene bag and stand them in a bright spot by a window.

Points to remember...

:: The best time to take cuttings is September
:: Penstemons should be cut back in March/April to about 5cm above ground level.
:: They should not be cut back in autumn
:: Splitting penstemon is not usually successful, and neither is moving them.
:: For best flowering results plant in full sun; deadhead regularly; treat with bone meal; plant in soil with potash and low nitrogen levels.

National Collections...

Kingston Maurward Gardens, Dorchester, Dorset. Tel 01305 215003.
Pershore College, Avonbank, Pershore, Worcestershire. Tel 01386 551177.
National Trust Rowallane Garden, Saintfield, Ballynahinch, Co Down. Tel 02897 510131