Crab Apple Tree Bed

	Tempting Texture --- Artemesia also known as Common Wormwood, Woolly Sage, Ghost Plant	Artemesia has a lovely almost fluffy texture as the silver leaves are very finely divided. Artemesia loves full sunshine. If you want your Artemesia to keep looking fresh and strong it should be cut right down to the new shoots at the base in Spring. Artemesia does have flowers but they are a dull yellow and not very eye catching. We know that our Artemesia is called ‘Powis Castle’.  --- Did you know? An Artemesia called ‘absinthium’ is used as an ingredient in the alcoholic beverage absinthe and in some other alcoholic drinks.
	Robust and Reliable --- Fuschia also known as Ladies’ Eardrop	Fuschias are amazing flowerers. They provide continuous colour right from mid- Summer until the first frosts. Look for arching woody stems dangling showy tubular pendant flowers in shades of red and purple. There is also a white Fuschia in this bed. Fuschias also grow in pink, pinkish white and pure white. Fuschias can be either hardy shrubs or tender bedding type plants. We have chosen a hardy shrub for this bed so that it will survive our harsh weather.  --- Did you know? Some people think that Fuschia flowers look like little fairies or little ballerinas wearing tutus!
	Wildlife Welcomer --- Buddleja also known as the Butterfly Bush	Buddleja has woolly grey green leaves. From July to October look for masses of  drooping lavender blue flowering spikes made up of hundreds of teeny flower heads. Our Buddleja is from the ‘Buzz’ series so it is much smaller than the big bushes you may be more familiar with, often seen colonising wasteland. Buddleja also grow in shades of pink, deep purple and white.  --- Did you know ? Red Admiral and Peacock butterflies love the copious nectar of Buddleja bushes. However they do not lay their eggs on them as their caterpillars do not like to eat the leaves.
	Wildlife Welcomer --- Comfrey also known as Symphytum	Comfrey is a rapidly spreading plant that grows in clumps and is often seen growing along riverbanks and in countryside verges. Look for clumps of low growing pointed hairy coarse textured leaves and clusters of bell shaped flowers on drooping stems.  The flowers are really attractive to bees. The flowers are purple, pink or white and occasionally a creamy lemon.  --- Did you know? Comfrey roots and leaves are used in skin creams and ointments to heal bruises and pulled muscles, sprains and strains. It contains a substance that helps new skin cells to grow. Comfrey is toxic to humans and should not be ingested.
	Wildlife Welcomer --- Agastache also known as Giant Hyssop	Agastache is quite a tall plant. It has whorls of tiny long lasting lavender blue flowers arranged like a bottlebrush.  It is a Mediterranean plant that loves warm sunshine and does not enjoy too much cold wet weather.  --- Did you know? Agastache leaves are green and pointed with a fragrance of aniseed that attracts butterflies.
	Wildlife Welcomer ---Sweet cicely also known as Myrrhis odorata,  Anise or British Myrrh	Sweet ciciey is an upright aniseed scented plant with bright green soft fern like leaves and clusters of umbrella like white flowers in early Summer.  The flowers are followed by small scented seeds that look like tiny cucumbers.  --- Did you know? The leaves and seeds of Sweet Cicely can be used for culinary purposes.
	Wildlife Welcomer --- Trifolium also known as Trifolium rubens, Clover or Red Feather Clover	Trifolium  has lush blue green leaves covered in soft downy hairs. The flowers emerge from silvery buds in Summer. They are conical shaped and a deep magenta red or white. Trifolium loves plenty of sunshine.  --- Did you know?  ‘Tri’ means three. Trifolium, (also known as Clover) has three rounded leaflets. It is supposed to be good luck if you ever find a four leaved clover.
	Fantastic Foliage --- Ligularia also known as the Leopard Plant	Ligularia. You can’t miss the leaves of Ligularia. They are deep bronze or green, sometimes tinged with purple in eyecatching floppy heart shapes with toothed spiked edges. In the Summer you will see very tall spires topped with daisy like clusters of flowers in a warm orange or yellow shade. Our Ligularia are bronze with orange flowers. Ligularia are known to prefer moisture, some shade and naturally boggy spots (yet ours seem to thrive in sunshine even through the driest summer days!)  --- Did you know? Ligula is derived from the Latin for ‘little tongue’ in reference to the shape of the flowers.
	Fantastic Foliage --- Physocarpus also known as Ninebark	Physocarpus has incredible deep purple three lobed leaves. In the Summer also look out for clusters of tiny white flowers followed by small brown berries in the Autumn. Physocarpus prefer the soil to be slightly acidic and may become yellowed in alkaline soils.  --- Did you know? Physocarpus is called Ninebark because as it matures the bark peels away in thin layers and multiple colours.
	Seasonal Showstoppers --- Crab Apple Tree also known as Malus sylvestris	Crab Apple Tree. Our crab apple trees have pride of place in this bed.  The trees have greyish brown flecked bark and glossy oval green leaves with serrated edges. In the Spring the trees are covered in frothy pinkish white blossom loved by pollinators. In late Summer and Autumn they are laden with small round red berries. One of our trees fruited so heavily that the weight of the berries broke down a branch in a storm. Crab apple trees can live for up to 100 years. Crab apple tree leaves are loved by moth caterpillars as a food source. Small mammals, foxes and badgers will also eat the fruit. The small hard fruits make lovely edible jelly.  --- Did you know? Crab Apples represent love and marriage as a symbol of fertility. Mythology says that if you throw the pips into a fire and say the name of your love, the love is true if the pips explode. Crab apples even get a mention in Shakespeare.
	Seasonal Showstoppers --- Cytisus also known as Broom	Cytisus. Look for an upright shrub with gently splayed slender stems studded along their length in May and June with small pea like flowers. In 2022 we chose a Cytisus with yellow and burgundy flowers to represent the 2022 Reivers colours. Most Cytisus shrubs flower in yellow, red or white. Cytisus is often confused with  Genista which looks very similar but smells of bracken. Cytisus has a gentle vanilla fragrance.  --- Did you know? The wiry long stems of Broom were used in bundles for sweeping, hence the name. Broom is toxic and should not be ingested.
	Seasonal Showstoppers --- Eryngium also known as Sea Holly	Sea Holly looks a bit like Thistles. In late Spring and in Summer look out for tall upright stems with architectural, almost metallic purple blue globe shaped flowers surrounded by a collar of very spiny bracts of vivid purple blue. Bees love them. Sea Hollies love sunshine and will thrive in dry, poor quality soil so do not over fertilise them!  --- Did you know? The flowers are very long lasting and can be used in cut and dried flower arrangements. Eryngium also grow in a silver white colour. There is even one called ‘Mrs Wilmot’s Ghost’…spooky!!

Our plants are grown for ornamental purposes only.  We do not advise touching or ingesting any parts of the plants on the Duns Flowerbed Trail. Many plants can be an irritant or toxic when smelt, ingested or touched. All the ‘Did you know?’ information about alternative plant use is provided for educational interest only.

Cross over the road to the Owl and Green Man wood carving in Barn End Bed.

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