Harlequin glory bower

When a plant’s common name has the word ‘glory’ in it, you might guess the plant is something special, and this one is. The harlequin glory bower has an extravagant common name, but in reality it is fully deserving of florid praise. It forms a handsome, mounded, leafy shrub, or a small tree up to 6m tall and wider than that if it has the space. The leaves are shield-shaped with a point and they hang beautifully among the branches.

In late summer and early autumn, the flowers are produced at the tips of the young growth on older branches. There was a good show of flowers this year and it flowered earlier due to the heat and sunlight, more like the plant’s native range in Japan and China.

The flowers are white, about 2cm across and produced out of a purse-like calyx of beautiful, pale-crimson colour. The effect of these flowers, held in flat bunches against the overlapping foliage, is very pretty. Close up, the flowers have spidery stamens with pale-brown tips. There is the extra bonus of sweet, honeysuckle-like scent. After flowering, a scatter of blue berries forms, never very many.

The beauty of this plant does not reveal itself for at least five years after planting, because it does not flower for at least that long and up to 10 years in less-suitable sites.

As a young plant in a garden centre pot, it manages to be very nondescript, with dull, nettle-like leaves and certainly no flowers, probably not even a picture as it is far more impressive when seen, having a light airiness about it that is hard to convey in photographs – the bower bit.

As autumn progresses, and the flowers tail off slowly, by mid-October the leaves take on autumn hues. This occurs in a very attractive way, as isolated older branches turn to shades of red and wine while the rest of the bush stays green or yellow. These are the harlequin colours. Week after week other branches follow suit, with some of those towards the centre fading to yellow. By the time the last ones have begun to change, the leaves have fallen from the first branches.

It goes without saying that this is a plant to seek out and grow, as it suits a rural garden very well and the botanical name is Clerodendrum trichotomum to try and track it down.

There is a variety called Fargesii which colours and flowers earlier and better, and suckers less. The clerodendrum has a number of related species which are strictly greenhouse or conservatory plants, and some need the heat of the home to survive the winter. But the glory bower is fully hardy. Like many other plants, it may get a touch of spring frost on young shoots, but they re-sprout quickly.

The level of suckering varies, but it will be most prevalent on light, open soil. The hardy clerodendrum could be a problem in a small garden or a restricted space. However, where space is available it would look very natural with a few suckers. The wood is very soft when young and any suckers are easily chopped out with a spade and the soil well-compressed with the heel.

The compacted soil will not have air that would encourage fresh sucker growth. But really the suckering is not rampant or difficult to control. Never use glyphosate on suckers, as it will travel in the sap and can kill branches or even a young tree.

Wild rocket is a different plant to the usual rocket, they are not even in the same genus, but they are related as both are part of the cabbage family and deliver that spicy mustard taste for salads and stir-fries. The wild rocket is somewhat sharper in taste. For growing, it has the great advantage that it is perennial and a couple of plants are plenty for most purposes.

The leaves are a lot narrower and tougher in cold weather. It produces yellow, cabbage-type flowers on spindly stems. These can be trimmed off and the plants cut back by half or more now in autumn – they will slowly re-sprout during winter and form a nice bushy, leafy plant in spring and summer.

This herb is well worth growing and very easy to do so. It germinates readily, the seeds being much smaller than those of more commonly grown types. Just keep it weed free until it is well-established, as it will then compete well itself. It likes dry, well-drained soil and another name given to it is wall rocket.

Fruit, vegetables and herbs

Plant spring cabbage plants without delay. Remove old vegetables as soon as they are finished and do not allow weeds to build up. Lift and store potatoes and carrots now for winter use. Leave parsnips.

Trees, shrubs and roses

Plant evergreens of all kinds, either from pots or as soon as root-balled plants appear. All kinds of pot-grown trees and shrubs can be planted too. Check that young trees are securely staked if they need it.

Flowers

Plant all kinds of spring bulbs as soon as possible. Do not bother feeding pots or hanging baskets now; it is too late in the season to have any significant effect. Begin to tidy up perennial flowers, or plant new plants.

Lawn

Use mosskiller now if necessary. Continue mowing and use an autumn lawn fertiliser. There is still time to sow a new lawn, but conditions will not be as good in the coming weeks as the weather gets cooler.

Greenhouse and house plants

Pick tomatoes as they ripen, do not leave them hanging on the plant. Keep the greenhouse tidy and ventilated. Do not overwater or splash water about, to reduce the risk of grey mould disease.