A lot of my gardening is down to luck. For instance, I recently, accidentally grouped together a few reddish plants on my patio. This created a really nice effect in amongst the ferns. Suddenly I had a bit of a theme going. I found some more flowers that are red. Next thing you know my patio is rocking a whole red corner!
It looks like something planned. But it isn’t. It’s a chance combination, which sparked a thought. It also sparked an interest in red plants. So I thought I’d devote a blog to the ones which have caught my eye.
Penstemon
If you are looking for a plant for your border to give it some oomph in late Summer then look no further than Penstemon. They have tubular flowers, a bit like foxgloves, which are displayed over a long flowering season. Indeed put them in the right conditions – full sun to partial shade in well drained soil – and most will flower up to the first frosts.
There are some absolutely gorgeous red Penstemon. Red Ace is a lovely deep red. Or if you want one with a white throat then Windsor Red is a good choice.
The only downside of Penstemon is that they can be a bit shortlived. To combat this the experts recommend not cutting them back until Spring. I automatically do this as a) I’m lazy and b) I find them almost evergreen.
Another way to combat this plant’s kamikaze tendencies is to take cuttings as an insurance policy. Or you could go for the wine-coloured variety called Garnet. It’s one of the longest living Pentemons and creates a lovely bushy plant. It has slightly narrower leaves than the norm and grows about 60-90cm tall. I grow mine in a large container on my patio, where it is very happy.
Dahlia
I have a confession. I’ve not been a great fan of Dahlias in the past. However, having seen so many beauties at Aston Pottery gardens a few weeks ago (you can read the blog here) I am definitely more of a convert. I plan to grow a few more next year, to provide some lovely later season colour in my garden.
I already have one Dahlia in a pot and it’s a gorgeous deep chocolatey red velvet with a yellow centre. It’s called Mexican Star and is a single flower variety. This makes it easier for insects to access its nectar.
Sarah Raven describes Mexican Star as like a Chocolate Cosmos on steroids! I wish I’d invented this phrase as it’s not only funny but oh so accurate! My Dahlia grows about 3ft (75cm tall) and I’m told it will flower from July right through to November! Music to my ears…Where’s the Dahlia catalogue?
If you are after a red Dahlia with different shaped flowers, Aurora’s Kiss is a nice ball shaped variety. While on the cactus flower front, Dahlia Doris Day is a beauty.
In warmer regions Dahlias can be left in the ground, as long as you protect them with a good mulch. But I’m going to lift mine and over-Winter them somewhere frost free.
Lobelia Starship Burgundy
When someone tells me a plant is striking and easy maintenance I have to take a look. And Lobelia Starship Burgundy definitely lives up to this billing. This lobelia is far removed from those trailing bedding plants which we usually associate with the name. It’s an upright, hardy perennial which grows about 50-60cm tall and flowers from July to October. I have it in a large container on my patio with a mix of grasses, Gaura and Verbena. But it would look lovely in a border too.
It has scrumptious burgundy red flowers which truly look as though they’re made of velvet. Every time I pass it I have to touch the petals to double check! The flowers are set off by dark green foliage. So if you are looking for flowers that are red and luxurious, this is for you!
Clematis
I’m a big fan of Clematis and have at least 10 growing in pots and borders in my garden. I love the vertical height they give to an area. So when hatching my idea for a red corner on my patio, I knew I had to have a Clematis in the mix. I’ve gone for Rebecca as I feel she works with the Penstemon Claret and my Dahlia. She flowers from May to September.
If you want a pinkier red variety, Clematis Princess Diana is very lovely too.
Some people are a little daunted by these queens of climbers. I certainly have had my fair share of thrills and spills with them!
I think it’s the pruning which puts some people off. After all, there are three pruning groups for Clematis! Rebecca is pruning group 2 whereas I normally only go for clematis in pruning group 3. Oh dear…life’s going to be a bit more complicated now I’ve Rebecca in my clematis family. When the time comes, I’ll definitely have to refer to my own blog on how to prune clematis. Otherwise my love affair with her could be rather short-lived!
Salvia
Salvias are such a useful perennial plant. I have them in a number of pots and beds around the garden. Purples, blues, creames and peaches – you can get them in so many colours. And of course, that includes red. My two favourite red Salvias are Royal Bumble and Wendys Wish. The latter has broader leaves and large, plump shrimp-like flowers. Whereas Royal Bumble is a much daintier plant.
The downside of salvias is that some are a bit tender. So I try to remember to take cuttings of my favourites. You can see how to take salvia cuttings here
I took cuttings of the Royal Bumble above this time last year and now I have a lovely basket full of its ‘babies’ on my patio. However, I forgot to take a cutting of the Wendys Wish. And it died during all of the tough frosts. Gah!!!
Crocosmia
While I don’t have this particular plant in the new scheme on my patio, it is unashamedly red, and an absolute cracker. So I’m putting it in my list of brilliant flowers that are red. It’s Crocosmia Lucifer.
Croscosmia Lucifer grows about 1.5 metres tall, with arching sprays of intense, fiery red blooms. It looks wonderful in swathes in a herbaceous border. I have it in a woodland style border which is probably a bit odd, but I like it.
Mine is in semi shade, but it also likes full sun. Thinking about it, I think it would look really good growing in a hot tropical planting scheme.
Flowers that are red – now for something different
Grevillea
If you want something a bit different on the red flower front then take a look at Grevillea Canberra Gem. I bought mine when I visited a plant sale at The Coach House at Ampney Crucis. Now there’s a garden worth visiting!
I have the Grevillea in a pot on my patio. Ultimately it grows over 2.5 metres tall, but I’m expecting such growth to be inhibited by keeping it in a container.
It isn’t the most attractive plant from a foiliage point of view. But I find its slightly spikey rosemary form provides a welcome alternative shape. Furthermore, it’s evergreen and it flowers from late Winter to late Summer. The flowers emerge on the end of its branches which is most odd and rather facinating. All in all it’s slightly prehistoric – and it won’t be a plant your neighbours have!
What Works with Flowers that Are Red?
This blog is mostly focused on flowers that are red. However, I firmly believe that the foliage plants you have alongside such flowers, can make or break the ‘look.’ If you have nothing but red flowers you’re eyes will be overworked and the reds won’t be shown off properly.
So I thought I’d devote the final few suggestsions to plants which I think work really well in a red scheme – and indeed can do some of the ‘red heavy-lifting.’
Heuchera
Regular readers will know that I’m a huge heuchera fan. But I have every excuse to include Heuchera Fire Chief in my list as he’s playing a crucial role in the new red corner on my patio.
His flowers may be dainty and insignificant, but his gorgeous red-bronzed leaves and stems have real oomph. He keeps the red theme going without upstaging. He’s the perfect partner to a showier red flower.
The beauty of heucheras is they’re easy to propagate too. Indeed the poor old Fire Chief pictured above died earlier this year due to my oversight. (I hadn’t realised he was waterlogged). The guilt was dreadful, I could almost cry thinking about it.
Thankfully I managed to take cuttings from this sadly neglected beauty. (You can read about his sad demise and how I salvaged cuttings from him here). And happily for me they all thrived. So I now had Fire Chief’s progeny working a treat in my red corner.
The Bronze Sedge Grass in this picture is also a wonderful foil for red planting. Again it keeps the ‘heat’ going but doesn’t upstage the flowers.
Japanese Blood Grass
Another grass which is brilliant in a red scheme is Japanese Blood Grass.
Also known as ‘Red Baron’, I love this foot-high grass in my red corner. It’s limey green leaves then develop a bright blood-red colouring when grown in full sun. Mine is still pretty full on and it’s in semi-shade! I grow it in containers, dividing the grasses in the Spring to increase my stock. The only thing to remember really is that they need to remain well watered if they’re in a pot, as otherwise their colour definitely fades.
Ensete Ventricosum
Last but not least, developing a red corner to my patio has given me the perfect excuse to treat myselft to a plant I’ve fancied for ages, the Abyssinian Banana, more formally known as Ensete ventricosum.
I’m on a fast learning curve with this beauty, as I’ve not grown tropical type plants much before. But what I do know is it is extremely fast growing. It could get to 2 metres. When/if it does, I’ll put if further back on the patio but for now it’s sitting pretty, showing off towards the front of my pots.
It’s in a warm, sunny, sheltered spot, away from strong winds, which I gather is important – as the wind will otherwise damage the leaves and make them look unsightly.
Beyond this I’m watering it regularly and feeding with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser once a fortnight. In Autumn, I’ll bring him (he’s definitely a boy) indoors until late Spring. Not sure how Mr F-W will feel about sharing our sitting room with Banana-boy, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
So that’s it! My small selection of red flowers and leaves to warm up your gardens. Happy gardening! xx