The 12 Days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
12 Drummers Drumming, 11 Pipers Piping
10 Lords a Leaping, 9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking, 7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying, 5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds, 3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree
On the other hand the following might be more practical. However you may want to adjust the numbers a bit.
12 Primula denticulata – The Drumstick Primula has dense rounded heads of vibrant purple
Primula denticulata
pompoms in early spring and makes a superb contrast to spring flowering bulbs.
11 Campanula latiloba ‘Percy Piper’ is a semi-evergreen Bellflower with lavender purple flowers in late spring and early summer.
10. Rhododendron ‘Lord Roberts’ will make you
Rhododendron Lord Roberts
leap for joy when you see the clusters of deep crimson flowers with black speckles.
9. Alchemilla mollis – Lady’s mantle holds water in glistening droplets in its soft green leaves. Small bright yellow flowers appear all summer. Looks lovely as an edging for paths.
8. Kniphofia ‘Little Maid’ An unusual compact Red Hot Poker in that the flowers are not red but a soft buttery yellow and cream. It flowers from late summer until early autumn.
7. Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ is a beautiful Coneflower with white daisy like flowers, which have burnished orange centers. It is very attractive to bees and butterflies and flowers from June to September.
6. Ribes uva-crispa ‘Invicta’ A superb heavy cropping culinary gooseberry. Great for crumble.
5. Crocus chrysanthus – The
Crocus Chrysanthus
Golden Crocus has fragrant deep yellow/gold flowers, which brighten up the lawn in late winter.
4. Strelitzia Reginae – The Bird of Paradise has wildly exotic looking purple and orange flowers. It is not hardy in Devon (yet) but is very happy outside during the summer.
3. Lavandula stoechas subsp. Stoechas A bit of mouthful in Latin, but French lavender with its tufty flowers is quite simply wonderful.
2. Davidia involucrata. The Dove Tree has large white bracts that look like flocks of doves
resting on its branches and heart shaped dark green leaves.
1. Pyrus ‘Chanticleer’ This beautiful ornamental pear has masses of white flowers in spring
and, in autumn, the leaves turn flame orange and it glows.
You do, however, need to supply your own partridge.
Merry Christmas.
Contact details:
colette@charsleydesign.com
www.charsleydesign.com
t: 01803 722449. m: 07774 827799.
Follow me on Twitter @ColetteCharsley
First published By The Dart December 2014
