Sarah Raven's Top Spring Plants: Earlier Blooms, Longer Season, Bird Haven
Gardening expert Sarah Raven has shared her top plant picks for spring cultivation at her Perch Hill garden. These plants offer earlier flowering, a longer growing season, and better local adaptation, leading to healthier and more productive plants. They also provide valuable food and shelter for birds.
Raven recommends amaranth for garden borders, as it is less invasive than plants like teasels. Myrtle, with its berries lasting until April, and Panicum capillare 'Sparkling Fountain', another bird-friendly ornamental grass, provide food during the hungry gap in March and April. Crab apple 'Red Sentinel' is an easy-to-grow fruit tree that offers both beautiful white blossom in spring and bright red fruits that last through winter, attracting birds.
Amaranth seeds ripen gradually, reducing the risk of diseases like greenfinch disease. Panicum 'Frosted Explosion' and Panicum millaceum 'Violaceum' are recommended for attracting wrens. Sunflowers, prolific seed producers, encourage birds to return to areas with a steady food supply. Panicum, an ornamental grass, produces masses of seed favored by birds and is suitable for containers and garden borders. Amaranthus hypochondriacus 'Pygmy Torch', a deep-crimson amaranth variety, works well as a pot filler or with dahlias in a vase.
By choosing these plants, gardeners can enjoy earlier flowering and a longer growing season while supporting local bird populations. The gradual ripening of amaranth seeds and the lasting fruits of crab apples ensure a steady food supply for birds throughout the year.
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