Patriotic Planting

JEWEL-COLOURED PLANTS

Imitate the Queen’s crown with jewel-coloured flowers. Horticulturalist Monty Don inspired thousands of keen gardeners with his jewel-coloured garden and here at Northern Life, we think its wonderfully in-keeping with the Jubilee. Find a sheltered, sunny border and pepper the soil with vivid hues of sapphire blue, ruby red and gold. Try echinacea for a pretty burst of colour and an easy-to-care-for bloom. Heleniums work well with echinacea and are part of the sunflower family with tall, vibrant petals.

 

PAINT IT PURPLE

The colour purple has long since been associated with royalty, power and wealth, and this year, Her Majesty is bringing it back with her purple Platinum Jubilee. For years, all except close members of the royal family were forbidden to wear the colour, due to its elite status and rarity. Whilst the colour purple is now worn freely throughout the world, its timeless class has not diminished. Bring some of that purple grandeur into your gardens to celebrate in style!

 

PROPER PATRIOTIC

Lily of the Valley is the Queen’s favourite flower, so why not add it to your floral displays? It can be planted out in May to look its best for the bank holiday celebrations, adding a decorative white carpet to borders. Alternatively, you could choose white, red and blue bedding plants to c

reate a celebratory display of your pots and hanging baskets. A Verbena ‘Union Jack Mix’ is ideal, but Petunia or Lobelia mixes will work just as well to botanically fly the flag.

 

TASTEFULLY TRADITIONAL

The Jubilee is a wonderful time to celebrate culinary delights. Enjoy lunch out in the garden and delight your guests with all things British, from strawberries and cream to a scrumptious afternoon tea. Make an effort with your table settings for a regal touch and break out your silverware, although it may mean a bit more washing up, it avoids single-use plastic and makes for an elegant touch. Don’t forget to treat your guests like royalty with plenty of cushions and comfy furniture, you could also play lawn games like crochet and hoopla to keep them entertained.

 

PLANT A TREE

The Queen is celebrating her Jubilee by inviting people across the UK to plant a tree for the Jubilee. Part of the Queen’s Green Canopy, the initiative hopes to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the Nation, which will benefit future generations. Small fruit trees work well in gardens and provide a harvest, a cherry tree will provide beautiful blossoms in spring as well as tasty fruit. Hawthorn will also fit in a small garden and is very friendly to wildlife with its high-calorie berries and bee-friendly flowers. You can even mark the occasion with virtual plaque. Go to queensgreencanopy.org for more information on how to get involved.

NorthernLife May/June 2022