There is nothing as honest as honesty in our garden.
True to itself, accepting no compromises, Lunaria annua is another of those plants, like foxgloves, that I have been trying to persuade to naturalise for years. Seeds come and go, I scatter and the seedlings arise here and there, the odd branch makes itself available for seeds and drying and looks nice in the summer house...
and there was one year I thought I'd cracked it and was home and dry with this mixed and very pretty patch of hesperus and honesty ...
But it wasn't to be repeated.
I know honesty is a biennial which makes it all a bit confusing, but I classify 'naturalise' as something that self-seeds and requires No Help From Me, but even with help the honesty has refused to naturalise until maybe this year...just maybe. I will be so pleased because honesty is one of those plants that seemed full of magic when I was a child. The way the seed heads, ruffled between the fingers, revealing that papery silver lining with a translucence that lasted forever.
The covetous gnawing (do you know this feeling?) for a profusion of honesty set in on a trip to the Manor at Hemingford Grey, the home of children's author and quilter extraordinaire Lucy Boston back in 2014.
We had done the most wonderful tour around the house and Diana Boston had shown us the quilts...you can read more about that day here
And I had seen that idea for the door curtain...
Soon to be replicated and much-loved chez dovegrey (after a trip to B&Q to find a rail strong enough and then the search for the invisible lintel to drill it in place.)
The views of the garden at Hemingford Grey from the windows were as tantalising to us as they were to Tolly in the Green Knowe books...
and so, my head swimming with inspiration, we wandered around the grounds and that's when I saw the honesty.
We bought a single plant thinking how lovely it would be to give a home to a direct descendant. I have this Glastonbury Thorn thing about plants from special places but sadly it objected to the transfer and failed miserably, however I have never forgotten that patch of honesty under the shade of a tree.
I kept scattering the seeds in the vain hope and then suddenly, with no help at all beyond benign neglect, the summer house patch seems to have woken up this year and had a small proliferation of its own accord.
And of course, as is true with any plant that chooses to naturalise, it won't be where you really want it to grow, where you can see it and, where honesty is concerned, enjoy the flowers early in the year. No it chooses the steps of the summer house and long before we are ready to open it up and move in for the season.
The crop is now looking a bit unruly but I love it for the way the flowers give no indication of these wonderful pods that are to follow...
.
And perhaps to many gazers it borders on weed, but it is all heading in the right direction for seed heads and I am very well (and easily) pleased.
But I need some more ideas...
Teasels are doing good and we now have plenty of goldfinches as a direct result I feel sure..
And we are making excellent progress with poppies but there are plenty of places around our patch for more plants to naturalise, so do you have any other sure-fire, fool-proof, fail-safe suggestions...
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