Plants that I like, I of a series…

     Now that have I finally got used to the idea that I am a professional gardener, well in as much that I earn a crust gardening, I thought that I would give an insight into the type of gardener that I am. So I think that firstly I will start off with a series of posts talking about my preferred plants.

    So the plant to have the honour of beginning this series is Symphytum grandiflorum (and yes I have to look up the long Latin namey thing) or as I know it, Creeping Comfrey.

Creeping Comfrey

    I only became aware of this plant a few years ago but it has since become a firm favourite of mine. What at first glance seems to be something extremely uninteresting and very easily overlooked Creeping Comfrey is, in my opinion, a wonderfully versatile plant that should be one of the first plants to consider for shady areas of a garden or a wildlife garden.

    It is a relatively low growing and clump forming plant that does ok in a sunny aspect but I feel that it grows far better when used as ground cover under trees and large shrubs. The most commonly seen type has pale yellow/creamy flowers which open from red flushed buds. Though for me there is a less common form with blue tinged flowers, again from red flushed buds (pictured) that I really like. Locally it flowers from about mid spring through to summer and one of the benefits of having this plant in a garden is the amount of native bees that it attracts. A large clump of Creeping Comfrey in full flower can attract bees in such numbers that you can hear the buzzing of happy pollen collectors from a fair old distance. I love taking a break from my labours and  just sitting with my flask of coffee and losing myself listening and watching the frantic comings and goings of these wonderful insects that seem to defy all rules of what should be able to fly.

    As mentioned this is a wonderful plant for shaded areas and is an excellent ground cover. The RHS description states that this plant is deciduous but I do find that it is quite common for it to retain quite a number of leaves through the winter. I do like to cut the tired foliage off in the spring just as the new, vibrant leaves are beginning to form. Leaving the tired leaves over winter may not be for the Gardner who likes their garden to be prim and proper but I feel that the left leaves provide cover for a host of invertebrates at this time of year. 

    There are of course some downsides to Creeping Comfrey as with all plants, perhaps the major one being the plant’s ability to cover large areas in ideal growing conditions if left unchecked. This may put some folk off growing it, especially in small gardens with limited space. I do find however that planted in a reasonably sized terracotta pot that they do fine. Another disadvantage, at least for me, is that they are classed as ‘non native’ and I do prefer, when able, to opt for native derived planting as I feel that native flora is better suited to native fauna having evolved together over eons. I was surprised to find that care should be taken when handling this plant as it is classed as being poisonous, though I have never suffered any ill effect from handling it. Then again there many plants that are poisonous and it is just nature evolving defences from predation. For myself the positives of this plant far outweigh the negatives, certainly our native Bees find them an excellent food source and with a little forethought they can be incorporated into many gardens.

    I know that this is not my usual style of blog post but I hope that you have enjoyed this post and any feedback would be appreciated as to whether or not I should continue this series. 

John t’ Gardener