Stakeout

Crocosmia Lucifer

Whether it’s a shoulder to cry on, a Zimmer-frame or a corset, we all need a little support from time to time and plants are no exception. Despite the breeders’ best efforts to give us half-pint horrors; there are still plenty of tall perennials and grasses out there and gardening is all the richer for their presence. Who needs a dwarf foxglove or delphinium anyway; they are about as satisfying as trying to watch ‘Ben Hur’ on a 12inch television.

The golden rule with staking is that no-one should know you have done it. To this end, get in early and erect a scaffolding higher than the plant so it has chance to grow into its ‘cage’ and hide it unselfconsciously.  Natural materials make the best  stakes as they blend in and cushion  growth better flexing in a breeze. Coppiced hazel  gathered from hedgerows are the ‘Rolls Royce’ of supports as they have a good flat hand shape for making a basket around a plant but oak and birch work well too if woven together. A good tip in summer is to water the plant to be staked the night before so that stakes push into the ground more easily.

Giant fennel (Ferrula communis) like macleayas and eupatorium is a tall plant but rarely needs staking so worth choosing when you are feeling lazy.

Ideally you will have cut twigs in winter, graded them and tied into bundles ready for use. If you are not that organized you will find yourself wrestling with a bundle of tangled bamboo canes found festering at the back of the shed.

No matter; form a supportive basket shape first tying twig ends together if necessary, but always stake through the middle of a plant too so the wind doesn’t produce an unfashionable center-parting.

Bamboo poles and string are perfectly legitimate but can look like a dog’s dinner if you use the fluorescent green twine that manufacturers convince themselves looks natural. Brown tarred twine is far more desirable and smells good too. And if you really want to impress the neighbours invest in little cleaved chestnut hurdles. They are strong enough to hold back a tsunami of emerging foliage but more importantly, they give you the country-look wherever you happen to garden.

 Four Ways to minimize staking.

1.     Choose plants which are tall but self supporting eg eupatoriums heleniums, macleaya, acanthus, salvias.

2.     Don’t over-feed or water encouraging excessive growth.

3.     Plant in sunny spots and avoid shade where plants tend to get leggy.

4.     Divide plants regularly. Old congested clumps of phlox or sedum are more prone to falling apart.