Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
19th April 2025
Easter Treats
Whilst chocolate sales will be keeping the tills ringing this week, there are a number of ‘alternative Easter gifts’ to consider for the keen gardener. As mentioned last week, my favourite is Chocolate Cosmos – Cosmos atrosanguineus. The pretty perennial has beautiful chocolate scented, velvety, maroon flowers from mid to late summer and is great at the front of a border or in a decorative pot by the front or back door or seating area, so you can best appreciate the stunning scent. It’s areal talking point and no one ever believes that it smells as chocolatey as it does – until they smell it themselves.
To give the garden birds a happy Easter too, you could gift a decorative metal feeder or water dish in the guise of a sunflower or daffodil (available from most garden centres).
Or maybe choose a little pot of flowering forget-me-nots as a gift and of course, you can’t go wrong giving seeds as a gift (or am I on my own here?) and they’re easy to post too.
I have grown these little pea seedlings for a friend, but you could still send just a packet of pea seeds to someone to wish them a Hap-Pea Easter.
Also synonymous with Easter is the house plant, Easter Cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri). Often considered ‘difficult to get to flower’, it needs a period of cool temperatures and short days to stimulate natural conditions. The aptly named ‘Easter Flower’ Pulsatilla vulgaris is a real gem blooming in the Easter season. Its common name, ‘pasqueflower,’ comes from the old French word for Easter, ‘Pasque.’ The perennial herb belongs to the buttercup family, and is stunning with its silky hairy, purple flowers appearing before the leaves unfurl completely.
Despite being a common garden plant, it has become a rare sight in the wild due to the destruction of its natural habitat. All the more reason to gift it for Easter.
Lily De-livered
The most traditional Easter flower is the white Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum), symbolizing purity, rebirth, and hope, so they would make a nice gift as cut flowers or even give as bulbs to be planted between now and the end of May.
As well as the Easter lily, there are numerous lily varieties to choose from, all of which are easy to grow and look wonderfully exotic when in bloom. I have planted mine in large tubs which are by the side of the shed now (remembering to water them well) but will be moved next to various benches when they are in bloom, for the fabulous scent.
Whilst it’s too late to dedicate a lily to a friend, or in memory of a loved one, at St Catwgs Church in Llangattock, (NP8 1PH) as they are holding their stunning annual Easter Lily Festival again this weekend. The lovely local ‘flower ladies’ have decorated the Church for Easter Day and the following week and names have been entered into a Book of Dedications, which will also be on display. Of course Ian and I have dedicated lilies to Mum this year.
I’ll try to remember to remind you a bit earlier next year, but it’s still well worth a visit just to experience the remarkable sight and heady scent of these elegant flowers.
To Shut or Not To Shut
Do remember that trading laws insist that in England and Wales, shops larger than 280 square meters (approximately 3,000 square feet) are legally required to close on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. Whilst smaller garden centres may be able to open on Easter Sunday many choose to adjust their hours to allow staff time off.
There are a few exceptions, particularly for those with specific areas like a restaurant or a plant area, which seem to be able to ‘get around’ these restrictions, especially if they have cafes, restaurants or specific plant areas. For example, Chatsworth Garden Centre has a plant area open on Easter Sunday, though other internal areas are closed. So please call first, or check online to ‘avoid disappointment’.
Stone Ranger
In my quest to retain the title of Stone Ranger, bestowed to me by the Western Mail, I have become slightly obsessed by stone walls – dry or mortared – and as well as rebuilding them, I am spending a lot of time ‘releasing them from ivy’. It is hugely satisfying and rewarding but be warned – it is often only the ivy that is keeping the walls up.
Whilst I highly recommend exposing the smothered stonework, you really need to take time to assess the condition of the wall underneath, or you will end up with far more work than anticipated.
If you are sure that the wall is safe then take your time uncovering it. Don’t just ‘rip and tear’, a couple of loose stones can be very unforgiving. And also at this time of year, you need to be sure the ivy isn’t hosting nesting or nest building birds.
Full of enthusiasm, I took down a retaining wall and rebuilt it to incorporate a stone seat and also rebuilt a gate pillar at the cottage last week.
I took the liberty of incorporating a little stone Yogi into the rebuild.
I think stone dogs could become my trade mark – although not to be confused with the Chinese guardian lions, which are traditional architectural ornaments typically made of stone, hence also known as stone dogs.
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