Life

The Casual Gardener: Embrace the golden years

Many plants have lasting appeal long after their life is over

Dried leeks and mophead hydrangea<br />&nbsp;
Dried leeks and mophead hydrangea
 
Dried leeks and mophead hydrangea
 

FOR those fortunate enough to live out at least the allocated three score and 10 years, the latter decades are known – part affectionately, part forlornly – as the ‘autumn years’. They allude to a time when living things are past their prime, on the wane and ultimately on the way out.

Perhaps a more sympathetic term for this period is the ‘golden years’, which reflects not only the full appreciation of time and experience that those over 50 tend to have but it’s also a nod to the more subtle and subdued visual pleasures that can be found when the sultry days of summer have passed.

Maybe it’s my age but I’m liking autumn more. The light is softer and subtler, the weather less clammy. Regrettably the days are shorter too, with darkness descending much faster, triggering a reaction as the chlorophyl drains from the leaves of deciduous plants.

With some plants the attraction lies in the colour of the foliage before it drops. For others, it’s the brittle skeletal structure that’s left behind after life has expired.

Not for the first time I’ll cite garden designer Tom Stuart-Smith, who believes: "Every garden should include some plants that die beautifully." Not to sound too morbid but it's important to acknowledge the role played by plants who've shaken off this mortal coil completely or herbaceous perennials whose life has retreated below the ground.

The temptation for old-school gardeners is to clean up borders and cut down rotting material, keeping everything neat and tidy. But not only is this the wrong approach as far as wildlife is concerned, many plants gain a second life when dead – paradoxically – with shape and structure becoming their appealing characteristics instead of lush foliage and colourful flowers.

While appreciating the garden’s afterlife is quite a recent trend, the lasting appeal of dead flowers and seedheads has long been recognised by those who display their plants inside, in dried form.

Such exhibits can come from the most unlikeliest places. For example, in my house I have leeks that were allowed to flower more than a decade ago, yet still retain dense golden pom-pom heads on top of long stalks. More typically, they are coupled with mophead hydrangeas, a favourite for drying, especially in Brittany where they adorn mantlepieces and dressers.

The clear advantage of dried plants over their living or freshly cut counterparts is that they are maintenance free and don’t require light or water. The best time to pick plants for preserving is just before they lose their moisture entirely, though some will dry naturally in situ before you harvest them.

And don’t restrict your choices to garden flowers alone – the common reed, hogweed and even dockens are among the so-called weeds that you can utilise in a desiccated form. If the thought of arranging a selection of different plants scares you, go with a single specimen such as poppies or lavender.

Favourites of the dried flower enthusiast include honesty (Lunaria annua) whose appeal far outlasts its late spring flowering period; foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) with the best specimens being those grown upright in full sun; and most members of the allium family, be they edible or not.