Corydalis corner

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A few years ago, I planted paeonia delavayi in memory of my mother. I was visiting Bodnant Garden in North Wales on the day I received news of her death, and this tree peony was in full flower

The peony is planted next to an evergreen magnolia which drops some of its leathery leaves all season, smothering anything underneath. But this is still a good space for some spring colour, mimicking conditions of deciduous woodland where many of the early flowering plants grow. As corydalis solida seems to like my garden, with seedlings popping up here and there, I decided it would be a good place to plant a colony of them.

So I planted ‘Beth Evans’ (pink), ‘George Baker’ (red), ‘Purple Bird’ and ‘White Swallow’ and this is the result this year. It will be interesting to see what colours I get in the future as new seedlings appear

Corydalis solida are good for a brief spring display. They pop up in late February or early March, and have disappeared again by early summer. Growing from small tubers, they only get about four inches tall. A spot under a deciduous shrub should suit them as they require a shady position in moist soil, although a place under evergreens will probably be too dry for them

• 6 Mar, 2019
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