Astrantia Maxima
Astrantia Maxima. Of all the Astrantia’s of which there are many, Maxima in my opinion is the most striking of all.
Here we have a perennial which once had pride of place in all country cottage gardens. However this hardy plant will not look out of place in the town garden, front or back.
This distinctive variety has the largest flowers of them all, with an unusual dusky pink colour. Each individual flower is tiny and forms, what could be described as a pin cushion surrounded with paler pink petals, which are in fact bracts. The deeply divided palmate leaves are a mid green and surround the umbel’s of flowers very attractively.
Flowering from early Summer through till late August, Maxima will enhance your borders beautifully. Thrives in most soils, particularly favouring a moist position. Plant vigour can be maintained by lifting and dividing every three or four years. The RHS have deservedly given this plant their prestigious award of garden merit.
Hardiness – Fully hardy
Position – Full sun/partial shade
Height – 60cm
Common name – Masterwort
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Astrantia Major
Here we have (Astrantia Major), looks great in a woodland setting or in the borders of a cottage garden. Flowering, June/August, definitely one of our favourites.
The neat pincushion flowers are silvery white with just a hint of pale pink. This perennial cultivated as early as the 16th century enjoys dappled shade or a sunny border if kept moist.
Lift and divide large clumps in early Spring, apply a generous mulch of garden compost around the plant.
Position – Full sun/Partial shade.(moist soil)
Hardiness – Fully hardy
Height – 90cm/3ft
Common name – Masterwort
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Astrantia Ruby Wedding
Astrantia Ruby Wedding, a particulary attractive variety with ruby red pincushion flowers and maroon stems is a red form of Astrantia Major found at Wisley. This perennial thrives best in moist soil, full sun or partial shade.
Astrantia’s have been grown as a cottage garden favourite since Victorian times, a renewed interest in them recently has been a welcome sight in many gardens.
After the first flush of flowers is over cut the plant hard back for a bonus second crop of blooms in late summer.
Astrantia’s do not like drying out, incorporate plenty organic matter when planting. If weather conditions tend to be dry, water plants copiously.
Another of those long lasting perennials which thrive in our cooler North East Scottish Summers.
Hardiness : Fully hardy
Common name : Masterwort
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Early May in our Back Garden last year
Our back garden with its tightly planted perennials and annuals did look very special in Summer. Problem was, when it all died back we were left with quite a dismal sight for five months of the year. In the past four years we have made a serious attempt to turn it in to a garden for all seasons with careful planting of topiaries, shrubs evergreen and deciduous, roses and Spring bulbs. Perennials of course still play their part, planted between shrubs. I suppose we could still do a bit more to improve the Winter look a bit more, however I am not to keen to compromise the Summer appearance any further.
If you are keen to add Winter flowering plants to your garden and are not very sure about it, check out this link— mail order
If you happen to leave a comment I will be sure to visit your site and do the same
Hello Janet, Shaggy, yes I have seen this one. I think I will keep my eye open this season and maybe add it to my collection. Aberdeen and Montrose can be cold but Orkney, brrr
I’ve grown astrantias both in Orkney and further south on the east coast. They are such accommodating beautiful plants. I think Astrantia major “Shaggy” (bred by the great Majorie Fish) is my favourite
Hi Janet, The popularity of Major makes me think that most people would prefer this one. Gardening in itself is a lifelong journey, which pleases most gardeners. I have been interested in your opinion on scraping. I haven’t really felt that this was something that would affect me and I wasn’t too sure what to do with your html in spite of how clearly you put it. I did go to the wordpress plug in centre and I have activated, (copyrightedpost) I will see if it does the job on my next post, you can perhaps let me know if it looks like the correct thing. Thanks for today’s visit.
I love Astrantias, particularly Astrantia major – I prefer the leaves. I was thrilled to see all the clumps I divided and re-planted last year popping up in their new homes. Finding ways to make a garden interesting all year round, particularly in a small space, is the Holy Grail. A lifelong journey. I think your topiary is great for that, and you make wonderful use of layers of height too.
They grow so well in our garden Jennifer (my sisters name) Maxima is well worth a place in your garden.
I have the Astrantia Major and think it is so pretty. I would love to add the other varieties, especially the Astrantia Maxima.
It is so true b-a-g, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Your gardening journey will probably lead you in time where you will have a preference for perennials but will find that you can always manage to squeeze in annuals also.
Thank you Laura, It is a surprise that Astrantia is more fussy than I would have expected as it grows like a weed here seeding itself very freely.
Your garden view is so well designed – love the tiered layered effect which gives a 3-d effect as well as providing interest all the year. Astrantias have been on my wishlist for so long but I fear my soil is rather too dry. And I don’t care if you do repeat yourself – it’s worth hearing again 😉
From what I can see, bigger is not always better in the world of astrantias. Major is my favourite too. I thought about filling my garden with perennials at first, but after experimenting with annuals last year, I think I would miss going through the germination process in spring.
Its very true Martin they do not like conditions which are too dry.
Thanks One, if you wish, take a look at my site and open up the link (Our Aberdeen Garden) on the top r/h of the page you can see pictures of our garden in Summer.
Hi Alistair, Why do you keep showing such beautiful flowers that I have never set eyes on? I’m quite sure Full Sun means full sun where you stay, not in the tropics. In the local language, Maxima means Maximum. So yes, the Maxima has Maximum ‘strikingness’.
I’m glad you showed your back garden. I’ve never seen it before. Good stuff need to be repeated.
Astrantias are gorgeous, but they don’t like my dry, chalky soil. Your back garden looks stunning, congratulations!
Hello again Diana, as I said before some things have to be spelled out to me. Please don’t take offence my reply was more poking fun at myself.
Has the Lady of the Water featured in another post that I missed? Carved of dark marble?
Astrantias do perform very well here Donna, as I was saying to Donna from gardenseyeview it probably does have to do with our cooler Summers.
Thanks Tatyana, I always look forward to your visits.
Stunning! Your back garden is stunning! Lush, layered look! I will return to this image to get ideas for my own garden. Can I? Astrania is pretty and absolutely new for me.
I too have Astrantias but they do not do as well as they should. Maybe this year they will perform better since it will be the third year for them. Maybe Donna is right, it is your much more agreeable climate.
Donna, makes me wonder if Astrantias actually prefer the cooler Summers of Scotland
I love Astrantias and have several in my cottage gardens…they are fairly new so I hope they grow in more this year…they have not been easy to establish but so worth it..I know what you mean about repeating yourself…I sometimes fear I have done that but then I think well it must be an important message to have to repeat it