We visited Forde Abbey in Dorset recently. It’s an amazing garden and well worth a visit.
In the Kitchen Garden we spotted this beautiful dark flowered Helenium .
They tell me that it’s name is Helenium ‘Dark Beauty’
It caught my eye growing in the dramatic setting of the Walled Garden. The deep red flowers of the Helenium and dark green foliage were enhanced by the pale plants surrounding it.
I’ve never seen it before and a quick search has revealed only snippets of information about this particular variety. Apparently it grows to approximately 1metre / 3′ 6″ tall when fully mature (the plants in these photographs were less than half that)
You may know it as Helenium ‘Dunkle Pracht’.
Helenium plants need a sunny position and moisture retentive but not waterlogged soil. They dislike wet winters and don’t cope very well with drought either! Adding a generous mulch of garden compost and giving a thorough soak once each week should be enough to get new plants off to a really good start. When the flowers fade deadhead to encourage new blooms and prolong the flowering period. Like most perennials Heleiums benefit from dividing every 3 years or so. Remove the central old growth and replant clumps with fresh new shoots from around the edge of the original plants.
Do you know or grow Helenium ‘Dark Beauty’?
If so perhaps you can tell us more about these gorgeous plants.
Happy Gardening! Gillian 🙂
It’s gorgeous!
It was such a lovely plant Eliza. I’m going to try and track some young plants down to grow here.
What a sumptuous colour! Please do let us know if you source this one.
It was absolutely stunning Kate. I’ll let you know if I find it anywhere.
Thanks 🙂
It’s well named. They are slug food here sadly, such a shame because I love them!
Yep That’s right. Slug food here too but we do have lots of wild ducks, frogs and other little creatures that eat many of our slugs and snails so a lot of our plants are left alone.
Just Beautiful 🙂
Thanks very much Sue
These are beautiful. Don’t think I’ve seen anything quite that colour before
Me neither! That’s why I almost lay on the ground to get the shot!
Lol. Now I have this image of walking around a garden admiring everything and then tripping over you getting your shot.
Ha. Nice thought! I must admit that If the garden is busy there’s no way I’d contort myself to take a picture. Holding a big camera still makes me feel self conscious and I’m quite careful not to get in anyones way. I have noticed that when I find a quiet spot someone always comes up and stands right next to me then peers into the border to see what I’m looking at. I always strike up a conversation with them so they will find out what they need to know quickly and go away equally quickly so I can get on with it!