The Amazing Adventures of Archibald Esq.
Horticultural Hound: In Praise of Thrift
Sea Pink or Thrift bears the Latin name Armeria maritima. The one in the garden is a ‘Splendens.’ SuperWoof to Thrift! What a plant! A gentle mound of grass-like foliage above which arise tiny pincushions of delicate pink flowers, like little coloured bobbins that nod gently in the breeze. Wonderful!
Ah, the pleasure I get nosing those pink pincushions… nuzzling my schnozz into the petals.. then watching them bob and sway.
Little feet picked up the plant at the garden shop by Kenwood House, which just adds to the reminiscent delicacy of the moments of tender enjoyment I get from lying by this plant, and from time to time sniffing it’s fragrance of green growth and all that bears the scent of summer.
Thrift produces evergreen flowering cushions. Bright rose, round-headed flowers are borne above spreading evergreen mounds of grassy green foliage. They are suitable plants for border edges, rockeries, walls, paving, gravel gardens and containers, in sun on well-drained soils. They flower from early summer right through to late summer and early autumn.
The upshot is that I thoroughly recommend Thrift to gardening hounds, as it creates a little textual variation with its green grassy foliage, and the flowers are thoroughly delightful. Little feet has ours planted in near ivy and the lacy, loose foliage of flowering lobelia.
Placed against a brick wall, which acts as a heat sink - as ours is - I think you’ll find the plant flowers repeatedly, two or three buds at a time, and as previously noted, the bobbing and nodding pinchushions of pink petals are absolutely mesmerising!
Admittedly Sea Pink or Thrift has nothing to do at all with plant names that include the word ‘dog’ or ‘hound’ or any part thereof (e.g. hound’s tooth, crested dog’s tail, etc.) - which had, ostensibly, been my mandate in these horticultural pages - but it is a plant that offers pure delight to a gardening hound, so I thought I’d make an exception and recommend to my dear reader the company of a thrift or two in a garden near you.
Awoof! Archie, your horticultural hound.
Posted 01 Aug 06
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