Gardening with Persicaria campanulata

Usually known as a thug.

People have a habit of calling certain garden plants ‘thugs’ and thoroughly distaining them. Their preference is to have many individual plants living in harmony in the garden. And they probably enjoy gardening, so there’s no harm there.

But I understand that garden designers frequently get asked for ‘low maintenance’ gardens. And in my experience, part of the way to get that is to use those much despised plants called ‘thugs’.

Which I love. So here’s one which is well worth knowing if the garden in question isn’t terribly dry and which I am always on about. It’s refreshing in August to have white white, and Persicaria campanulata, which also comes in pink, is currently almost everywhere at Veddw, looking wonderfully luxuriant and happy. And white.

 Here it is in the pink, with another late flowering rampant treat.

Persicaria campanulata and Geranium procurrens - currently in flower in August, but began in July. And photographed here in October. How’s that for long flowering?

And here it is, rambling in white through the Crescent Border at Veddw

I know people fear such plants, but this one is so easy to pull out. I believe I may have heard Derry Watkins, who found it far too vigorous, yelling as she heaved it out by the armful. It not only pulls out, it plants as easily. You can take a pulled out piece, place it in an empty bit of garden, cover it with a bit of compost, grass cuttings or soil and leave. Squash the roots gently with your foot. Water if it doesn’t rain, no need to dig.

The Crescent Border (above) is full of ground elder. Which is never visible once the persicaria gets going, so we can enjoy the ground elder flowers (I know you prefer Ammi majus, but that plant takes work.) before the persicaria starts. Then there will be no further sign of the ground elder.

One more little treat this plant offers - it comes into leaf very early in the year. A sweet little leaf with a stripe. It makes a good complement to a vase of snowdrops.

But I do mean it - it’s vigorous!

Persicaria campanulata in Veddw Front Garden