Just a few weeks ago I posted about kniphofia ‘Papaya Popsicle’ and how good it is. It is now fading fast but nearby another is making its mark. ‘Nobilis’ is a more traditional ‘poker’ with tough, thick leaves and majestic, maybe ‘noble’ spikes of flowers in a traditional orange and yellow – orange in bud and yellow in flower.

I always understood that cultivar names should not be Latinised so I am not sure how this name is acceptable, but luckily it has several other names including ‘Giant Red’ (which seems a bit inaccurate) and, my favourite, ‘Prince Igor’ – it makes me smile in a childish way. He is a big lad, the tallest stems 1.5m high, and he is only a year old, and has an AGM to boot! There are later pokers – I used to have K. rooperi which was later, and the lovely K. caulescens is only just getting into its stride – though I don’t have that at present either. It is nice to have some fresh colour so late in the season.

One that I fear is not going to make it before the frost is my ‘kiss me over the garden gate’ – Persicaria orientalis. This is not a common garden plant here though I think it is more widely grow in the USA. I am becoming curiously attracted to persicarias as I get older – I am not sure what this means – and this is an annual species with bold leaves and a bulky habit. It flowers late in summer with arching stems of deep pink flowers. This year, rather than the plain green, I have grown the variegated ‘Shiro-Gane-Nishi’. I guess it is not my favourite type of variegation but it does stand out in the garden. But there are no signs of any flowers at all so far. And that means I won’t be able to collect any seeds let alone enjoy it self seeding! In theory it should reach 2m high but, after the drought and then battering it has had this year I am happy for stumpy plants just 1m high. I am hoping for an Indian Summer so I get a glimpse of the flowers

kniphofia nobilis, kniphofia prince igor, persicaria orientalis, persicaria orientalis Shiro-Gane-Nishi