Black agapathus

I`ve seen this version of black agapanthus on many cataloque and internet , has anyone got one? is it really like the picture or the usual pothoshop ?

 

Gardeners world say its blue and show a blue flower but say the stem is almost black and has black seed heads http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/agapanthus-back-in-black/548.html

 

Thanks Jools , Im actually talking about the black magic agapanthus , the one you`ve posted is the back in black wich is sold just for the black stem and not the black flower .......
overall still thing is blue and not dark blue.

 

Good range here Sal, including that one. Get your card out and let us know how close to black it is next year!!!!

 

The second photo of that one, on that site, is anything BUT Black :( (The filename of the picture includes "Black Magic" so its not wrong-file-on-wrong-product, but it may be wrong-filename-for-photo of course

This is the specific page for the product:
http://www.mailorderplants4me.com/products/2120

Lots of Panthuses on that site, eh? Tempting to start a collection - is there such a thing as an Agapanthophile?

I suspect that many are not very hardy though?

 

Not allowed to buy any plants , in case i find a nice one on holiday


Seen a hosta zebrina on the site ....look good

 

Kristen that black agapanthus would look really good in you black border

 

It would ... if it is Black

Any ideas if it is hardy?

My good-for-making-bricks-only clay soil is not best suited to Agapanthus :(

 

Not sure there are any black agapanthus. Not too far from me....the lizard in Cornwall....a nursery has several tender and unusual varieties but no true blacks and the nurseryman doubts there are any. What black plants do you have Kristen? I guess the only ones I have are ophiopogon and and a near black foliaged dahlia.

 

Yes, those. My black leafed plants are Dahlias are Bishop of Llandaff (Red flowers) and Twyning's After Eight, (White flowers) and I have Sambucus Black Lace and Black Beauty.

Its a "hot border" that I'm building, so the flowers are Red and where available I'm looking for dark / black foliage for a contrast, but I'm not adverse to "black" flowers where available.

Also thinking of building a Black and White border. We've got two "rooms" left and not a single concrete idea what to do with them as yet. (Hedges only been in 2 years, so another year or two before I have to think too hard about cultivating and planting them.

I had thought to change the surround hedge from rectangle to ellipse and create a "curved room". We had also thought about some wacky Box topiaries - lower maintenance than ornamentals, so to speak. I'd like a Wisteria and/or Forsythia pergola walk too ... but that's a bit of a waste of a whole room. Dunno! If anyone has seen an interesting theme them I'm all ears, preferably something I can go and see [in a garden open to the public] so I can take photographs and measurements and then evolve my thoughts from there

 

Kristen, I grow those "black" plants too. Lychnis Vesuvius is pretty "hot", echinacea Hot Papya looks hot too. Got some of the Bishop's children with,the same purplish foliage but flowers in orange and red shades. Some were good and better than the Bishop. A black n white border made me shudder at first thinking but it could be quite exciting if foliage was featured strongly. From now untilmid summer Arrhenatherum bulbosum.......I often spell that wrongly.....is superb. A white grass that really stands out ESP in winter. Next to berberis atro nana in spring makes nice scene. Would white variegated plants like phlox Nora Leigh, guara lindheimeri corries gold and Heuchera snowstorm be allowed? I will follow this project with interest so hope you will keep us posted

 

Some useful sounding plants there, thanks. I'll have to look them up though!

Interesting. The thing I like about Bishop of L. is that it flowers early, and is incredibly prolific. The ones I have are far more "floriferous" than any of my other Dahlias. But I'm willing to give some others a go. The Hot border apparently (according to my Design Team!!!!) must only contain Red flowers. Black foliage is permitted

I have some Lychnis and the red Echinacea (pretty sure we have Hot Papaya amongst them as it rings a bell). I even found some Red flowering Belladona lilies (and some red Lily lillies too ...). Growing a bunch more Red flowering perennials from seed this year - and lots of blue too: the mixed shrub border, planted 5 or 6 years ago, which has reached quite a decent size, is now (c.f. "Design Team" above !!) a Blue and White border. Luckily the Yellow flowering shrubs there are Winter/Spring flowering, so that's OK So I've got loads of F1 Delphiniums & Campanulas to try from seed this year.

 

I share your enthusiasm for delphiniums Kristen.....I have a few myself and last year they excelled and, because they were well supported, stood up to the unusual gales in summer. Got salvia guaranitica and uliginosa too to provide tall blue flowerers as well as campanula Chettles Charm and a couple of blue agastaches that will mix with red leaved dahlias. Anyone else out there planning hot borders or other themes?

 

Like my Topiary Chess set ... or Aqueduct ... or gazebo you mean?

I definitely need my head examining ... particularly as I failed to win the lottery today ... mind you, buying a ticket would be a start