When browsing in a garden centre or on a nursery website, have you ever seen a little cup or trophy symbol attached to a plant and wondered what it meant? It’s the AGM or Award of Garden Merit, given by the Royal Horticultural Society, the world’s leading authority on all things horticultural, to plants that provide outstanding performance.
New cultivars are introduced by plant breeders all the time, so it can be confusing when choosing plants for your garden – how do you know which ones will work hard for you and justify the money you’re spending on them? The use of brightly coloured pots and artfully designed labels can distract from the actual contents, which might look showy to begin with, but don’t always stand the test of time.
The AGM is awarded by a panel of RHS experts after rigorous trials, usually at one of the RHS gardens in the UK. To be eligible for the award, plants must perform well in a wide range of garden conditions, but be ‘excellent for ordinary use in appropriate conditions’. This means that if you buy a bog garden plant with the AGM and plant it in boggy conditions, you can expect it to do exactly what it says on the tin, so to speak. They must also be widely available – so there’s a good chance you can find them in most decent garden centres, and they must be ‘essentially stable in form and colour’ – so if you give them the appropriate care and conditions to grow in, you can expect them to grow to the size you expect and conform to the photo on the label. Last but by no means least, they must be ‘reasonably resistant to pests and diseases’ – this doesn’t mean they’ll be completely immune, but so-called snowflakes need not apply!
The AGM is awarded to new cultivars regularly, but can also be taken away following a review if the RHS experts don’t consider the plant merits it any more. So you can be sure that when sourcing plants with the little trophy on the label, you’re giving your garden the best chance of plants that will really perform.
Anne’s Tip of the Week:
As we’ve had a very dry spell (even if the rain has returned by the time you read this! ) make sure anything planted in the last year has a good drink once or twice a week, as rain is often not enough to really soak the soil and reach the roots – this especially applies to trees and hedges.
Anne Byrne Garden Design provides easy to follow Garden Plans that you can implement right away or in stages. Anne’s design flair and passion for plants brings a touch of magic to gardens of all sizes.
Anne Byrne Garden Design – Creative Ideas – Practical Solutions – Stunning Gardens
T: 086 683 8098 E: [email protected] www.annebyrnegardendesign.com
