Patio Lavatera Mallow ‘Barnsley Baby’

Lavateras, also known as Mallows, are traditionally large, vigorous plants that produce long stems covered in lovely, large open flowers in white or shades of pink. They are incredibly attractive to bees and a host of other pollinating insects, so if you want to do your bit to save our wildlife, planting any variety of Lavatera in your garden will certainly help.

?Barnsley Baby? is a fabulous lavatera and a dwarf variety of a classic cottage garden favourite, bred to be considerably smaller than its full-sized relatives. It has a naturally compact form, but its flowers are just as large and, incredibly, are even more abundant than any other variety. The candyfloss pink strings of flowers open in succession from the bottom to the top of the stems between July and October, so this beautiful shrub is constantly covered in buds and freshly opened flowers, giving the look of an extravagant flower arrangement.

?Barnsley Baby? only reaches a third of the size of most other varieties, making it perfect for growing in pots. It?ll be completely happy in a 3 cm (1 ft) diameter planter in a sunny location where it will flower its little heart out in late summer, just as many other flowering plants are beginning to slow down.

Incredibly easy to grow and look after, all that?s required is plenty of water and a monthly feed, followed by cutting back hard each spring to encourage lush, bushy new growth which will look gorgeous even before the show stopping flower stems begin to appear, teasing you as the buds swell and being to burst open.

Supplied as three established plants in 9 cm pots, ready to plant and growing to a height and spread of 75 cm (2? ft).

Top Tips

Mallows can be slow to show signs of life in early spring, so you’ll need a little more patience than normal before it returns to bud – don’t worry, it’s a late riser!

Care Guide

Planting Advice for Lavetera ‘Barnsley baby’

• Grow in full sun in moist, well-drained soil. Alternatively, can be grown successfully in a pot.
• Before planting, prepare the soil by digging over and removing any weeds.
• Individually knock out each plant from its container. Look at the roots ? if they are circling around the compost, it is best to tease them out. To do this, push your fingers into the rootball along the bottom edge and pull. Do this in a couple of places. This should encourage the roots to spread into the surrounding soil.
• Next use a trowel or spade to create a hole just deep and wide enough to set in the rootball.
• The aim is to bury just the roots, leaving the bases of the stems (when in growth in summer) or the shoots (in spring) above ground.
• Firm back around the soil, using your hand for small clumps and your heel on larger areas.
• Water in well to settle the soil and prevent desiccation.

 

Aftercare Advice for your Mallow ‘Barnsley Baby’

• Please note that plants will die back over the winter months, emerging from the soil again in the spring.
• Your mallow will need regular water when first planted until established. After that, they fairly maintenance free.
• Feed plants regularly during the growing season with a general purpose feed such as our Blooming Fast soluble fertiliser.

Pruning Advice for Barnsley Baby

• Pruning lavatera is best undertaken in spring when all risk of frost has passed and new buds are swelling.
• Prune all stems back to about 30cm (12in) above ground level.