Astilbes to astound!

I SEEM to see astilbes in every garden I visit – they are even in places that, at first glance, appear to be distinctly unsuited to them. However, that doesn’t matter one jot, for these are the most accommodating of plants. They’re colourful, dramatic, easy, stately, undemanding and – something that is difficult to explain – they appear even more pleasing when sited near a pond. I’d go as far as to say that it is wo contriving the right conditions for astilbes, even in gardens where these conditions do not naturally exist

Many astilbes are showing their pink, crimson, lilac, purple and brick-red flowers now, or will be over the next couple of months, so let’s take a look at some of the stories surrounding