Praise for Mr Reliable

And then there are the plants which never fail to prove their worth – the reliable varieties which are the backbone of the summer and autumn garden. So hands together, please, for crocosmia, the beautiful relative of the stately gladiolus. It was quite at home in South America until just over half a century ago when it came here.

Unfortunately, back then it had a bit of an identity crisis with many people confusing it with montbretia. Even today, there are still some who can’t tell the difference.

Yes, the two plants can look similar – although crocosmia is bigger and heartier then montbretia – and they are related. But they are different plants and deserve to be called by the names with which they were christened.

Montbretia are hybrids, all derived from two rare forms of crocosmia – aurea and pottsii. Collectively, they are called Crocosmia crocosmiflora, but all cultivars are known as montbretia.

Confused? It’s hardly surprising.

So forget about the names and just grow and enjoy the plants.

The big crocosmia is best shown off as a herbaceous star, given the space to allow it to lounge in the sun and produce its wonderful sword-shaped leaves and vibrant blooms. One of the most striking is the vivid red ‘Lucifer’ which has proved so popular that it’s now probably the most grown variety of all. A stunner.

Montbretia, meanwhile, prefer a bit more shelter, but they are quite hardy and will spread quickly in a site that suits them. Trying to dig up the tiny bulbs is enough to test the patience of any gardening Job.

But in its prime, montbretia is a lovely plant. It flowers long and hard, with blooms that can range in colour from pale yellow through to eye-shocking scarlet. And their strong stems laugh at summer storms.

They are inexpensive to buy, easy to please and tolerant of most soils. Planted an inch or so deep in April or May, they should be flowering by late July and can continue for several weeks. Mr Reliable.