Head Hotel Gardener Reveals The Most Underrated Garden Perennial

A head gardener at a Cotswolds hotel has shared the most underrated perennial that he believes flies under the radar in UK gardens.

Michael Adams is the head gardener at Whatley Manor Hotel Spa, in Malmesbury, and has more than 30 years of horticultural experience under his gardening belt – after starting out as a landscape designer.

Now he manages the five-star hotel’s breathtaking grounds – from the perfectly manicured lawns and brimming borders, to the sprawling kitchen garden.

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Courtesy of Whatley Manor

With autumn being the perfect time to start planning next year’s spring garden, Michael has shared an overlooked perennial that he thinks deserves more attention.

“I think primulas are one of the most underrated perennials. They are incredibly versatile, offering a wide range of colours and forms, from the classic primula vulgaris to the more unusual species and hybrids,” Michael tells Country Living.

“They flower early in the season, providing valuable nectar for pollinators when little else is in bloom, and they thrive in damp, partially shaded spots where many other plants struggle.

“With the right selection, you can have primula flowers from late winter well into summer, making them a hardworking and beautiful addition to any garden.”

Primulas can be planted in spring and autumn when the temperatures are milder. It’s also not too late to consider them this year, as the UK October forecast is much milder than usual.

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In terms of the hotel grounds itself, Michael says some of his favourites flowers are roses and wisteria. He explains: “Roses offer a rich variety of colours and scents throughout the summer, adding elegance to the formal beds and borders. The wisteria, with its long, hanging racemes of purple, white and pink blooms in late spring, creates a spectacular focal point and fills the air with fragrance.”

But Michael particularly loves this time of year in the hotel garden, adding “autumn brings a different kind of beauty with warm, rich tones in the foliage, berries for birds and soft golden light that makes the whole garden glow.”

Speaking of wildlife, Michael says the best gardening advice he’s picked up relates to looking after the creatures we share our gardens with.

He explains: “The best piece of gardening advice I’ve ever received is to really take notice of the interactions between plants and animals, and let nature be your teacher.

“Observing how wildlife moves through the garden, which plants attract which insects, and how the ecosystem balances itself helps me to work with the garden rather than against it.

“It’s a reminder that gardening is as much about nurturing life as it is about planting.”

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Lizzie is the Daily Editor at Country Living, where you’ll find her writing about unique property market finds and dreamy UK staycation spots. Her specialisms include interiors, property, wildlife, travel, slow living and more. Previously, she’s written for Metro, Evening Standard, Ideal Home, Woman & Home and various other home and lifestyle titles. Lizzie studied English Literature at University of Liverpool, where she also was a writer and editor for her uni paper.