Crocosmia Montbretia

Leave them to their own devices, and before you know it, the whole garden becomes a montbretia patch! Montbretia (or Crocosmia) belongs to the iris family. Here I have captured a wasp searching for nectar in its trumpet-like flower. En masse they make a stunning floral display contrasting with its upright sword-shaped foliage.

However, like crocuses they have corms. These form vertical chains in the ground with the youngest at the top and oldest buried deepest in the soil. The roots of the lowest drag the corm deeper into the ground which accounts for the fact that they spring up all over the place. However, they are fabulous ground cover and beautiful at the end of summer when other flowers are fading.