Out of stock
Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies'
Oenothera lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’
Upright herbaceous perennial with an airy habit. Delicate, long-lasting white flowers opening from pink buds held above foliage.
Overview
Suitable for
Seasonal Colour
Growing Conditions
Aspect
Soil Type
Life cycle
Herbaceous perennials are plants with soft non-woody stems that reach their full height, and flower each year. In Autumn and Winter the plant dies back to the ground, but its roots remain alive. And it is from the roots that next year’s plant and flowers will start to grow again in Spring.
Caring for your plants
We take the care information from all the plants you buy and use it to create your own list of jobs to do each season. One that lets you know which of your plants need feeding, mulching, pruning, deadheading, and watering, and reminds you when.
Planting
Borders
1. Water the plant in its pot immediately prior to planting.
2. Dig over the soil removing any weeds or large stones.
3. Dig a hole a bit deeper than the pot and roughly twice its width.
4. Loosen the soil at the base of the hole, to help the roots to grow more deeply, more easily.
5. Add a few handfuls of peat free compost to the planting hole.
5. Carefully remove the plant from its pot and gently tease out a few roots.
6. Position it in the hole so that the surface of the plant’s rootball sits level with the surrounding soil. (Add or remove soil to adjust plant height if necessary.)
7. Backfill the planting hole with soil and lightly firm the base with your hands (use a foot for larger plants). This will help secure the plant and ensure there are no air pockets beneath the surface.
8. Give the plant a good 5 litres of water or 30 to 40 seconds with a hose.
To help establish the plant, water every two or three days during the first 2 weeks.
Containers
1. Water the plant in its pot immediately prior to planting.
2. Cover the drainage hole of a clean container with pieces of broken terracotta (crocs) or a few stones.
3. Fill the container with peat-free compost making sure to leave enough room for the plant’s rootball.
4. Carefully remove the plant from its pot and gently tease out a few roots.
5. Position the plant in the container.
N.B. There should be a 2-3cm gap between the finished soil surface and the rim of the pot – this ensures there’s room for water to soak in and make watering easier.
6. If necessary, add or remove soil to adjust the plant’s height and position.
7. Add compost until level with the surface of the rootball.
8. Gently firm down the soil with your hands to secure the plant and remove any air pockets in the soil.
9. Water well with about 5 litres of water (approx 30 to 40 seconds with a standard hose).
To help establish the plant, water every two or three days during the first 2 weeks.
Seasonal Care
winter - dec, jan, feb
Pruning
Remove anything dead, diseased or damaged.
If you haven’t done so already, cut back the entire plant to about half its height. What remains of the stems will protect the crown from frost until spring.
Mulching
If you haven’t done so already, apply a ring of mulch to weeded soil, 5 cm thick, around any tender or newly planted herbaceous perennials and newly planted shrubs. This will help protect the roots and crown from frosts. Aim for a radius of 30cm from the plant stem as the plant's surroundings allow.
N.B. Be careful not to cover the crown of any plants or to mulch right up against stems, as this can weaken them and leave the plant more vulnerable to disease.
spring - mar, apr, may
Pruning
Spring pruning should begin the first spring after planting.
Remove anything dead, diseased or damaged.
Once the danger of late frosts has passed, cut back all of last year's growth to just above the new growth appearing from the base of the plant. This new growth will produce this year’s plant and flowers.
A good rule of thumb is to wait till the first week in April, but this will depend on where you live. Take notice of how the seasons move through your garden, and check local weather forecasts.
Mulching
Apply a 5cm thick layer of mulch to weeded soil throughout your borders - better to do a small area generously, than a larger area thinly. Aim for radius of 30cm from the plant stem as the plant's surroundings allow.
Be careful not to cover the crown of any plants or to mulch right up against stems, as this can weaken them and leave the plant more vulnerable to disease.
Watering
Plants require regular watering during the first year of growth to help establish the plant. Water new plants well, once a week.
Established plants do not generally need watering, but give them a good water every two weeks during prolonged dry spells (two weeks or more without rain) or if they start to wilt.
Container plants will need watering during prolonged dry spells (two weeks or more without rain).
summer - jun, jul, aug
Pruning
Remove anything dead, diseased or damaged.
Watering
Plants require regular watering during the first year of growth to help establish the plant. Water new plants well, once a week.
Established plant do not generally need watering, but give them a good water every two weeks during prolonged dry spells (two weeks or more without rain) or if they start to wilt.
Container plants will need watering during prolonged dry spells (two weeks or more without rain).
Deadheading
If the plant has a single flower at the end of each stem, cut at the base of spent flower stems. For bushy plants, cut to where the flower stalk meets the leaf canopy. Towards the end of the flowering season spent flowers can be left and allowed to go to seed or fruit, to provide interest through the winter, valuable food for wildlife, and help protect the plant during colder weather.
autumn - sep, oct, nov
Pruning
Remove anything dead, diseased or damaged.
Towards the end of autumn, cut back the entire plant to about half its height. What remains of the stems will protect the crown from frost until spring.
For plants that offer winter interest, as well as food and habitat for wildlife, you can delay this cut until early spring.
Mulching
Apply a ring of mulch, 5 cm thick, to weeded soil around any tender or newly planted herbaceous perennials and newly planted shrubs. This will help protect the roots and crown from frosts. Aim for a radius of 30cm from the plant stem as the plant's surroundings allow.
N.B. Be careful not to cover the crown of any plants or to mulch right up against stems, as this can weaken them and leave the plant more vulnerable to disease.