Nothing in Basket!
All you need to know about growing Achillea.
I added Achillea to my garden in 2022 as I had read they were great for wildlife. I wasn't disappointed, within days of planting them they were covered in insects including bees, and even the birds enjoyed hiding in between them as I'd planted a number of them fairly close to each other to create a dense cover.
Achilleas (yarrows) are traditionally used as a border perennial. Their feathery foliage and beautiful, flat-topped flowers that bloom right through the summer months bring great value to any garden. In recent times they have become popular in wildlife garden schemes as they attract pollinators.
There are many cultivars and colours to choose from, ranging from white and yellow to shocking pink. I believe mine are red, but others might say pink. The flat flower heads are perfect for pollinators to sunbath on. The flower heads start out bright in colour but soon fade, I thought it made an interesting effect with the combination of bright and faded flowers and will be looking forward to drawing them next year when they flower again.
Achilleas prefer a free-draining soil in full sun to partial shade. They can handle must soil types, as long as they aren't water-logged.
They look great in a wildlife garden scheme, or in the middle of an ornamental border, as well as in gravel gardens.
The best time to plant them is in spring. Dig a generous hole, deeper and wider than the pot it is in and add a handful of horticultural grit for added drainage. Plant in the hole, backfill and firm the soil around the plant and water in well.
Cut back foliage in spring and deadhead flowers through the summer to encourage more blooms. You could leave a few flower heads and collect the seeds. I'm currently waiting to see if any birds like to eat the seeds.
They are clump-forming slow growing perennials and tend to do better if they are divided every three to five years. This helps to revitalise the plant. However some varieties will be exhausted from flowering prolifically after a few years and will need to be replaced.
Achillea Common Yarrow
The best way to propagate achilleas is by division in spring. You can also try cuttings in early spring. Pull away new shoots, leaving a heel, and plant into potting compost with added sand. Your cuttings should form new roots within a few weeks, pot on once the plant is well established.
Some varieties will self-seed, although they may not look like the parent plant. If you plan on collecting the seeds you will be able to sow them in autumn and spring.
Achilleas can suffer from aphids and may get powdery mildew when the weather becomes very hot, just keep watering to help avoid this. I never worry about the aphids, if you leave them long enough other beasties and birds will arrive to eat them.
Pink Yarrow
Nothing in Basket!