The RHS needs your help! If you, like us, adore the African lily, agapanthus, you'll be dismayed to hear that there's a new pest on the block – so recently arrived it hasn't even got a proper name.
The midge has been reported attacking agapanthus flower heads, causing deformity and discolouration. Sometimes the flower bud fails to open and in bad cases, the whole flowerhead can collapse.
The tiny pest was first spotted last year and is still quite rare, but the RHS is trying to find out more about it so it doesn't spread any further. So if you've noticed your agapanthus suffering, the charity is asking for samples or photographs: contact the science team at RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB, or by email at [email protected].
And if you're not growing agapanthus – you'll find these spectacular plants in flower right now at our garden centre in Chorley (we hasten to add, free of any midges!) They make a spectacular focal point in a handsome container on the patio, and also grow in a sunny, well-drained spot in the border. Among the best are the long-flowering 'Northern Star', with cobalt-blue flowers; elegantly drooping 'Midnight Cascade'; and the super-hardy 'Headbourne Hybrids', ideal for the open garden.