Month: January 2018

Taking a peek inside the Alpine House at RHS Wisley – and a scented meander down through the Rock Garden into Seven Acre Wood ….

Categories Alpine, Architectural Plants, Bulbs, Fragrant plants, General comment, Hellebore, House plants, Iris, Orchids, Plants for a shady garden?, RHS WIsley, shade, Shrubs, Snowdrops (Galanthus), Winter Garden, Wisteria, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on Taking a peek inside the Alpine House at RHS Wisley – and a scented meander down through the Rock Garden into Seven Acre Wood ….

A little peak inside the Alpine House which sits atop the Rock Garden in the RHS gardens at Wisley (the rose garden is behind, an allée of Bonsai trees to one side and the vegetable garden too, if you need to get your bearings. This is a traditional glasshouse where the plants are mostly displayed…

Continue reading ➞ Taking a peek inside the Alpine House at RHS Wisley – and a scented meander down through the Rock Garden into Seven Acre Wood ….

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered – by these colourful, beguilingly fragrant Witch Hazels at RHS Wisley

Categories Abstract Photography, Architectural Plants, Fragrant plants, General comment, RHS WIsley, Trees for smaller gardens, Winter Garden, witch hazel, Woodland Garden1 Comment on Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered – by these colourful, beguilingly fragrant Witch Hazels at RHS Wisley

A fine day yesterday, after that miserably wet weekend but still, having a day off, a chance to head over to the RHS gardens at Wisley. My mission: to stop by the Alpine House, take in a few snowdrops, inhale my first fragrant dose of Daphne bholua, bag the first of the Hellebores and of…

Continue reading ➞ Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered – by these colourful, beguilingly fragrant Witch Hazels at RHS Wisley

Hellebored? Not me ….

Categories Architectural Plants, evergreen perennial, General comment, Hellebore, Winter GardenLeave a Comment on Hellebored? Not me ….

Flowers to brighten these chill darker days are an invaluable commodity in the garden, and few are more welcome nor so colourful as the Hellebore. There is the myriad variety of colours and flower forms of the Lenten Rose (Hellebore hybridus), bold architectural foliage and flower of the Corsican Hellebore (H. argutifolius), and Christmas rose hybrids…

Continue reading ➞ Hellebored? Not me ….

A little Kew Miscellany – everything else from a chill Tuesday in January (or Heraldic Beasts and where to find them)

Categories Climbing plants, Fragrant plants, General comment, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Winter Garden1 Comment on A little Kew Miscellany – everything else from a chill Tuesday in January (or Heraldic Beasts and where to find them)

Just mopping up with the remainder of the photographs taken last week when I headed off to Kew Gardens, warmed up in the Princess of Wales Conservatory and then joined the 'Meet the Experts' tour talking all things Snowdrop. A random selection though I wish you could take in the delicious fragrance from the Chimonanthus…

Continue reading ➞ A little Kew Miscellany – everything else from a chill Tuesday in January (or Heraldic Beasts and where to find them)

A ‘Meet the Experts Tour’at Kew Gardens – Snowdrops (Galanthophiles Rule OK) – and my first sighting of the newest species in the club, Galanthus trojanus

Categories Alpine, Autumn garden, General comment, Open to the public, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Snowdrops (Galanthus), Winter Garden2 Comments on A ‘Meet the Experts Tour’at Kew Gardens – Snowdrops (Galanthophiles Rule OK) – and my first sighting of the newest species in the club, Galanthus trojanus

Such a treat, earlier this week, attending one of Kew Gardens' Meet the Experts Tours. Every Tuesday throughout the year (or probably pretty much), you are delivered into the hands of one of their Experts for a private tour of one aspect of the work going on at Kew. This month they are talking everything snowdrops…

Continue reading ➞ A ‘Meet the Experts Tour’at Kew Gardens – Snowdrops (Galanthophiles Rule OK) – and my first sighting of the newest species in the club, Galanthus trojanus

Looking for a January Getaway? A tropical holiday? Try Kew Gardens

Categories Architectural Plants, General comment, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Tropical1 Comment on Looking for a January Getaway? A tropical holiday? Try Kew Gardens

  A dull day, yesterday, with a chill wind and a fine mist of rain oftentimes so it was glorious to spend a little time inside the Princess of Wales Conservatory in Kew Gardens - plenty of humidity and generously warm temperatures and what a collection of plants in the tropical section here - orchids…

Continue reading ➞ Looking for a January Getaway? A tropical holiday? Try Kew Gardens

A New Year at Petersham Nurseries

Categories General comment, Petersham Nurseries1 Comment on A New Year at Petersham Nurseries

Happy New Year folks! And to start us off, a little tour from Petersham Nurseries. I shall be talking a trip out next week - Wisley perhaps, or a guded tour at Kew over their Snowdrop Collection - or somewhere else indeed - but all my days this year so far have been at the…

Continue reading ➞ A New Year at Petersham Nurseries