An Afternoon at RHS Wisley – the Double Herbaceous Borders, Cottage and Jubilee Rose Gardens, a touch of woodland and more …

The spectacle of the Double Herbaceous Borders at RHS Wisley at the height of summer! I definitely have Border Envy though I appreciate how much work goes into this long-lasting display. Such healthy happy plants too. The Country Garden, pictured below is no less of an extravaganza but the effect in many parts is of…

More A-Zs from RHS Wisley – Agapanthus and Zantedeschia in the Trial Fields

The Trial Fields at RHS Wisley where much is being assessed and examined, usually over a three-year period, to determine the best cultivars and those that might be awarded the coveted Award of Garden Merit (AGM). Rosemary and Alliums, Corn, Viburnum, Penstemons, Petunias, Begonias and Cabbage, Cosmos, Calla Lily, Echinacea - and much more -…

Things that caught my eye etc., etc., – and a gourmet tour of the East End (didn’t expect that, did you!)

A day at Petersham Nurseries, working I might add, dispensing horticultural advice and bon-mots to a pretty happy crowd - weather warm but not too warm, a good breeze, plenty of plants to pretty the place up, time to talk to the customers - and keep everything watered - and time to make a few…

A few things that caught my eye today – Petersham Nurseries – flower therapy and a quote from Cabaret, what more do you need?

Flower therapy, this. From Petersham Nurseries today.  To quote from Cabaret - 'Leave your troubles outside, So- life is disappointing? Forget it! We have no troubles here! Here life is beautiful... ' After this you can go back to Brexit/Conservative Leadership/Chilcot Report/Euro 2016/24HourNews/Emails... 'What good's permitting some prophet of doom To wipe every smile away…

Lavender blue, dilly dilly – and white, pink, green, mauve, violet (more from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show & Downderry Nursery)

Downderry Nursery in Kent are magicians when it comes to Lavender - with a collection of over 400 varieties and a breeding program bringing new cultivars to market.  Their Gold medal exhibit at Chelsea was a huge wheel of colour and fragrance - and in my haste to capture as many individual varieties in detail,…

Somewhere over the rainbow – Irises on show at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

The first in a short sequence of photographic posts featuring particular plants displayed at the 2016 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Bearded Irises, these. Wow, but these are beautiful! So glad I finally got around to sorting through them. Rather miffed I missed the show at Wootens of Wenhaston in Suffolk - 2 acres of irises…

I’m singing in the rain/ Just singing in the rain/ What a glorious feelin’ I’m happy again/ I’m laughing at clouds/ So dark up above/ The sun’s in my heart/ And I’m ready for … roses, dahlias, beautiful perennials

Enough rain today to satisfy Dr Foster, on his way to Gloucester - but here at Petersham, it made some rather beautiful plants even more beautiful - roses of course, the first of the dahlias (and my apologies for not noting their names - next time I'll look at the Cutting  Garden Plan), and a…

Petersham Nurseries – Glorious flowers for a wedding and other beauties that caught my eye today (Agapanthus, Alliums, a Blackbird, Camassia, Corydalis, Cosmos, Euphorbia, Geum, Iris, a Viburnum called Watanabe)

A wedding being celebrated in the Nurseries today and my talented florist-colleagues Thomas Broom-Hughes and Flora Lawson have been busy creating these beautiful displays. Worthy of more than a few photographs I should say. The Cutting Garden provided an opportunity for a few 'captures' this evening too, as I left Petersham Nurseries. While the new…

Kew Gardens – Early One Morning/Lazing on a Sunday Morning

Kew Gardens once again opens its gates at 8am for Friends of Kew, right through the Summer. I took advantage of this early opening on Sunday before heading over to Petersham Nurseries and really appreciated the cool calm and quiet - there were other folk about but few and far between (it's a big place)…