Gardener and Photographer with a love of Roses and a magpie-eye for all things Horticultural
Sunshine today and a few things that caught my eye - walking past St. Peter's Church yard in Petersham this morning; the sun shining on the display (pictured yesterday but with the benefit of sunbeams); an oversized stone basket with more golden Spirea; some equally sunny Mahonia and one of the earlier-flowering Camellias, the pink…
Situated in the town of Monte, high up to the north of Funchal and accessed by the Cable Car (and the excellent bus services that criss-cross the capital and environs), this is a rescue project with ambition. Monte Palace was once a prestigious hotel that fell out of favour, and then out of time, until…
Deadheading the roses this afternoon - a necessary but enjoyable part of rose care and maintenance - and once again, a box of delights remains. Yesterday, three boxes of petals were given out for jam-making adventures. Today, slimmer pickings, one young girl took the whole tray with the expectation to taking them home to Edinburgh.…
Continue reading ➞ Is it deadheading – or wabi-sabi in action at Petersham Nurseries?
The Jubilee Rose Garden at RHS Wisley (the old rose garden, being almost entirely roses). Hydrangea paniculata Vanille Fraise (above and below) Hosta in flower Hydrangea quercifolia Harmony (above and below) Hemerocallis Frans Hals (above) Entering the Bowes-Lyon Roses Garden - featuring a little of the companion planting that showed up well in the…
The Waterperry Obelisk Designed and carved by Simon Buchanan, the obelisk is the brainchild of the School of Economic Science who own Waterperry Gardens. They commissioned the work so visitors have a greater understanding of the philosophical principles of the School by expressing a common aim of members. The obelisk is similar to those of…
The Formal Garden is a relatively recent addition, conceived in 1986, though based on a Tudor knot garden, with the addition of a blue and white Wisteria tunnel and this sculpture by Nathan David, 'Girl holding the Lamp of Wisdom'.
Waterperry Gardens has been on my radar for a long time now, but this is my first visit - a perfect break in the drive home from Stoneleigh Park near Coventry and a few hours at the Horticultural Trades Association Plant Show (the best of the plant nurseries from throughout the UK showcasing their wares…
Continue reading ➞ Waterperry Gardens, near Oxford – first up, a glorious 60m herbaceous border…
Creamy, gauzy, hazy combinations of pale foxgloves, astilbe and roses with hydrangea Annabelle - and Ammi majus with muted dahlias and corn marigolds - I'm channeling the spirit of the iconic TV adverts Flake today... go on, you can hum it....! The blue of nepeta below, a misty blue, with the same mellow feeling.
But first, a little history - the Pagoda dates back to 1762, built as a surprise for Princess Augusta, mother of George III... 253 steps, ten flights of shallow steps with a wide landing at each level with views across Kew Gardens and as you gain height, London beyond on a clear day, you can…
The Teddington Gardener 