Gardener and Photographer with a love of Roses and a magpie-eye for all things Horticultural
C. cirrhosa var. purpurascens 'Freckles' Clematis cirrhosa species is an early-flowering, evergreen climber from southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. The flowers are cream, cup-shaped, often red-flecked and up to 7cm (3in) across, appearing in winter or early spring, and followed by attractive seed heads. This attractive, vigorous cultivar was raised by Raymond Evison of Guernsey…
Continue reading ➞ Liver spots – Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’
The kousa dogwood - - a most elegant dogwood, but often lost in the landscape shadow of Cornus florida. For many parts of the country however (referring to the US), C kousa is probably a better choice. In youth the habit is stiffly upright, almost vase-shaped, but with age it becomes rounded to broad-spreading, with…
Continue reading ➞ More strange fruit… Cornus kousa ‘John Slocock’
We've been here before, the double borders created by Piet Oudolf at Wisley, combining perennials with grasses, wave after wave - and the equally dramatic planting around the lake, concentric arcs of repeated blocks, catching the low autumn sun. The Piet Oudolf Borders pre-date the Glasshouse and are relatively mature now, evolving along their considerable…
Continue reading ➞ Piet Oudolf & Tom Stuart-Smith at Wisley
Echinacea Hot Papaya These magnificent blooms are the first ever orange-red double coneflowers - the colour stays true and doesn't fade. The fragrant flowers are borne on strong stems are excellent for cutting. Attracts butterflies in a wide variety of garden settings. Full sun, moist but very well-drained soils. Flowering June-September/October. Height and spread 80cm…
Continue reading ➞ No shrinking violet.. Echinacea Hot Papaya
More strange fruit, this time the berries of Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' AGM This mature specimen photographed at RHS Wisley, on the lower slopes of the Rock Garden and in the woodland margin, is particularly eye-catching ~ leafless now and with a profusion of these uncommonly coloured spherical berries. This article, from Horticulture Week,…
Continue reading ➞ Beautyberry
Piet Oudolf Borders at RHS Wisley Much that one can say about prairie style planting and especially the combination of grasses with late season perennials, is that the show doesn't stop when the blooms die and the rot sets in - add low, slanting sun, a stiff breeze for animation and later, frost and snow…
Continue reading ➞ Live and let die…
Superb trees for the smaller garden, rarely reaching more than 20' in height, with interest over several seasons - these small to medium-sized trees produce beautiful blossom in April-May as well as long-lasting decorative fruit in the autumn. Many have vibrant autumn leaf colour too. Crab apples are excellent pollinators for eating/cooking apple varieties -…
Continue reading ➞ Crab apples at Wisley
My Diary.. Busy, busy this week - gardening on Monday and Tuesday despite the poor weather - much clearing of leaves and aerating a very compacted lawn and then a trip to London for the excellent RHS Shades of Autumn show. These pictures are from the show - there have already been slideshows but they…
Continue reading ➞ Diary Notes
A final slideshow featuring the floral exhibits at the RHS Shades of Autumn Show at the Horticultural Halls, which ran over two days earlier this week. I had been a little disappointed with the Spring shows this year and was in two minds as to whether I should make the (modest) effort to go up…
Continue reading ➞ Shades of Autumn III
The Teddington Gardener 