Bulbs

A timely guide to spring-flowering bulbs – choices, tips, techniques and planting ideas for a display from January to May

Categories Alpine, Bee Friendly Plants, Bulbs, colour, container gardening, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dry Garden, Fragrant plants, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Iris, Magnolia, my projects, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Petersham Nurseries, RHS London Show, RHS WIsley, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Savill Garden, Seasonal colour, shade, Snowdrops (Galanthus), spring flowering, Spring Garden, Woodland Garden2 Comments on A timely guide to spring-flowering bulbs – choices, tips, techniques and planting ideas for a display from January to May

  More thieving from my back catalogue of articles, this one doubly so since it originally featured in September a few years ago, featuring images taken from 2014 onwards - and repeated again in April of this year. But spring-flowering bulbs are available now so this time of year is probably the most useful as bulbs can be…

Continue reading ➞ A timely guide to spring-flowering bulbs – choices, tips, techniques and planting ideas for a display from January to May

The shady garden in summer and autumn… beginning an A-Z

Categories Bedding, Bulbs, Camellias, Climbing plants, container gardening, evergreen perennial, Fragrant plants, General comment, Grasses, Hellebore, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Japanese Maples (Acers), late summer border, Plants for a shady garden?, Rhododendron & Azalea, Seasonal colour, Summer gardenLeave a Comment on The shady garden in summer and autumn… beginning an A-Z

  I had been preparing for a workshop covering the possibilities for gardening in a little - or a lot - of shade and put together the gallery last year to illustrate some of the contenders that anyone tackling such a proposition might entertain. A perennial question, this, what to plant, planting combination and health…

Continue reading ➞ The shady garden in summer and autumn… beginning an A-Z

Waterperry Gardens

Categories Alpine, Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Bedding, Bulbs, Climbing plants, Composting, container gardening, dark foliage plants, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Exotic, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Open to the public, Roses, Seasonal colour, Summer gardenLeave a Comment on Waterperry Gardens

    Another unapologetic walk down memory lane, this day in 2018, to the remarkable Waterperry Gardens. A joy on so many levels. I was at the HTA National Plant Show at Stoneleigh Park near Coventry yesterday, a tedious journey up and down the M40, especially back but I did make a grateful stop at…

Continue reading ➞ Waterperry Gardens

A few scribblings on creating a White Garden

Categories Acid-loving plants, Alpine, annuals, Architectural Plants, Autumn garden, Bedding, Bulbs, Camellias, Clematis, Climbing plants, conifers, container gardening, Dahlias, David Austin roses, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Exotic, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, General comment, Hellebore, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Iris, Magnolia, Mediterranean Garden, Mottisfont Abbey, National Trust Gardens, Ornamental trees, Rhododendron & Azalea, RHS WIsley, Roses, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, Sissinghurst Castle, Snowdrops (Galanthus), Spring Garden, Summer garden, Trees, Trees for smaller gardens, White Garden, Wildlife gardening, Winter Garden, Wisteria, Woodland Garden2 Comments on A few scribblings on creating a White Garden

  Creating a White Garden Straight out of the block, I'm talking about green. And grey, silver, and variegation. We'll get to white but a few thoughts first. ‘Green is the backdrop to the garden but in its range of shades and textures, green has much more to offer as any foreground interest. Grey dims,…

Continue reading ➞ A few scribblings on creating a White Garden

Dale Chihuly – Glass at Kew Gardens – May 2019

Categories Abstract Photograpy, Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Bulbs, Climbing plants, colour, General comment, herbaceous, Mediterranean Garden, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Seasonal colour, Spring Garden, Summer garden, Trees, Tropical, Wisteria1 Comment on Dale Chihuly – Glass at Kew Gardens – May 2019

                            A look back to last year when the gardens and glasshouses were once again a home to the glass works by Dale Chihuly. Gone now of course even if the gardens were open, so please don't visit, when we can, expecting…

Continue reading ➞ Dale Chihuly – Glass at Kew Gardens – May 2019

Kew Gardens – Early One Morning

Categories Acid-loving plants, Alpine, Architectural Plants, Bulbs, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, General comment, Magnolia, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Petersham Nurseries, Rhododendron & Azalea, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Seasonal colour, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Trees for smaller gardens, WisteriaLeave a Comment on Kew Gardens – Early One Morning

Rolling back the years, almost exactly four years ago in 2016, to an early morning wander through Kew Gardens. As I was working that Sunday I really must have put on some speed to cover so much from the early 8am opening, heading out by 9.30am to head back down the river to Richmond and…

Continue reading ➞ Kew Gardens – Early One Morning

A return to the gardens of RHS Wisley – a riot of colour and scent (well it will be and most definitely was last year)

Categories Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Bulbs, Climbing plants, colour, conifers, Dry Garden, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Fragrant plants, herbaceous, Japanese Maples (Acers), Magnolia, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Petersham Nurseries, Plants for a shady garden?, Rhododendron & Azalea, RHS WIsley, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Trees, White Garden, Wisteria, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on A return to the gardens of RHS Wisley – a riot of colour and scent (well it will be and most definitely was last year)

Closed still of course, so a look back to a tour I did this time last year. These photos bring it right back into focus, and I can so clearly remember the paths and turns taken. Fresh greens, bright flowers and scent. Enjoy.   Hawthorn, Bluebells, Azaleas and Rhododendrons, flowering Viburnums, a craft fair, tree-trunk…

Continue reading ➞ A return to the gardens of RHS Wisley – a riot of colour and scent (well it will be and most definitely was last year)

A guide to spring-flowering bulbs in the garden – planting ideas from January to May in kaleidoscopic style

Categories Alpine, Bee Friendly Plants, Bulbs, colour, container gardening, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dry Garden, Fragrant plants, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Iris, Magnolia, my projects, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Petersham Nurseries, RHS London Show, RHS WIsley, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Savill Garden, Seasonal colour, shade, Snowdrops (Galanthus), spring flowering, Spring Garden, Woodland Garden1 Comment on A guide to spring-flowering bulbs in the garden – planting ideas from January to May in kaleidoscopic style

  Bulbs in the spring garden. The text and images are timely in this piece, looking through the late winter and spring months January through to May, though it was originally written for a September story when the bulbs and corms would be available for planting. There are practical tips and hints planting of course,…

Continue reading ➞ A guide to spring-flowering bulbs in the garden – planting ideas from January to May in kaleidoscopic style

Remembrance of An East Sussex Odyssey and the jewel in the crown, Great Dixter (2018)

Categories Architectural Plants, Bulbs, colour, conifers, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dry Garden, Exotic, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, Great Dixter, herbaceous, Kitchen Garden, Magnolia, Mediterranean Garden, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Organic pest control, Ornamental trees, Seasonal colour, shade, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Travel broadens the mind, Tropical, Vegetables, Wildlife gardening, Woodland Garden1 Comment on Remembrance of An East Sussex Odyssey and the jewel in the crown, Great Dixter (2018)

  An impossibly bright day, just like today, but taking us back two years to 2018 and a late spring coming back after the Beast from the East chilled (froze) the country over several weeks. Too bright for really good photography but a pleasure to remember. Enjoy. Well this time I'll let the pictures do…

Continue reading ➞ Remembrance of An East Sussex Odyssey and the jewel in the crown, Great Dixter (2018)