A flower or two, a little rain and some verse by Longfellow

A damp day at Petersham but the hardy gardener was undaunted and the plants were looking fine - the Cutting Garden has swelled quite noticeably, just in the week while I was away up North in t'Yorkshire - with more and more dahlias, sunflowers, twining vines, sweet peas, cosmos... A fine time to take some…

Roses, of course, and other floral delights for Thursday

The rich red of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, against a tapestry of blackberry and plum tones from the Penstemons,  dark leaves of one hydrangea and the  cranberry flowers of Pink Annabelle. These might not all be bedfellows in your border, but the colour associations can still be made. Tess is one of David Austin's Fragrant…

Summer Song to Tess of the D’Urbervilles via A Shropshire Lad and James Galway – Roses for Sunday

The burnt orange of Summer Song against the warm golds of Crown Princess Margareta.   'Tis June and the roses are heading towards their absolute Peak. Of course, the English Roses from David Austin will flower again, several times indeed and very welcome they will be too. But just now, with the summer-flowering roses -…

The best of the rest at Kew – a miscellany from my latest visit: the Rock Garden, Woodland and Water Lily House

Geraneum phaeum (above) - small, dark, richly colouted flower heads held in a haze above chevron'd foliage. Ideal for shady spots. Scilla peruviana (above) - last seen in the Alpine House at RHS Wisley - here it is in amongst the peonies at Kew The Japanese Pagoda Tree (below), well supported - Wild Garlic (above…

A new ‘old’ way with Wisteria and a very old Wisteria indeed – more from Kew Gardens

Wisteria floribunda Alba - near to the Duke's Garden within the larger Kew Gardens. We all know that Wisteria can clothe the front of a house with exceptional grace and beauty - and great vigour - elsewhere filling pergolas and arbours with colour and scent (and that reminds me that I am probably too late…

An out-and-about gallery with poppy, rose and rock rose

Poppy, rock rose (the pink Cistus), climbing rose Cecile Brunner and a large shrub rose (and I will look up a name for you!) Out-and-about today and just a few pictures this time...

Lady Waterlow – a perfect rose for a pillar, post or low fence…

A rather beautiful rose in bloom today - as it is in the gardens of Petersham House - but a chance here to study it up close. Large-flowered climber Origin -Nabonnand, 1903 Parentage - 'La France de '89' x 'Mme. Marie Lavalley' Color - Pink & white blend/gold stamens Foliage - Medium green Thorns -…

Climbers for every occasion (Part 1: Spring and early Summer)

I'm thinking about climbing plants -  for use in a myriad ways in the garden and it is a huge topic. Plants for sun and shade, large and small, with the promise of scent and flower in every month of the year. I think I ought to restrict myself to those gems which are in…

Wisteria billowing, Hawthorn blooming, Tulips flourishing – my day in seven photographs