evergreen perennial

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

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 the wonderful Waterperry Gardens near Oxford. Formerly Miss Havergal's School of Horticulture for Ladies (who trained the Land Girls and much more...) these…

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Cottage Gardens

Categories Architectural Plants, Bedding, Bulbs, Clematis, Climbing plants, colour, Composting, container gardening, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, dark foliage plants, David Austin roses, Dry Garden, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, Great Dixter, Hellebore, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Iris, Kitchen Garden, late summer border, Mottisfont Abbey, National Trust Gardens, nerines, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Organic pest control, Ornamental trees, Petersham Nurseries, plants for roses, Propagation, RHS WIsley, Roses, Seasonal colour, Seeds, Shrubs, soft fruit, Spring Garden, Summer garden, Trees for smaller gardens, Vegetables, Wild Food/Foraging, Wildlife gardeningLeave a Comment on Cottage Gardens

Phyllis Bide – the perfect rambling rose for a cottage garden – informal flowers in a muddle of apricot and cream – and not a monster either, like Kiftsgate or Wedding Day… The Story cover photo is from the Welcome to Yorkshire Garden at RHS Chelsea this year. Proof if it were needed of the…

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Petersham Open Garden 2018 – all the pictures!

Categories Art in the landscape, Bedding, Bulbs, Camellias, Climbing plants, container gardening, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dry Garden, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Exotic, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, Grasses, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Iris, Japanese Maples (Acers), Kitchen Garden, macropetala, Magnolia, my projects, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Organic pest control, Ornamental trees, Petersham Nurseries, Rhododendron & Azalea, Roses, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, soft fruit, Summer garden, Trees for smaller gardens, Tropical, Vegetables, White Garden, Wild Food/Foraging, Wildlife gardening, Wisteria, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on Petersham Open Garden 2018 – all the pictures!

Ten gardens, ten private passions, ten stories - all on show for Petersham Open Gardens, an event every two years where private gardens showcase their beauty and skills (and skulls in some gardens), for charitable purposes. And given the footfall today, the charity-benefitting coffers will be full to overflowing. Congratulations folk, one and all. I…

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Hellebored? Not me ….

Categories Architectural Plants, evergreen perennial, General comment, Hellebore, Winter GardenLeave a Comment on Hellebored? Not me ….

Flowers to brighten these chill darker days are an invaluable commodity in the garden, and few are more welcome nor so colourful as the Hellebore. There is the myriad variety of colours and flower forms of the Lenten Rose (Hellebore hybridus), bold architectural foliage and flower of the Corsican Hellebore (H. argutifolius), and Christmas rose hybrids…

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Hellebores for a New Year

Categories Architectural Plants, evergreen perennial, General comment, Hellebore, RHS WIsley, Seasonal colour, Winter Garden, Woodland Garden2 Comments on Hellebores for a New Year

  A picture gallery - well there are going to be a few of them, cataloguing my visit to the gardens at RHS Wisley yesterday morning. Proof, if it were needed, that these are not the dullest, least colourful or interesting times in the garden. In fact I couldn't say when those times might actually…

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More to delight from RHS Wisley …

Categories Acid-loving plants, Clematis, Climbing plants, colour, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Fragrant plants, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Open to the public, Plants for a shady garden?, Rhododendron & Azalea, RHS WIsley, Seasonal colour, Summer gardenLeave a Comment on More to delight from RHS Wisley …

  Cool hostas for a shady spot; bright - and fragrant - Azaleas to share the limelight and much more besides - perennials and shrubs for sun and shade, a couple of climbers .... A snapshot of late May (the second May Bank Holiday weekend is upon us!) ...    

Kew Gardens – Early One Morning/Lazing on a Sunday 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, Wisteria2 Comments on 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)…

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A few things that caught my eye – lots and lots of Acers and a kaleidoscopic ‘A to V’ (not quite Z) of both herbaceous and shrubbery loveliness …

Categories Acid-loving plants, Alpine, Architectural Plants, Auricula, Bulbs, Dry Garden, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Fragrant plants, General comment, herbaceous, Plants for a shady garden?, Seasonal colour, Shrubs, spring flowering, Spring Garden, White Garden, Wildlife gardening, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on A few things that caught my eye – lots and lots of Acers and a kaleidoscopic ‘A to V’ (not quite Z) of both herbaceous and shrubbery loveliness …

Some rather gorgeous Acers here, just plumping up for the season ahead with much colour and fine forms to admire. A collection that absolutely caught my eye along with the next little selection ... an Anchusa to Viburnum alphabet of nearly-summer beauties -

Just to bring you up to date … more hellebores, a crocus or three, bright primroses and the first of a galaxy of irises …

Categories Alpine, Architectural Plants, Bedding, Bulbs, evergreen perennial, Fragrant plants, General comment, Hellebore, herbaceous, Seasonal colour, White Garden, Winter Garden, Woodland Garden1 Comment on Just to bring you up to date … more hellebores, a crocus or three, bright primroses and the first of a galaxy of irises …

Just to bring you up to date, though by way really of a few galleries rather than long descriptions and horticultural diversions. If I have time, I'll do more I promise! In the meantime, a collection of plants that you might find in a garden centre near you - and if you are lucky, in…

Continue reading ➞ Just to bring you up to date … more hellebores, a crocus or three, bright primroses and the first of a galaxy of irises …