Open to the public

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 Garden1 Comment 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

Hydrangeas and nothing but Hydrangeas ….

Categories Acid-loving plants, Architectural Plants, Climbing plants, dark foliage plants, Hydrangea, late summer border, Open to the public, Plants for a shady garden?, RHS WIsley, Savill Garden, Seasonal colour, shade, Summer garden, The Savill Garden, White Garden, Winter Garden2 Comments on Hydrangeas and nothing but Hydrangeas ….

What a lot of Hydrangeas - from a variety of destinations including RHS Wisley and the Savill Garden near Windsor. Probably a few from Golden Hill Nurseries down on the south coast who are specialists in this beautiful plant - definitely worth seeking out their expert knowledge at any future plant fair or flower show.…

Continue reading ➞ Hydrangeas and nothing but Hydrangeas ….

Kew Gardens – a look back in anticipation of looking forward to a visit soon …

Categories Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Bedding, colour, conifers, Dahlias, dark foliage plants, David Austin roses, Dry Garden, evergreen perennial, Exotic, Fragrant plants, Friends, Garden Design, General comment, Grasses, herbaceous, House plants, late summer border, Lawn Care, Mediterranean Garden, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Roses, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, Summer garden, Trees for smaller gardens, Tropical, Water gardening, Wisteria, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on Kew Gardens – a look back in anticipation of looking forward to a visit soon …

  A look back to a visit in early August 2018 when the Pagoda was reopening after a refurbishment and the installation of the dragons. If you want a look inside the pagoda, or a look at the landscape from its heights, you can use tags or search functions. The gardens are open again after…

Continue reading ➞ Kew Gardens – a look back in anticipation of looking forward to a visit soon …

It’s all going Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers on trial at RHS Wisley

Categories annuals, Architectural Plants, Autumn garden, Bee Friendly Plants, colour, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, General comment, late summer border, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, RHS WIsley, Seasonal colour, Seeds, Summer gardenLeave a Comment on It’s all going Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers on trial at RHS Wisley

More from the Trial Fields at RHS Wisley, time-travelling back five years but a sight that still sticks in the memory. Such variety in height, flower size, colour, texture and bringing out the child in every one of us who ever grew them and watched them tower above us with delight. So, 2015 it is…

Continue reading ➞ It’s all going Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers on trial at RHS Wisley

An Afternoon at RHS Wisley – the Double Herbaceous Borders, Cottage and Jubilee Rose Gardens, a touch of woodland and more …

Categories Architectural Plants, Bedding, Climbing plants, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, David Austin roses, Dry Garden, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, General comment, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Open to the public, Plants for a shady garden?, RHS WIsley, Roses, Seasonal colour, Summer garden, White Garden, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on An Afternoon at RHS Wisley – the Double Herbaceous Borders, Cottage and Jubilee Rose Gardens, a touch of woodland and more …

  Another - sigh -trip down memory lane though I have booked our timed visit for mid-July and hope the gardens might look something like this, from a visit a year or three ago. Always something to admire, some combination of plants, a design feature, something new you might not have seen before. And such…

Continue reading ➞ An Afternoon at RHS Wisley – the Double Herbaceous Borders, Cottage and Jubilee Rose Gardens, a touch of woodland and more …

Arabella Lennox Boyd – invention and boundless imagination in the gardens at Gresgarth Hall

Categories Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Autumn garden, Clematis, container gardening, Fragrant plants, Garden Design, General comment, Grasses, herbaceous, Kitchen Garden, late summer border, Mediterranean Garden, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Rhododendron & Azalea, Roses, Seasonal colour, Shrubs, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Summer garden, Travel broadens the mind, Trees, Water gardening, Winter Garden6 Comments on Arabella Lennox Boyd – invention and boundless imagination in the gardens at Gresgarth Hall

A garden, though visited in 2015, that has a hold on me still, with vivid memories of superb planting, striking vistas, artistry and sheer passion for the gardens and countryside around. The season 'up north' will be naturally a little later than here, 'down south' so while I visited at the beginning of July, climate…

Continue reading ➞ Arabella Lennox Boyd – invention and boundless imagination in the gardens at Gresgarth Hall

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

Postcards from Sussex – the extraordinary Arundel Castle and Gardens

Categories annuals, Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Bee Friendly Plants, Climbing plants, colour, container gardening, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dry Garden, Exotic, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Kitchen Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Ornamental trees, Seasonal colour, soft fruit, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Summer garden, Travel broadens the mind, Trees, Tropical, Water gardening, Winter Garden2 Comments on Postcards from Sussex – the extraordinary Arundel Castle and Gardens

  To prevent a general revolt over a daily onslaught of postcards from June 2017, you'll be glad yo note I've left out at least four more galleries from David Austin Roses in Shropshire, the delightful Chastleton House and a mooch around Woodstock and Blenheim Palace. For the not so feint-hearted, please search for stories…

Continue reading ➞ Postcards from Sussex – the extraordinary Arundel Castle and Gardens

Postcards from Shropshire – Seconds from David Austin Roses

Categories David Austin roses, General comment, Open to the public, RosesLeave a Comment on Postcards from Shropshire – Seconds from David Austin Roses

Like I said, an Inventory ... The Victorian Walled Garden The Victorian Walled Garden is a formal garden made up of three circular borders, which diminish in width towards the centre. They are planted with English Roses and other repeat-flowering shrub roses. The focal point of the garden is the large central stone carving. Visitors can…

Continue reading ➞ Postcards from Shropshire – Seconds from David Austin Roses