Ornamental trees

Dale Chihuly – Glass at Kew Gardens

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

                            I'll let the photos do the talking for this piece - Dale Chihuly back at Kew Gardens - last visiting in 2006 if memory serves and a welcome return. Several locations across the gardens and I don't think I saw them…

Continue reading ➞ Dale Chihuly – Glass at Kew Gardens

Nymans, pure Romance …

Categories Acid-loving plants, Architectural Plants, Climbing plants, conifers, container gardening, Dry Garden, Evergreen shrubs, Exotic, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Magnolia, Nymans, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Rhododendron & Azalea, Seasonal colour, shade, Trees for smaller gardens, White Garden, Wisteria, Woodland Garden2 Comments on Nymans, pure Romance …

  After dropping my Sister- and Mother- in law off at Gatwick Airport, a short drive down the M23 to Nymans, a National Trust Property of great charm. Romantic ruins, beautiful gardens, far reaching views across woodland and downs, formal gardens and naturalistic, some tragedy, some infamy, quite a lot of beauty. Sadly too early…

Continue reading ➞ Nymans, pure Romance …

A long-overdue visit to the gardens of RHS Wisley – a riot of colour and scent this early May Day

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 Garden1 Comment on A long-overdue visit to the gardens of RHS Wisley – a riot of colour and scent this early May Day

Hawthorn, Bluebells, Azaleas and Rhododendrons, flowering Viburnums, a craft fair, tree-trunk sculpture, sunshine and fragrance. A fine start to a long-overdue visit to these gardens. Sunshine and a few scattered squalls, sometimes a bit over-bright for good photography, but glad to have made the effort to get out here today. The Craft Fair - huge -…

Continue reading ➞ A long-overdue visit to the gardens of RHS Wisley – a riot of colour and scent this early May Day

Winter Border Workshop at Petersham Nurseries

Categories Architectural Plants, Bulbs, Camellias, Clematis, climbing plant, colour, conifers, container gardening, David Austin roses, Dry Garden, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Exotic, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, General comment, Grasses, Hellebore, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Japanese Maples (Acers), Magnolia, Mediterranean Garden, Mottisfont Abbey, November, Ornamental trees, Petersham Nurseries, Plants for a shady garden?, Rhododendron & Azalea, RHS WIsley, Roses, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Savill Garden, Seasonal colour, Seeds, shade, Shrubs, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Snowdrops (Galanthus), The Savill Garden, Trees, Trees for smaller gardens, Vegetables, Water gardening, White Garden, Wildlife gardening, Winter Garden, witch hazel, Woodland Garden1 Comment on Winter Border Workshop at Petersham Nurseries

I have a workshop this week where we will delve into turning our gardens, in the chill months ahead, into winter borders filled with interesting plants, colours and textures. Anchor plants with attractive foliage, the tracery and silhouettes of seedheads and dried stems and flower heads, and ornamental fruit, evergreen shrubs with scented flowers for…

Continue reading ➞ Winter Border Workshop at Petersham Nurseries

A late-September taste of the gardens at RHS Wisley

Categories annuals, Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Autumn garden, Bedding, Clematis, Climbing plants, colour, conifers, container gardening, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, dark foliage plants, Dry Garden, evergreen perennial, Exotic, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, Grasses, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Japanese Maples (Acers), late summer border, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, RHS WIsley, Roses, Seasonal colour, soft fruit, Tropical, Wisteria, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on A late-September taste of the gardens at RHS Wisley

A mid-week, late morning, late September tour of the RHS Gardens at Wisley. Blue skies peppered liberally with white clouds (today was a brighter, warmer clearer-skies day than yesterday, but probably overbright for my photographic skills so here we are ...) It is still quite definitely late summer, rather than full-on Autumn. Very few of…

Continue reading ➞ A late-September taste of the gardens at RHS Wisley

Yellow

Categories Abstract Photography, Alpine, annuals, Architectural Plants, Auricula, Autumn garden, Bedding, Bulbs, colour, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, dark foliage plants, David Austin roses, Dry Garden, Evergreen shrubs, Fragrant plants, Garden Design, General comment, Grasses, herbaceous, Japanese Maples (Acers), late summer border, Ornamental trees, Roses, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, Snowdrops (Galanthus), spring flowering, Spring Garden, Summer garden2 Comments on Yellow

  From the palest blush, soft cool primrose, sulphurous, acid, gaudy, bright, golden, and adorning the garden right the way through the year - this is a richly diverse palette and can be used to many an effect. I've been reading Gertrude Jekyll's book on colour schemes in the flower garden and she is extraordinarily…

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Orange

Categories Abstract Photography, annuals, Architectural Plants, Autumn garden, Bedding, Bulbs, Climbing plants, colour, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, David Austin roses, Exotic, Fragrant plants, General comment, herbaceous, late summer border, Orchids, Ornamental trees, Roses, Seasonal colour, Summer garden1 Comment on Orange

A little orange on a dull, wet day. Bring  back the sunshine ... In the meantime, this

The Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens – there be fearsome Dragons

Categories Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, General comment, Hydrangea, late summer border, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Plants for a shady garden?, Rhododendron & Azalea, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, shade, Summer garden, Travel broadens the mind2 Comments on The Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens – there be fearsome Dragons

The newly restored Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens, replete with fearsome dragons. Built in 1762, it was one of a series of oriental-inspired buildings smattered through these new gardens, though the only one to have stood the test of time. The dragons are beautiful, colourful, gilded and sparkling, and quite fearsome. On the lowest tier…

Continue reading ➞ The Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens – there be fearsome Dragons

Kew Gardens, Part One (there will be more tomorrow now I’ve actually booked for the Great Pagoda)

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, Part One (there will be more tomorrow now I’ve actually booked for the Great Pagoda)

A first look at the newly restored and be-dragoned Great Pagoda. Of course I didn't think to book, so shall be returning tomorrow at 10.30am for that pleasure. I have ascended the Pagoda before, pre-restoration about what, five years ago? But the Dragons are new, 1.8m long on the lower level carved in wood, greatly…

Continue reading ➞ Kew Gardens, Part One (there will be more tomorrow now I’ve actually booked for the Great Pagoda)