Ornamental trees

A few hours at Kew Gardens – the newly re-opened Temperate House, Alliums on the Broadwalk, treetop walkway, the Hive, gorgeous Wisteria, a Rhododendron or three, and laburnum arches, waterlilies, the Davies Alpine House and Rock Garden, peonies galore, many remarkable trees, a Japanese landscape and the Pagoda … and much more-

Categories Acid-loving plants, Alpine, annuals, Architectural Plants, Exotic, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Indoor gardening, Mediterranean Garden, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Rhododendron & Azalea, Roses, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, Trees, Trees for smaller gardens, Tropical, Water gardening, Wildlife gardening, Wisteria, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on A few hours at Kew Gardens – the newly re-opened Temperate House, Alliums on the Broadwalk, treetop walkway, the Hive, gorgeous Wisteria, a Rhododendron or three, and laburnum arches, waterlilies, the Davies Alpine House and Rock Garden, peonies galore, many remarkable trees, a Japanese landscape and the Pagoda … and much more-

If a picture is worth a thousand words, here's a million. Kew Gardens today. Amazing, as ever -

Petersham House Gardens National Garden Scheme Open Day

Categories Cutting Garden, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, Hellebore, herbaceous, House plants, Indoor gardening, Kitchen Garden, Lawn Care, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Ornamental trees, Petersham Nurseries, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Vegetables, Wildlife gardening, Woodland Garden1 Comment on Petersham House Gardens National Garden Scheme Open Day

A little bit of repetition in these images, but I am dithering about editing them and can't decide exactly which I prefer, so you're getting pretty much them all! A beautiful sunshiny spring morning, after a night of stormy electric rain, and everything after the warmth of the last week - and the weeks of…

Continue reading ➞ Petersham House Gardens National Garden Scheme Open Day

An East Sussex Odyssey and the jewel in the crown, Great Dixter

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 An East Sussex Odyssey and the jewel in the crown, Great Dixter

Well this time I'll let the pictures do the talking. And I nearly didn't call in this time around to Great Dixter and am so glad I did. I don't recall that I have visited in Spring before (it is a stupendous garden in late summer and autumn) and I did attend one of Fergus…

Continue reading ➞ An East Sussex Odyssey and the jewel in the crown, Great Dixter

Camellias, mostly – a beautifully colourful tour through the woodland landscapes at RHS Wisley

Categories Camellias, colour, Evergreen shrubs, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, General comment, Hellebore, herbaceous, Magnolia, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Plants for a shady garden?, Rhododendron & Azalea, RHS WIsley, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Trees, White Garden, Woodland Garden1 Comment on Camellias, mostly – a beautifully colourful tour through the woodland landscapes at RHS Wisley

Such a beautifully sunny, warm and fragrant afternoon at RHS Wisley. Crowds upon crowds filling the car parks but amongst the meandering paths of Battleston Hill, just a few folk pottering through the woodland paths, admiring the camellias. An amazingly colourful display pretty much at their peak, or just a little over, filling the wooded…

Continue reading ➞ Camellias, mostly – a beautifully colourful tour through the woodland landscapes at RHS Wisley

RHS Wisley – blue skies and sunshine illuminate this beautiful late-November landscape

Categories Architectural Plants, Autumn garden, Camellias, Christmas, Clematis, Climbing plants, Cottage Garden, dark foliage plants, Exotic, Grasses, Hellebore, herbaceous, House plants, November, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Rhododendron & Azalea, RHS WIsley, Roses, Trees for smaller gardens, Tropical3 Comments on RHS Wisley – blue skies and sunshine illuminate this beautiful late-November landscape

Such a beautiful day, yesterday, 24th November, under a bright blue clear sky and welcome sunshine. Chill but quite beautiful. I'd never seen the car parks so full - in fact I was directed over a mile down the lane towards the village before heading cross-country into previously unseen fields before making the trek back…

Continue reading ➞ RHS Wisley – blue skies and sunshine illuminate this beautiful late-November landscape

Autumn Magic – Dahlias

Categories Cutting Garden, Dahlias, Organic pest control, Ornamental trees, Petersham Nurseries, Seasonal colourLeave a Comment on Autumn Magic – Dahlias

Dahlias have rather been enjoying these warm, wet weeks and have continued to perform extravagantly in the Cutting Garden at Petersham Nurseries. A rich soil and the care and attention of Rosie Bines and her team have obviously been key - plus they have been regularly harvested so that new blooms just keep coming. Here…

Continue reading ➞ Autumn Magic – Dahlias

Kew in the Country – an early Autumn tour of Wakehurst Place

Categories Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Autumn garden, Japanese Maples (Acers), Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Seasonal colour, Travel broadens the mind, Trees, Trees for smaller gardens, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on Kew in the Country – an early Autumn tour of Wakehurst Place

Quite the contrast from the sunshine and blue skies enjoyed just yesterday. Cool, cloudy, a little drizzle and everybody kitted out as if they were about to take on a winters' trek through the Lake District. Still, October it is and Autumn is beginning to tickle the trees in this vast and varied landscape and…

Continue reading ➞ Kew in the Country – an early Autumn tour of Wakehurst Place

Back to the UK – a little tour of RHS Wisley. A real taste of Autumn

Categories annuals, Architectural Plants, Autumn garden, Climbing plants, Dahlias, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, Grasses, herbaceous, House plants, Hydrangea, Orchids, Organic Gardening, Ornamental trees, RHS WIsley, Seasonal colour, Seeds, Trees, Trees for smaller gardens, TropicalLeave a Comment on Back to the UK – a little tour of RHS Wisley. A real taste of Autumn

A free afternoon (washing done, a trip to Sainsbury's to follow) and a quick drive out to the RHS gardens at Wisley - blue skies and sunshine, alas not continuing into the weekend - but so much to see as I wandered past the lake to the Glasshouse Borders and South African Meadow, up through…

Continue reading ➞ Back to the UK – a little tour of RHS Wisley. A real taste of Autumn

A view from Kew – a blossomtastic Spring morning in these Royally Botanic Gardens

Categories Architectural Plants, Bulbs, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, General comment, Mediterranean Garden, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Rhododendron & Azalea, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Seasonal colour, Shrubs, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Trees for smaller gardens, White Garden, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on A view from Kew – a blossomtastic Spring morning in these Royally Botanic Gardens

It certainly pays to make an early start, especially on such a bright and beautiful morning - and even more so when school holidays are upon us and Kew Gardens becomes a beautiful flower-filled playground and a great spot for a family picnic. For someone as bah-humbug as I about having unpopulated pictures - flowers…

Continue reading ➞ A view from Kew – a blossomtastic Spring morning in these Royally Botanic Gardens