Rhododendron & Azalea

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 -

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

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

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)…

Continue reading ➞ Kew Gardens – Early One Morning/Lazing on a Sunday Morning

A rainy day at Wisley – but read on – there’s Cherry, Camellia, Rhododendron, Magnolia & more…

Categories Acid-loving plants, Architectural Plants, Bedding, Bulbs, Camellias, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Japanese Maples (Acers), Magnolia, Ornamental trees, Plants for a shady garden?, Rhododendron & Azalea, RHS WIsley, Seasonal colour, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on A rainy day at Wisley – but read on – there’s Cherry, Camellia, Rhododendron, Magnolia & more…

An exceptionally damp day, last Friday, at RHS Wisley in Surrey but undeterred was I, with my Driza-bone coat, wide-brimmed hat, umbrella and camera - it was business as usual ... Much opportunity for photography with ornamental cherries and Magnolias in blossom and looking fine; Camellias dotted throughout Battleston Hill and Seven-acre Wood; likewise some…

Continue reading ➞ A rainy day at Wisley – but read on – there’s Cherry, Camellia, Rhododendron, Magnolia & more…

A snapshot of Spring – Alpine & Woodland – Kew Gardens, mostly

Categories Acid-loving plants, Alpine, Architectural Plants, Bedding, Bulbs, Camellias, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, General comment, Organic Gardening, Petersham Nurseries, Rhododendron & Azalea, RHS WIsley, Roses, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Seasonal colour, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Woodland Garden1 Comment on A snapshot of Spring – Alpine & Woodland – Kew Gardens, mostly

Here's another of those galleries, a tumble-jumble of images but all taken in the last week and mostly at Kew Gardens. I did pop over to RHS Wisley on Saturday for their Spring Plant Fair - and bought a selection of Martagon Lilies from Jacques Armandes International and some brightly (brave, they called them) coloured…

Continue reading ➞ A snapshot of Spring – Alpine & Woodland – Kew Gardens, mostly

An early March visit to the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire – much to admire especially the Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) Collection …

Categories Acid-loving plants, Bulbs, Camellias, conifers, Evergreen shrubs, Fragrant plants, Garden Design, Hellebore, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Rhododendron & Azalea, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Spring Garden, Travel broadens the mind, Trees for smaller gardens, Winter Garden7 Comments on An early March visit to the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire – much to admire especially the Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) Collection …

That's it I'm afraid - one large (albeit labelled) gallery - a pictorial tour of the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Hampshire earlier this month (well, a walk around some of it, but most of that put under the camera lens).... The Hamamelis collection I stumbled across was in very fine fettle, the highlight of…

Continue reading ➞ An early March visit to the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire – much to admire especially the Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) Collection …