Seasonal colour

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)

Exbury Gardens, Hampshire

Categories Acid-loving plants, Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Autumn garden, Camellias, conifers, Dahlias, Evergreen shrubs, Exotic, Garden Design, General comment, Hydrangea, Japanese Maples (Acers), Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Plants for a shady garden?, Rhododendron & Azalea, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Trees, Water gardening, Wisteria, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on Exbury Gardens, Hampshire

A trip down to Southampton this morning, to drop family off at the airport and then a convenient drive into the New Forest, ponies galore, and the gardens at Exbury. I've never been though know of their reputation for Rhododendrons, Camellias and Azaleas, and for a fine autumn showing of mature Acers. Obviously we are…

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Ham and Petersham in Bloom / Britain in Bloom and Petersham Nurseries

Categories Architectural Plants, colour, container gardening, Cottage Garden, dark foliage plants, evergreen perennial, General comment, herbaceous, late summer border, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Petersham Nurseries, Plants for a shady garden?, Seasonal colour, shade, Summer gardenLeave a Comment on Ham and Petersham in Bloom / Britain in Bloom and Petersham Nurseries

Petersham Nurseries have donated plants, time and a considerable amount of compost (I know, I carried it ...) to plan, prepare and plant up three new stone troughs - horse troughs effectively - at three prominent sites within the local community. All part of Britain in Bloom and building on the success Ham and Petersham…

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Hampton Court Flower Show Part Four – more gardens … more nurseries … just more!

Categories annuals, Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Bedding, Bulbs, Clematis, Climbing plants, colour, container gardening, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, dark foliage plants, Dry Garden, evergreen perennial, Exotic, floristry, Flower Shows, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Hydrangea, late summer border, Open to the public, Orchids, Ornamental trees, Seasonal colour, Seeds, shade, Shrubs, Summer garden, Tropical, White Garden, Wildlife gardeningLeave a Comment on Hampton Court Flower Show Part Four – more gardens … more nurseries … just more!

Hampton Court Flower Show – Part 2 (Festival of Roses)

Categories Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Climbing plants, colour, dark foliage plants, David Austin roses, Flower Shows, Garden Design, General comment, Open to the public, Roses, Seasonal colour, Shrubs, Summer gardenLeave a Comment on Hampton Court Flower Show – Part 2 (Festival of Roses)

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show – Part 1 (Show Gardens)

Categories Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Cottage Garden, Flower Shows, Fragrant plants, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Seasonal colour, Shrubs, Summer gardenLeave a Comment on Hampton Court Palace Flower Show – Part 1 (Show Gardens)

Petersham House Gardens Charity Open Day

Categories Art in the landscape, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, David Austin roses, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Kitchen Garden, Open to the public, Petersham Nurseries, Plants for a shady garden?, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, Summer garden, Trees, White Garden, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on Petersham House Gardens Charity Open Day

Evening sunshine in the gardens of Petersham House, preparations ongoing for the Charity Open Day last Sunday. A little tardy in getting the pictures online, sorry about that. A rather dated laptop and a flaky wi-fi signal have been conspiring against me! On the day itself, a bright blue sunny morning so I caught up…

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Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire – summer, this time around

Categories Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Clematis, Climbing plants, conifers, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, Exotic, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, Grasses, herbaceous, Magnolia, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Seasonal colour, Summer garden, Travel broadens the mind, WisteriaLeave a Comment on Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire – summer, this time around

The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, run extraordinarily well by Hampshire County Council, is an exceptionally varied, beautiful, diverse, botanically curated landscape with so much to recommend, at pretty much any time of year (their winter garden is a beauty and possibly the best in the UK). An extended stay at Mottisfont and then the charms…

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Mottisfont Rose Gardens

Categories Architectural Plants, Clematis, Climbing plants, Cottage Garden, David Austin roses, Fragrant plants, Friends, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Iris, Mottisfont Abbey, National Trust Gardens, Open to the public, plants for roses, Roses, Seasonal colour, Summer gardenLeave a Comment on Mottisfont Rose Gardens

Overblown, blowsy, beautiful, fragrant, lush, a little ragged, absolutely in need of some serious dead-heading - but equally glamorous and hopelessly romantic, there are no rose gardens quite like Mottisfont. Soulful, they inhabit the walled gardens of this ancient priory, clambering through the many venerable apple and pear tress, hopelessly constrained by box or lavender,…

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