Gardener and Photographer with a love of Roses and a magpie-eye for all things Horticultural
Camellia japonica Desire – a semi-double camellia photographed today and a classy customer with a centre in warm shades of ivory and ice cream – while just a couple of days ago, she was more wholly shell-pink and decidedly frosty. The edges of the formally arranged petals are blushed pink, giving a beautiful bi-colour effect.…
Continue reading ➞ Shades of Desire
Just your ordinary crocus, with more than a touch of drama Anemone coronaria - feathery foliage and neon bright flowers - the colours on this photograph have strayed a little from what we photographers like to call 'what they look like', the true pink being a shocking one, but I like the image. I suspect…
Continue reading ➞ Technicolor dreams…
While we are on the subject of Primroses, Polyanthus and Primlets, I saw this darling gem at the garden centre at Kew - Primula Strong Beer. Deep blue-violet flowers over deep purple flushed leaves. I also saw Polyanthus Castillion, an orange (not pictured) with dark leaves and a favourite of mine last year (Orange, as…
Continue reading ➞ Strong Beer and other primroses…
Sorbus glabrescens with Sorbus alnifolia in the background Sorbus glabrescens, with white fruit (above) and (below) the red fruit of Sorbus alnifolia All change - Sorbus alnifolia with Sorbus glabrescens in the background Sorbus alnifolia by the Chokishi-Mon in the Japanese Landscape at Kew I've come across Sorbus glabrescens in the Arboretum at RHS Wisley…
Continue reading ➞ Sorbus glabrescens & Sorbus alnifolia – White and Red
Malus transitoria, the cut-leaved crab apple (photographed at RHS Wisley earlier this week) Crab apples are often excellent small trees for the garden, with late spring blossom to rival many of the Japanese Cherries, persistent fruit (attractive but only barely edible in the strictest sense). The blossom can be exceedingly fragrant and runs the gamut…
Continue reading ➞ Malus transitoria – crab apple delights
Sorbus glabrescens in the arboretum at RHS Wisley The arboretum at RHS Wisley in Surrey is a useful place to see many varieties of tree in a relatively small area - in particular it is possible to compare many different types of Silver Birch, or Rowan (Sorbus) or Crab Apples (Malus) although the specimens planted…
Continue reading ➞ A Whiter Shade of….. Rowan (Sorbus glabrescens)
Just two simple pictures today - most forms of Hellebore really get into their stride in very early Spring - and some continue long into Summer. In the vanguard are these delightful pure white forms of Helleborus niger, the Christmas Rose. Plenty of time for the rich ruffles of plum, chocolate and slate that come…
Continue reading ➞ Christmas Rose – Helleborus niger
The kousa dogwood - - a most elegant dogwood, but often lost in the landscape shadow of Cornus florida. For many parts of the country however (referring to the US), C kousa is probably a better choice. In youth the habit is stiffly upright, almost vase-shaped, but with age it becomes rounded to broad-spreading, with…
Continue reading ➞ More strange fruit… Cornus kousa ‘John Slocock’
Clematis alpina Blue Dancer, with these larger than average, very attractive blue flowers, giving us a second flush of flowers this week (the main show is in April/May). A foray into the back issue of The Telegraph now, for an article written by Val Bourne, which, whilst it does not mention Blue Dancer at all…
Continue reading ➞ Clematis alpina Blue Dancer….
The Teddington Gardener 