Gardener and Photographer with a love of Roses and a magpie-eye for all things Horticultural
A delightful afternoon at the RHS London Plant & Design Show, with hellebores, snowdrops, iris and all manner of plants for the spring garden shown off in typically fine form by the exhibitors. Mike Parks was there for books (very glad I took a rucksack), Implementations with their copper gardening tools (I am saying nothing..),…
Continue reading ➞ RHS London Plant & Design Show 2013
An initially confusing name for a very beautiful small, deciduous tree, bearing large goblet shaped blooms of an arresting deep colour. Underplant with contrasting bulbs (deep blue muscari or pale narcissus perhaps) for a show-stopping display! One of the smaller growing magnolias, more suitable for a town garden, in full sun or light shade, with…
Continue reading ➞ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’
A japonica variety, with a dense spreading to upright habit, and from mid-spring to early summer bears large white flowers, which are formal double with notched petals in our cool climate. Superb.
A strong and upright shrub, photographed here at Wisley last year (15th March), with glossy dark green leaves, profusely bearing large, single, crimson-red flowers, with prominent golden-yellow stamens. Early blooming. Camellias are elegant shrubs for a border or woodland garden; they also make excellent specimen plants, both outdoors in open ground and preferring ericaceous compost,…
Continue reading ➞ Camellia japonica ‘Sylva’
A touch of blue in the skies today and milder temperatures. I've been rummaging through my photograph albums for a photo-book project and made up a little 'Spring' gallery. I love the hellebores in the garden and lots of the bulbs are coming through in their pots (no flower yet) and there will be lots…
One of my favourite crocuses, aptly named 'tricolor' for its distinct banding of golden yellow, white and lilac. A really silky sheen to the petals and long flowering. I shall have to look out their pot in my garden and give them pride of place for early next month. Crocus sieberi sublimis f. tricolor AGM
Primula auricula, Alpine House at RHS Wisley. Now this is a group of plants you could really get obsessed about - and many have - with such a range of colour and form. Primulas, the garden centre variety, are just coming into Syon now and while I could grow to love the auricula (we might…
Continue reading ➞ Primula auricula
Such care from RHS Chelsea exhibitors, individually wrapping these paeonia (peony) blooms. Jumping ahead to Spring again with this post - I can't resist. Our first range of baby herbaceous plants arrived at Syon today and bring with them a promise of exuberant growth and colour. In the spirit of the season however, I brought…
Continue reading ➞ Such care from RHS Chelsea exhibitors
The Teddington Gardener 