Gardener and Photographer with a love of Roses and a magpie-eye for all things Horticultural
We're off to a good start - breaking ground today on my Mediterranean project in Kew. The first crop of plants have been delivered, including those I bought from North Hill Nurseries last week. The (growing) list includes - Caryopteris Heavenly Blue, Dark Knight, White Surprise (7), Euphorbia White Swan (3), Pinus Mugo Mops, Amelanchier…
Continue reading ➞ Plants and prospects for my new Kew Project
And which season do we think it is today, pray tell? If we were to take the evidence of this bright beauty, well it would be early summer... and this clump of poppies has been in flower for a couple of weeks, in a front garden a few door away from me at home in…
Hellebore Gold Collection Ice Breaker Max(i) I'm a little confused by this one, as the label at Wisley - is not 'Helleborus x ericsmithii' as it appears elsewhere in The Internet, and is more Ice Breaker Maxi than Max. It might also be synonymous with the name Winter's Glow. Hey Ho. Beautiful nevertheless. http://www.perennials.com/plants/helleborus-ericsmithii-winters-glow.html http://www.helleborus.de/engl/hgc_eng.htm
Cotinus coggygria Golden Spirit - an addition to the smoke bush family, adding to established favourites Cotinus coggygria Royal Purple (the darker leaves, framing the golden leaves of Golden Spirit), Flame and Grace. I have Flame in my own garden, a tall, oval leaved tower of blue-greenery which obscures the house beyond beautifully and is…
Continue reading ➞ Cotinus Golden Spirit
Anemone Wild Swan In flower from May to November, growing knee-high, and with refined foliage (more Anemone sylvestris than Anemone x hybrida), the standout feature of this relatively new introduction is the reverse of the otherwise pure white bloom - a three painted flashes of liac-purple. With flowers held above the foliage on wiry stems,…
Continue reading ➞ A swan? Me a swan? Ah, go on!
Penstemon Dark Towers A change from the usual Penstemon, not so much on account of the flowers though they are delightful, but for the dark tints to the leaves and the branching habit of the stems. A wholly beautiful combination. Not as dark, perhaps, as the sticky toffee pudding I've just had, but just as…
Continue reading ➞ Dark Towers
The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire An extraordinary garden containing probably the finest Winter Garden in the UK and not looking too shabby late summer either. Few gardens offer as rich pickings as these, growing over 11,000 different types of plant, in over 40,000 plants and holding 13 National Plant Collections, set in a complementary…
Continue reading ➞ A garden for all seasons
Russian Sage - Perovskia atriplicifolia Little Spire I'm quoting from Graham Stuart Thomas' book, Perennial Garden Plants and I think he is a fan. Ardent sun-lovers for well-drained soil. In shade they will flower but tend to sprawl. Though truly shrubs they are best cut to the ground every spring to encourage strong shoots and…
Continue reading ➞ Blue Spires
Dahlia Canary Fubuki A beautiful dahlia with (decasplit) blooms of lemon fading to the tips, literally translating as Canary Snowstorm. Growing to 1m-1.2m, preferring rich soils and probably needing some winter protection in colder regions. Deadhead regularly for a display that should carry on until the first frosts. Then either lift the tubers and store…
Continue reading ➞ Canary Snowstorm
The Teddington Gardener 