Ipomoea tricolor Heavenly Blue, and guest A beautiful, fast-growing twining annual with rich azure flowers and white throat. Hailing from tropical Central and South America, yet still choice a stopover for our native visitor. How adaptable is nature!
Summer garden
Blue mist…
The wildflower meadow - an avenue really - at Syon Park. Just getting going nicely after a little heat..
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Return to Roehampton
My first visit in over six months, to the borders I created last Spring in this large Roehampton Garden. Deep breath, eyes open, great relief! They have had to look after themselves following the tidy-up I was able to give them before Christmas and I am thrilled that they have survived such a cruel and…
Continue reading ➞ Return to Roehampton
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My ‘200th Post’ Gallery
A snapshot of my day - beautiful plants some good weather some wet and worse - and some particularly vindictive gusting of winds bunting (before the aforementioned destroyed same) and here it is, my 200th post. Thank you, truly, for taking the time to look at this and any of the first one hundred and…
Continue reading ➞ My ‘200th Post’ Gallery
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Iceland Poppies
Papaver nudicaule - Iceland poppies A rather dreary day uplifted by these little poppies - whipping around in the wind. Bees seem quite ecstatic in their company. I can imagine sitting at the bottom of an enormous bowl of orange, yellow or red and feeling quite transported myself.
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What do Red Rum, Tequila, Manhatten, Towering Inferno and slippers have in common?
Lupins - Masterpiece (purple) and Beefeater (red) - two outstanding, robust and free-flowering cottage garden plants from West Country Lupins (their website noted below). Strong of stem, these sturdy plants giving several weeks of flower in the early summer. Fantastic colour combinations in varieties such as Towering Inferno, Manhattan Lights, Persian Slipper, Tequila Flame and…
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Madame Alfred Carriere is enjoying herself, this year
Now I have a north-west facing garden and roses are not supposed to fare well when the sun skids around the plot so quickly, leaving much in shadow and much else, with just a couple of hours to make do. The Noisette climbing rose, Madame Alfred Carriere, is reputed to be one of those roses…
Continue reading ➞ Madame Alfred Carriere is enjoying herself, this year
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Peonies – which to choose & how to look after them…
Crocus, the online plant retailer, builder and planter of many Chelsea show gardens etc., have just sent out their June Plant Care newsletter featuring peonies. I've included it in full here as I think it covers a lot of ground. Admittedly dense text, without their pictures, sorry. Do persevere... Long-lived and beautiful at every stage,…
Continue reading ➞ Peonies – which to choose & how to look after them…
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Oh my darling, Oh my darling, Oh my darling, Clementine!
A cousin to the common roadside mullein, this is an unusual and showy plant for the well-drained sunny border. Green leaves are held in a low rosette, bearing tall upright spikes with delicate blooms of soft apricot orange with a magenta eye. May require staking. Remove faded blooms to encourage more buds. Needs good drainage,…
Continue reading ➞ Oh my darling, Oh my darling, Oh my darling, Clementine!
The Teddington Gardener 