Gardener and Photographer with a love of Roses and a magpie-eye for all things Horticultural
Cardocrinum giganteum, giant totems in the Woodland Garden at Kew, today. Quite amazing these, even the seedheads atop giant vaulting poles, are dramatic. I missed their flowering earlier in the year but these will decorate the Woodland Garden for weeks to come. I bought a single bulb from the RHS Spring Fair at Wisley and…
Continue reading ➞ Giant Himalayan Lily – Cardocrinum giganteum
Lapageria rosea Asking for directions in the Woodland Garden today, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, I was directed along one path, down a smaller curving side passage to a brick shed and along one side of this small utility building, practically hidden from view, is this spectacular flowering vine, the Chilean Bellflower. My thanks…
Continue reading ➞ Lapageria rosea – hidden delights at Kew
Cotinus obovatus, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, richly decked in Autumn colours A spectacular rare shrub or very small tree native to North America with great autumn colour, Cotinus obovatus has outstanding foliage, with very large (up to 10 cm), oval leaves. In the autumn these leaves turn stunning shades of red, orange and…
Continue reading ➞ Autumn blaze – Cotinus obovatus
Charles Darwin (Auspeet) David Austin Recommended Variety Category English Roses (English Rose Collection) Bred By David Austin Colour Rich yellow Flower Type Double/Full Bloom Hardiness Hardy Fragrance Strong and delicious fragrance varies between a soft, floral Tea and almost pure lemon according to weather conditions. Strong Repeating Excellent Special Characteristics Named after Charles Darwin the…
Continue reading ➞ Charles Darwin
Viola Antique Shades - one of my favourites This, from the excellent Seedaholics website... Some unbelievably coloured violas have come on the market in recent years with little notice. Most gardeners pass up these rugged, cool-season performers in favour of their larger cousins, the pansies. But don't be in too much of a hurry to…
Continue reading ➞ Antique Shades
David Austin rose, Summer Song, flowering today, showcasing a dazzlingly deep sunset red. Roses are of course, mainstays of the summer garden but many varieties, even reluctant repeat flowering kinds, often put on superb Autumn displays (and this goes for shrubs, climbers and some ramblers). Following on from such a beautifully warm and sunny summer,…
Continue reading ➞ Summer Song in November
Ornamental cabbages and kales - decorative leafy additions that are especially useful for winter containers. The RHS has the following advice on the care of winter planted containers and the choice of plants available. I don't see the coloured stems of various dogwoods (Cornus selections) here but think they would make excellent companions to these…
Continue reading ➞ Of cabbages and kings
Grape vine, leaf A rather beautiful vine leaf (I do not know the variety), burnished in autumn colours, came as a gift lifted out of a 'carrier bag of doom' presented to me earlier this week - the bag also contained a very mouldy, stunted bunch of home-grown grapes and a plea for a diagnosis…
Continue reading ➞ Carrier bags of doom….
The Albrighton Rambler - a repeat flowering rambling rose introduced this year by David Austin. This was always going to be my favourite of this year's clutch of new roses from rose breeder, David Austin - a rarity amongst rambling roses, one that flowers several times (repeatedly) in the season (and not just once, a…
Continue reading ➞ In the pink – The Albrighton Rambler
The Teddington Gardener 