The Teddington Gardener

Coloured dogwoods, Cornus – Midwinter Fire, C. sanguinea Alba and Flavermimea – a perfect position to catch late afternoon sun and reflect in the waters

The Temple of Aeolus with dogwoods reflected in the lake

The Museum with a changing program of displays

The Palm House backlit by the late but not warm (oh no!) afternoon sun

Chinese Guardian Lions

and the Museum reflected in the lake, late afternoon sun

Winter Box, Sarcococca, heavily fragrant by the Victoria Gate complex.

Cyclamen coum beneath Malus Sentinel

An unnamed Camellia (else the label is buried among the foliage)

Amazingly, my first Daffodils on the Mount

Hamamelis x intermedia Pallida

Witch Hazel Pallida

A whole lot of mulching going on in the Woodland

Sinofranchetia chinensis – will have to look this one up

Disporum cantoniense – a small bush at the head of the Rockery

Meanwhile, in the Davies Alpine House

The Grass…

More from my Twitter account and once again, just the pictures to look at. It’s late and there’s another busy day tomorrow …..

Anna’s Red

Ice N Roses Red

Sally’s Shell

Anna’s Red

A picture gallery – well there are going to be a few of them, cataloguing my visit to the gardens at RHS Wisley yesterday morning. Proof, if it were needed, that these are not the dullest, least colourful or interesting times in the garden. In fact I couldn’t say when those times might actually be. With these Hellebores and the Hamamelis to come, coupled with a tour of the Alpine House and Orchids in the Glasshouse, it is a veritable riot of colour and fragrance.

True, it is a time too of contemplation and planning, of mental preparation for the year ahead. Of reading those books that have piled high on the nightstand. And remember (as I did not so much last year) to plan in enough time to see those gardens which, in their season, will stir your horticultural…

A fine day yesterday, after that miserably wet weekend but still, having a day off, a chance to head over to the RHS gardens at Wisley.

My mission: to stop by the Alpine House, take in a few snowdrops, inhale my first fragrant dose of Daphne bholua, bag the first of the Hellebores and of course, to be captivated by the Witch Hazels, Hamamelis, in the woodland gardens. These proved to be quite the stars, and I wandered very happily along the winding paths of Seven Acre Wood and marvelled at these beauties.

I hope you do to, and if there is a collection near you, and it is the season, make a point to go out and acquaint yourselves with them personally. Backlit by winter sun, with a hint of blue in the sky and enough warmth to free their fragrance, well, you won’t regret it.

More there are…