Glorious Salvias at Kew Gardens

Categories Architectural Plants, Autumn garden, Fragrant plants, Mediterranean Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew1 Comment on Glorious Salvias at Kew Gardens

This very long border, packed full of all manner of Salvias, is looking just glorious - despite it being the 20th November - a late triumph of colour, with dark blue-blacks and palest blues, indigos and purples, reds, pinks, cerise and carmine set against typically aromatic leaves. These are tender, half-hardy and borderline hardy plants…

Continue reading ➞ Glorious Salvias at Kew Gardens

At Kew Gardens, Ginkgo biloba – a meeting with these remarkable prehistoric trees

Categories Architectural Plants, Autumn garden, General comment, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Seasonal colour1 Comment on At Kew Gardens, Ginkgo biloba – a meeting with these remarkable prehistoric trees

Ginkgo biloba at Kew Gardens today. Gorgeous golden, buttery loveliness... http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/ginkgo-biloba This remarkable tree is known as a 'living fossil', as it is the sole survivor of an ancient group of trees that date back to beyond the time of the dinosaurs. Ginkgo fossils are common in the rocks of the Jurassic and Cretaceous, but…

Continue reading ➞ At Kew Gardens, Ginkgo biloba – a meeting with these remarkable prehistoric trees

Sunshine, hurrah – a country church yard, that display again, a huge basket of Spirea, a bit of Mahonia, Camellia sasanqua and Bambi, also again…

Categories Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Autumn garden, Camellias, Fragrant plants, General comment, Grasses, Petersham Nurseries, Seasonal colourLeave a Comment on Sunshine, hurrah – a country church yard, that display again, a huge basket of Spirea, a bit of Mahonia, Camellia sasanqua and Bambi, also again…

Sunshine today and a few things that caught my eye - walking past St. Peter's Church yard in Petersham this morning; the sun shining on the display (pictured yesterday but with the benefit of sunbeams); an oversized stone basket with more golden Spirea; some equally sunny Mahonia and one of the earlier-flowering Camellias, the pink…

Continue reading ➞ Sunshine, hurrah – a country church yard, that display again, a huge basket of Spirea, a bit of Mahonia, Camellia sasanqua and Bambi, also again…

Overcast all day, some rain but with some bright sparks and highlights… fiery Spirea, white/grey/yellow combinations, tall bamboos and a TARDIS-like van, new roses, a cutting garden update

Categories Architectural Plants, Autumn garden, Bulbs, Climbing plants, Cutting Garden, dark foliage plants, David Austin roses, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, General comment, Grasses, Hellebore, Hydrangea, my projects, Open to the public, Petersham NurseriesLeave a Comment on Overcast all day, some rain but with some bright sparks and highlights… fiery Spirea, white/grey/yellow combinations, tall bamboos and a TARDIS-like van, new roses, a cutting garden update

Fire and gold tints throughout this display - from an unexpected source - Spirea nipponica Snowmound is better known for its smothering of white blossom on arching stems in June and July but this vigorous shrub is putting on a spectacular finish, teamed with spires of Molinea grasses, fountains of green Liriope muscari, berries of…

Continue reading ➞ Overcast all day, some rain but with some bright sparks and highlights… fiery Spirea, white/grey/yellow combinations, tall bamboos and a TARDIS-like van, new roses, a cutting garden update

Autumn finery at Kew Gardens – Liquidambers, of course, my favourite Cotinus, Liriodendron, Hamamelis and Prunus, the ornamental cherries…

Categories Architectural Plants, Autumn garden, Flowering Cherry, General comment, Ornamental trees, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Seasonal colour, Trees, Trees for smaller gardensLeave a Comment on Autumn finery at Kew Gardens – Liquidambers, of course, my favourite Cotinus, Liriodendron, Hamamelis and Prunus, the ornamental cherries…

Blue skies, sunshine and a long hour at Kew Gardens to spy some autumnal goings on with a collection of amazing trees. I didn't travel far from the Palm House and I know there would be much, much more to see if I had to time to explore further - I really wanted to see…

Continue reading ➞ Autumn finery at Kew Gardens – Liquidambers, of course, my favourite Cotinus, Liriodendron, Hamamelis and Prunus, the ornamental cherries…

Hip, Hip, Hooray (again…) More from the Rose Garden at Kew

Categories General comment, Roses, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Wildlife gardening, Winter Garden1 Comment on Hip, Hip, Hooray (again…) More from the Rose Garden at Kew

Flowers there are in the Rose Garden at Kew- and a real treat they were too - but this is what I was expecting - a grand show of Rose Hips. Well, actually that is not strictly true, I wasn't anticipating this brilliant extravaganza from the modern pink shrub rose, Bonica (above and below). It…

Continue reading ➞ Hip, Hip, Hooray (again…) More from the Rose Garden at Kew

If you were expecting more Autumnal fireworks, wait in line – in Kew Gardens, the roses continue to shine….

Categories David Austin roses, General comment, Roses, Royal Botanic Gardens KewLeave a Comment on If you were expecting more Autumnal fireworks, wait in line – in Kew Gardens, the roses continue to shine….

The Rose Garden at Kew today - I was expecting a delicious crop of hips amongst otherwise bedraggled roses, in the garden behind the Palm House at Kew Gardens this afternoon. I called in more to capture some of the arboreal autumnal fireworks from the likes of the Sweet Gum, Liquidamber styraciflua, the gorgeous Cotinus…

Continue reading ➞ If you were expecting more Autumnal fireworks, wait in line – in Kew Gardens, the roses continue to shine….

Madeira? Not this time…

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Bougainvillea in rich orange and the more usual purple but not in Madeira - these colourful climbers are much, much closer to home - I've saved the air fare and didn't have to book a Boutique Hotel this time - but I still get to enjoy a taste of the fantastic flora I saw bedecking…

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Cool customers – Cyclamen for a Cool Yule

Categories House plantsLeave a Comment on Cool customers – Cyclamen for a Cool Yule

Cyclamen persicum, a cool customer for a cooler spot in your home this winter. Clean whites, blush pinks, deeper carmines, burgundy and wine... and the occasional flash like these ones, which I rather like. LINKS The Cyclamen Society - http://www.cyclamen.org/faq_set.html Sarah Raven gives some advice - http://www.sarahraven.com/articles/indoor_cyclamen.htm The Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningadvice/7250834/Cyclamen-to-brighten-up-your-home.html and a first, from…

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