Things that caught my eye today – Ideas to brighten up the garden in July, August and beyond ….

Firstly a few from home this evening - I'm particularly pleased with the lilies in the front garden, wafting their intoxicating fragrance for weeks now - and the bright blue Campanula Blue Octopus, flowering for over a month. Then (below) more from my day at Petersham Nurseries. Plenty of colour as we move into midsummer…

Rose Pruning Masterclass – with a little help from my friends….

Two pieces here, very wordy (though by no means not all my words) first from the RHS Magazine, followed by a wander through their Pruning and Training Book. Quite a lot that you might need to know about pruning summer-flowering and repeat-flowering Old Roses, what I still call Hybrid Teas and Floribunda roses, Climbers and…

Climbers for every occasion (Part 1: Spring and early Summer)

I'm thinking about climbing plants -  for use in a myriad ways in the garden and it is a huge topic. Plants for sun and shade, large and small, with the promise of scent and flower in every month of the year. I think I ought to restrict myself to those gems which are in…

Very Nearly Scarlet

Lonicera x brownii 'Dropmore Scarlet' Bright the flowers of this honeysuckle may be, and unusual for all that too, but not scarlet. In common with many of these orange-red honeysuckles, there is very little scent but the eye catching display, from July through to September, makes up for being invisible, olfactory-wise. While it is not,…

Roses at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Brick pillars and slim wooden struts forming a gently curving pergola in the Family Beds garden at Kew. Matched specimens of climbing and rambling roses in perfect condition and trained to absolute perfection. In full flower, this will be Amazing. Climbing Lady Hillingdon Constance Spry Chevvy Chase Veilchenblau Alberic Barbier Climbing Cecile Brunner Alexander Girault…