Gardener and Photographer with a love of Roses and a magpie-eye for all things Horticultural
I hosted a workshop a few weeks ago now, at Petersham Nurseries, with the title of 'Stylish late-summer containers. I promised the guests that I would create some notes and have been very tardy I doing so. I hope to remedy this here, jotting down a few of the points we covered, and details of…
Continue reading ➞ Stylish late – late summer containers
Primulas and violas, anemones and all manner of potted spring bulbs are colouring the nursery benches these days, bright jewel colours, soft pastels, every possible rainbow hue. Check out my recent tweets for plenty more contenders, perfect for lifting the spirits and invigorating spring container displays.
In a pot of lovely but quite ordinary and diminutive bedding violas, an interloper of more considerable character. A little detective work now to see if it is a named variety... Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham perhaps? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/3346277/Winter-pansies-and-violas-How-to-grow.html
Pale and interesting - Calluna vulgaris in shades of pale pinks, white and cream. Specimens such as these offer Ideal planting for window boxes and containers providing a long period of interest, alone or partnered with trailing ivy for contrast, baby skimmia rubella, the soon-to-be everywhere cyclamen, violas and pansies, black grasses (Ophiopogon) and heucheras,…
Tulip Carnaval de Nice Tulip Estella Rijnvald (above) A pyre of Tulip Princess Irene Fritillaris imperialis - just about holding its own with the fire-bright tulip, Princess Irene
Primula Gold Lace Group One of my favourite springtime plants, the Florist's Polyanthus (primrose) Gold Lace Group - beautifully formed, deeply coloured & scalloped petals edged in gold, tall stems and silver buds lifted clear from a collar of ruffled green leaves. Just lovely! A strain kept alive in Lancashire and Cheshire, through the original…
Continue reading ➞ Primula Gold Lace Group
Crocus Jeanne D'Arc Crocus tricolor
Crocus and polyanthus, brightening up my windowsills My favourite is the three-toned yellow-white-blue Crocus tricolor, which has come through again despite a regime of benign neglect. The pots were shuffled away last spring to the side of the house and left to their own devices - brought out when the first promise of green began…
Continue reading ➞ All you need is a windowsill…
Just your ordinary crocus, with more than a touch of drama Anemone coronaria - feathery foliage and neon bright flowers - the colours on this photograph have strayed a little from what we photographers like to call 'what they look like', the true pink being a shocking one, but I like the image. I suspect…
Continue reading ➞ Technicolor dreams…
The Teddington Gardener 