Hydrangeas and nothing but Hydrangeas ….

What a lot of Hydrangeas - from a variety of destinations including RHS Wisley and the Savill Garden near Windsor. Probably a few from Golden Hill Nurseries down on the south coast who are specialists in this beautiful plant - definitely worth seeking out their expert knowledge at any future plant fair or flower show.…

The shady garden in summer and autumn… beginning an A-Z

  I had been preparing for a workshop covering the possibilities for gardening in a little - or a lot - of shade and put together the gallery last year to illustrate some of the contenders that anyone tackling such a proposition might entertain. A perennial question, this, what to plant, planting combination and health…

The shady garden in summer and into autumn … beginning an A-Z

  I'm preparing for a workshop covering the possibilities for gardening in a little - or a lot - of shade and have begun to put together the gallery (above, but more to come) to illustrate some of the contenders that anyone tackling such a proposition might entertain. Damp shade and dry shade, dappled shade…

15 Favourites – Garden Plants

At Petersham Nurseries, we are planning our 15th Anniversary this month of May, celebrating the past decade and a half under the stewardship of the Boglione family and the development of the Nurseries and the expert team behind its horticultural reputation. We are choosing 15 favourites, roses of course, garden plants and houseplants, (for we…

Petersham House Gardens – formal gardens, generous borders and a vibrant Cutting Garden

After a cycle ride along the towpath and the Thames sparkling in the sunshine, and nearly being late for taking so many photographs, a look in the Kitchen Garden first, which was the vegetable garden but has been co-opted into an additional Cutting Garden, as well as having the peony beds, Hellebores, many old roses…

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…

That garden between the double herbaceous borders and the rose gardens – continuing the tour around RHS Wisley

I can never remember the name of this garden, but is is just behind the double herbaceous borders at Wisley and joins up with the old Jubilee rose garden (pretty much just roses) and the newer garden where roses are matched with a great deal of complimentary planting, shrubs, trees, grasses and herbaceous perennialness. While…

A Petersham Nurseries Gallery – a feast of roses & perennials and a closer look at the Cutting Garden

I arrived at Petersham Nurseries 45 minutes earlier than necessary with a view to taking a few pictures - and I am a speedy photographer - so here is a little gallery of plants that are both conveniently for sale or at home in the Cutting Garden (a practical resource for so much of the…

Winter Beauty at Osterley Park House and Gardens – a star clematis in the Winter Garden, yellow obelisks in the Tudor Garden, miniature horses in the meadow and… Batman

The Osterley Park estate, including Robert Adam House, formal gardens, parkland and extensive farmland, is rather a surprise, a great swathe of greenery within the urban sprawl of Hounslow, airplanes cutting across the skies from nearby Heathrow. It is one of the last remaining 'country estates' in London and under the care of the National…