Gardener and Photographer with a love of Roses and a magpie-eye for all things Horticultural
Almost time for the annual display of crocus - this photograph taken on 2nd March last year (at RHS Wisley). The displays at Kew should be even more extensive, with several hundred thousand new bulbs being added in the last few years. 2010 and 2011 were both pretty dry years and the annual show was…
Continue reading ➞ A display of crocus, RHS Wisley
I saw this tulip at the RHS London show last week, though I can't find out much about it after a brief look through Google results. Maybe it was on show precisely because it is new... But I will be growing it once I can track down a supplier. There was an iridescence to the…
Continue reading ➞ Tulip, Royal Cherry
A delightful afternoon at the RHS London Plant & Design Show, with hellebores, snowdrops, iris and all manner of plants for the spring garden shown off in typically fine form by the exhibitors. Mike Parks was there for books (very glad I took a rucksack), Implementations with their copper gardening tools (I am saying nothing..),…
Continue reading ➞ RHS London Plant & Design Show 2013
An initially confusing name for a very beautiful small, deciduous tree, bearing large goblet shaped blooms of an arresting deep colour. Underplant with contrasting bulbs (deep blue muscari or pale narcissus perhaps) for a show-stopping display! One of the smaller growing magnolias, more suitable for a town garden, in full sun or light shade, with…
Continue reading ➞ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’
A japonica variety, with a dense spreading to upright habit, and from mid-spring to early summer bears large white flowers, which are formal double with notched petals in our cool climate. Superb.
A strong and upright shrub, photographed here at Wisley last year (15th March), with glossy dark green leaves, profusely bearing large, single, crimson-red flowers, with prominent golden-yellow stamens. Early blooming. Camellias are elegant shrubs for a border or woodland garden; they also make excellent specimen plants, both outdoors in open ground and preferring ericaceous compost,…
Continue reading ➞ Camellia japonica ‘Sylva’
The February RHS Plant & Design Show is on again at the Horticultural Halls in London next Tuesday and Wednesday (19th & 20th February 2013). If not only for the nurseries and plants on show, Lawrence Hall is worth a visit as it is a quite extraordinary exhibition space. Lawrence Hall in Greycoat Street, Westminster…
Continue reading ➞ Lawrence Hall, RHS Plant & Design Show
One of my favourite crocuses, aptly named 'tricolor' for its distinct banding of golden yellow, white and lilac. A really silky sheen to the petals and long flowering. I shall have to look out their pot in my garden and give them pride of place for early next month. Crocus sieberi sublimis f. tricolor AGM
Primula auricula, Alpine House at RHS Wisley. Now this is a group of plants you could really get obsessed about - and many have - with such a range of colour and form. Primulas, the garden centre variety, are just coming into Syon now and while I could grow to love the auricula (we might…
Continue reading ➞ Primula auricula
The Teddington Gardener 