Gardener and Photographer with a love of Roses and a magpie-eye for all things Horticultural
Sarcocca confusa These small tassel-like flowers, on a glossily evergreen shrub, pump out a sweet perfume - over-rich when planted in quantity and to be used sparingly if brought into the home - an undemanding plant for a shady corner, in most soils (including the more difficult drier spots) and prepare to be caught by surprise…
Continue reading ➞ More fragrance in the winter garden…
Scent in the winter garden - Chimonathus praecox 'Grandiflorus' Several fine specimens by the lake edge at Kew, near to the Plant Centre... I'm bewitched by scented plants and I do seem to have stumbled upon some quite spectacular examples in the few short hours I spent at Kew and Wisley earlier this week. I'll…
Continue reading ➞ Winter sweet – Chimonanthus praecox ‘Grandiflorus’
Just photographs for this piece, although I am sure I have written about these invaluable providers of colour (and form) in the winter months on other occasions - most likely with reference to the varied stand of dogwoods, willow and rubus at Wisley - like here, planted to double the enjoyment, reflecting their myriad colours…
Continue reading ➞ Cornus – bright stemmed dogwoods at Kew
Under the graceful ululations of the Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum Dissectum Atropurpureum) that is a joy of fine foliage, form and startling colour both in Spring and Autumn, something that must surely draw a gasp from every lucky passer by. Set within the bulky rockery of the Alpine Beds, adjacent to the Salvia Border and…
Continue reading ➞ The return of the snowdrop – Galanthus elwesii at Kew
A frosty morning with the few roses cocky enough to be flowering all rimed with ice. A little rose garden with climbing rose The Generous Gardener on tall black obelisks, accompanied by a trio of English shrub roses also from David Austin, Gertrude Jekyll, Geoff Hamilton and Winchester Cathedral. The whole scheme is bordered by…
Continue reading ➞ Jack Frost comes calling….
Mahonia x media Charity Well, actually, I know that the two close-ups are the named variety Charity - the other photograph was taken in the Woodland Garden at Kew and was too far into the border for me to make out a label. I'm certain there was one - they are sticklers for labelling but…
Continue reading ➞ Sweet Charity
Viola Antique Shades - one of my favourites This, from the excellent Seedaholics website... Some unbelievably coloured violas have come on the market in recent years with little notice. Most gardeners pass up these rugged, cool-season performers in favour of their larger cousins, the pansies. But don't be in too much of a hurry to…
Continue reading ➞ Antique Shades
Ornamental cabbages and kales - decorative leafy additions that are especially useful for winter containers. The RHS has the following advice on the care of winter planted containers and the choice of plants available. I don't see the coloured stems of various dogwoods (Cornus selections) here but think they would make excellent companions to these…
Continue reading ➞ Of cabbages and kings
These galleries are almost all hydrangeas with big, cone-shaped flower-heads, (paniculata), rather than rounded mop-heads (though I have included Nymphe in the galleries) - and one oak-leaved hydrangea (with distinctive leaf shape and excellent autumn colour). They have all been photographed on the slopes of Battleston Hill in the gardens of RHS Wisley, where they…
Continue reading ➞ Happy Hydrangeas
The Teddington Gardener 