Keeping Chelsea in Perspective
Reading time 9 minutes
Every year, in about the middle of May, my eyes, previously amused by any new flower or shoot as if it were a new-born […]
Foliage
Chelsea Flower Show 2016 Preview: Royal Bank of Canada Garden
Reading time 6 minutes
This will be my final post before the lucky few (who include HM The Queen, but not me this year) are granted early admittance […]
Daily Flower Candy: Iris confusa
Reading time 6 minutes
Iris confusa: bamboo iris, 扁竹蘭 As the fig, olive and bay have matured, our seaside garden has become partly shaded. Where once plants basked […]
Feeling Good
Reading time 2 minutes
I’ve been feeling a little bit down in the dumps this week. I blame the headache-inducing, humid weather and lack of time to get out […]
Daily Flower Candy: Pelargonium papilionaceum
Reading time 4 minutes
pelargonium papilionaceum: geranium papilionaceum, butterfly geranium, Rambossie Geranium as a perfume and flavouring is very much in vogue. Its complex, warming, astringent notes are […]
In Bud II
Reading time 4 minutes
It snowed today in Central London. From my desk in a muggy office I anxiously check the BBC weather website to see if my […]
Worth The Wait
Reading time 5 minutes
In gardening, there are times for instant satisfaction and times to be patient; there are instances when playing it safe is the wisest option, […]
Daily Flower Candy: Caltha palustris ssp. polypetala
Reading time 3 minutes
Caltha palustris ssp. polypetala: giant marsh marigold, kingcup Forsythia, crocus, narcissus, mahonia, acacia, kerria: have you ever pondered why so many early flowering plants […]
Saluting the Salutation
Reading time 9 minutes
It was fitting that Gardeners’ World, in the first programme of the new series, chose to highlight the miraculous resurrection of the gardens at […]
Getting to Grips – Part 2
Reading time 8 minutes
Weather wise, the start of 2016 is beginning to feel like a re-run of 2015 – a mild winter followed by a chilly spring […]
Daily Flower Candy: Magnolia doltsopa
Reading time 5 minutes
Magnolia doltsopa: Michelia doltsopa, sweet michelia There are trees and then there are trees. Queens among their ranks are the magnolias; strong, majestic, ebullient […]
Nature Knows
Reading time 2 minutes
Walking in the Kent countryside this afternoon I am reminded that, beyond the confines of our garden, spring is not quite as far advanced […]