The Heat Is On
Reading time 5 minutes
I love a bit of sun as much as the next man, but when the mercury rises above 25 degrees I am not at […]
Tropical Gardens
Daily Flower Candy: Zantedeschia ‘Picasso’
Reading time 3 minutes
I have always rather shunned the colourful, smaller cousins of the Ethiopian lily, Zantedeschia aethiopica, mainly because of their artificial looks and regular, cellophane-wrapped […]
Anticipation
Reading time 9 minutes
For the lucky few – journalists, celebrities and royalty – the Chelsea Flower Show starts today. The rest of must wait until 8am tomorrow […]
Plants in Detail – Gunnera manicata AGM
Reading time 3 minutes
You may have picked up on my recent fascination with large, jungly-looking plants. I don’t really have room for such colossi in either garden, but I can still […]
Plant Portraits: Dicksonia antartica
Reading time 9 minutes
For a while in the nineties, when television programmes such as Home Front and Ground Force ruled the air waves, tree ferns almost became […]
Triumph Over Adversity – Tresco Abbey Garden
Reading time 13 minutes
When, in 1834, the handsome Augustus Smith secured the lease for the Isles of Scilly, I wonder if he was aware of the legacy […]
A Tropical Christmas
Reading time 1 minute
Just one more flight and I’ll be home for Christmas. Work won’t be over for a while, but in the meantime this unusual, tropical-inspired […]
Daily Flower Candy: Hedychium densiflorum ‘Stephen’
Reading time 1 minute
Clearing our borders of tender perennials last weekend, I was surprised to see the earth scattered with what appeared to be large pomegranate seeds. […]
Plants in Detail – Bismarkia nobilis
Reading time 2 minutes
Bismarkia nobilis (Bismark palm) is, without question, one of the most photogenic plants in the world. This mighty palm with its architectural, pleated leaves […]
A Walk Around The Peak
Reading time 6 minutes
Spending time in Hong Kong is no great hardship. But after a week in showrooms so crammed with Christmas sparkle that you can almost […]
Daily Flower Candy: Fuchsia ‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’
Reading time 1 minute
When I am away from home, I sorely miss my garden. Here’s one good reason why, the scarlet shooting stars of Fuchsia ‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’. […]
Hampton Court Flower Show 2013: Hot Gardens
Reading time 8 minutes
Above, ‘Mid Century Modern’ designed by Adele Ford and Susan Wilmott We’re so accustomed to the British Summer being a wash out, it’s a […]