The life and loves of a time-poor plantsman
pelargonium papilionaceum: geranium papilionaceum, butterfly geranium, Rambossie Geranium as a perfume and flavouring is very much in vogue. Its complex, warming, astringent notes are being employed by enlightened artisans to infuse everything from chocolate to gin. My favourite summer scent, “Geranium pour Monsieur” by Frederick Malle, combines the eponymous ingredient with cloves, cinnamon, white musk, […]
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I will admit to being underwhelmed when the RHS named Geranium ‘Rozanne’ their ‘Plant of the Centenary’ in 2013. The hardy perennial was chosen by RHS members from a list of 10 plants which included Russell Hybrid lupins, Rosa ‘Iceberg’, and Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’. All are charming, garden-worthy plants but don’t really set my pulse […]
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I had never heard of Vestra Wealth before this year’s Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and that’s for one very good reason – I have no wealth to manage. Should I come up trumps in the lottery, I would have no hesitation in beating a path to Vestra’s door, based purely on the strength of […]
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The last plant I expected to be blooming over the New Year was Geranium maderense, the Maderia Cranesbill. Clearly confused, a few shocking-pink flowers are braving the elements, sheltered below an umbrella of huge glossy leaves. The foliage is faring less well. Nestled in a gap by the front steps the leaves are in the […]
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Last weekend it was time to get my potted bulbs into the ground before I went on my travels. Because we have a lot of tender perennials that sometimes last well into the winter, I avoid disturbing them by planting spring bulbs such as alliums and tulips in black pots. Then I can bed them […]
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We’re a bit stuck this weekend. The white stuff came down constantly in central London yesterday, and whilst it made very little difference to life in town, it put me off going down to the coast on our reliably unreliable trains. We’ve also had to cancel birthday party no.2 as the Cotswold hotel we booked […]
Read MoreMy introduction to gardening was through the pages of seed catalogues. As a young child I could sit for hours looking through the pages of colourful annuals, later cutting them up to make garish collages. Suttons, Dobies, Mr Fothergills or Unwins, I was neither fussy nor discerning. Fortunately none of those colourful creations survive to […]
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