The life and loves of a time-poor plantsman
At a show on the scale of Chelsea picking out just ten plants which really get you excited is a tough job. Every year there are clear plants of the moment, which this time happened to be Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’, Enkianthus (a bit of a surprise), peonies (especially blousy white varieties) and Aquilegia in every […]
Read MoreMuch excitement at Chelsea as I came face to face with a brand new Fritillaria named ‘Garland Star’. Regular followers will know I’ve pledged allegiance to ‘William Rex‘, but I may be persuaded to have a treasonous dalliance with a commoner next spring. ‘Garland Star’ is without pronounced smoky purple flashes on its bells, but […]
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Sound the fanfare, here he is, His Majesty William Rex, King of the Spring. After a disappointing year last year, when all my bulbs came up blind, he’s back on regal form. Despite his personal odour issues, (it wouldn’t be polite to point them out) spring just wouldn’t be the same without him!
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Right on cue, the lovely people from Avon Bulbs delivered my order yesterday – a box packed with lilies, tulips, crocuses, Narcissus, Iris, and Alliums. With it came the promise of new varieties and exciting colour combinations to experiment with. The timing could not have been better, leaving me four weekends over which to plant them before […]
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