Philadelphus or more commonly Mock Orange is a popular shrub in gardens and rightly so.  This year they are absolutely covered with white or cream blossoms and the scent is very strong of orange blossom.  The cup shaped flowers have a conspicuous central boss of frothy yellow stamens,  shrubs vary in size from 10ft to 1.5 ft tall and the flowers can be single or double some having  a dark centre which looks very attractive.  They all can be cut […]

If you have a place for a Wisteria they are well worth the trouble and effort they require to flower well.  Although they do not have a long flowering duration about 3 weeks to a month they are the most beautiful of all climbers, they can be grown along walls or fences, on pergolas (as the one pictured is), over arches or up old trees.  The flowers of all Wisteria are typical pea-family in shape and are often very scented. […]

Camassias are an early summer flowering bulb which are suitable for the border as long as the soil does not dry out too much.  The bulbs are reasonably hardy if planted in the garden, I have had no problems with them coming up each year but in a pot they would need some protection. They require sun or part shade with deep moist soil, plant bulbs in the autumn to 4in deep.  The strap like leave come up late winter […]

It could not be any other, than the beautiful Daffodil for March and what a range of sizes, colours and shapes.  It is a genus of bulb that is mostly very hardy.  It prefers sun or light shade and well drained soil, although they will tolerate quite wet sites as long as they are not actually sat in water at any time.  The earliest of this genus flowers in a good year from the end of December to the latest […]

A perennial grown for it lovely winter and early spring flowers.  Most of the deciduous species retain there old leaves over winter and should be cut off, I usually do this in December but as long as they are done before the flowers show as it it much more difficult otherwise.  It is a plant that is excellent in woodland as it likes half shade and moisture retentive but well drained soil.  Easy from seed but it does need to […]

Not a plant picture for December and January, but a winter picture, to remind us what the weather was like last year.  This is the family dog Raffy out in the snow, he thought it was wonderful, we still did at the time!

Bergenias are a much under rated plant they are no trouble and very nearly pest free.  They are a genus of evergreen perennials with thick, usually large rounded to oval even spoon shaped leathery leaves with indented veins that make ideal ground cover.  Most varieties a hardy but there are a few that are tender, they will tolerate sun or shade and any well-drained soil.  On poor soil especially they can go a rich red colour in the winter and […]

Cotoneaster is a genus of deciduous, semi-evergreen or evergreen shrubs grown for the foliage, flowers or as in this picture berries.  Some species may be used as a specimen plant others for hedging and still others for ground cover.  Deciduous species prefer sun but the evergreen species are quite happy in part or even complete shade.  Non of them like to be water logged and so can be quite happy in dry soil and so are most useful for some […]

Cyclamen hederifolium is an autumn flowering tuber.  The flowers are pendant and have reflexed petals in white through pale to dark purple-pink with a darker staining at the mouth.  Flowering usually starts any time from late July onwards often after a short spell of wet weather.  They will carry on flowering well in to October and sometime November if the weather is clement.  The leaves are just as attractive as the flowers usually ivy-shaped with silver-green marbling with never two […]

This is a lovely late flowering plant that is mainly a perennial but there are some lovely annual ones also.  It is excellent for cutting and bringing into the house, but it is best as colour for late summer early autumn borders.  Colours include buttery yellow through orange, browny orange to red and dark red.  It is fully hardy and tolerates sun or shade and well drained to moist soil so all this means it is really easy to grow. […]