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Plant of the Year 2017: Narcissus 'Thalia'
Narcissus'Thalia'In selecting plants of the year my usual thought has been to nominate something that gives a long season of interest, but this year I've selected a plant that on one gorgeous April day...
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Garden People 2017
Proud 'parent': Bill Baker with Roscoea purpurea f. rubra BBMS 45, his introduction from Nepal in 1992.Absorbed: Keith Rushforth leads a discussion on Sorbus and other Rosaceae. Hugh McAllister on...
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Cherry Tree Arboretum
Magnolia'Shirazz'On Saturday Alastair and I went to Cherry Tree Arboretum on the Shropshire/Cheshire border near Woore. This is the private collection of John and Elizabeth Ravenscroft, former...
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Lembris Kephas Mollel 1972-2017
Lembris Kephas Mollel - a smile to lighten the worldLembris Kephas Mollel, who died on Wednesday, was one of my field assistants when I was working on Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, between 1990 and 1994, and...
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Plant of the Year 2016: Ampelodesmos mauritanicus
The arching inflorescences of Ampelodesmos mauritanicus developing in June. In the course of the year many plants have their season of excellence, coming up to prominence, doing their thing and...
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Garden People 2016
Volunteer: Mary Sykes helps collect Rhododendron blooms for the Harlow Carr show.Plant Records Officer: Nicola Hall receives new labels from Kew, after a very long wait.Tree planters: Will Hinchliffe,...
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Garden open on Sunday
View across the gravel beds. On Sunday 19 June my garden at Kirkhill Farm, Settrington, will be open from 2-6 pm, as part of the Yorkshire Arboretum's open garden's scheme. Sixteen gardens are...
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A weekend of orchid-hunting
I have wanted to see a wild Lady's-slipper Orchid in this country for over 40 years - but how wild are these?After a week of cold greyness a fine weekend was to be made the most of, and I've spent much...
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Summer dresses in new bloom
The glory of the moment is a magnificent display of dandelions.This morning I had the rare opportunity to walk around the Yorkshire Arboretum alone, and on a glorious summer-warm day. The change over...
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Ian Butterfield's Pleione nursery
Pleione Michael Butterfield gx 'Condor' - the most eye-catching plant in the place, noticeable as one walks through the door.As I've written previously in this diary I first grew Pleione in the 1980s,...
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Harry Dewey, 1921-2016
Harry Dewey, June 2006A brief notice in the Washington Post has announced the death of Harry Dewey on 17 February. A native of South Carolina, his career was as a librarian in universities and colleges...
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The first Slovenian Snowdrop Festival
Joint second prize in the school snowdrop art competition.I've spent the weekend in Slovenia, as a guest of the Ljubljana University Botanic Garden, which is hosting the first Slovenian Snowdrop...
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Celebrating 25 years of snowdrop open days at Hodsock Priory
George, Belinda, Andrew and Kat Buchanan in the snowdrop wood at Hodsock PrioryTwenty-five years ago Sir Andrew and Lady Buchanan decided to open their garden at Hodsock Priory, Nottinghamshire, for...
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Plant of the Day 2016
I've set myself the challenge of tweeting an image of a different plant every day this year, along with a few summary words within the 140 character limit of a tweet. The tweets will be linked to this...
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Plant of the Year 2015: Monarda 'Gewitterwolke'
Monarda 'Gewitterwolke', October, with Miscanthus'Yakushima Dwarf'Last year my friend Jimi Blake, from Hunting Brook Gardens in Co. Wicklow, brought me a selection of Monarda cultivars that he had...
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Garden People 2015
Galanthophiles: Jörg Lebsa, Matt Bishop, Steve ThompsonThe Plant School: Rosemary Campbell-Preston and her group, The Savill Garden.Nursery folk: Sue Milliken and Kelly Dodson, Far Reaches Nursery,...
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Seventeen degrees
The almost unprecedented spell of mild weather continues unabated, and seems likely to extend into January. Although there was little sun, a warm moist wind has blown all day, with temperatures of...
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A new Curator at Wisley
Matthew Pottage, at Chelsea, May 2015I'm delighted to report that my friend Matthew Pottage has been appointed Curator of RHS Garden Wisley. It's been an unbroken ascent from student to the top job,...
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Mark Flanagan, MVO, VMH, 1959-2015
Mark Flanagan talking about one of his beloved rhododendrons, at a meeting of the RHS Woody Plant Committee, March 2014.Yesterday afternoon, at an intensely emotional funeral, we said goodbye to Mark...
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Autumn tints in the border
Geranium pratense'Plenum Violaceum'A few details of leaves of herbaceous plants, on a damp dull day - not all autumn colours come from woody plants.Euphorbia'Excalibur'Sarracenia flavaunknown...
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