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Centenary of A Gardening Classic - the EA Bowles 'My Garden' trilogy exhibition
An exquisite arrangement of peonies from EA Bowles's garden at Myddelton HouseIn this diary I have frequently acknowledged the importance of EA Bowles's My Garden trilogy to my development as a...
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Sunshine and showers
Rhododendron vaseyi (Harry White's form) in Ray Wood - a very beautiful azalea from the Carolinas.The past few days have been busy in various ways, giving just a few chances to take a few snaps in the...
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Chlorophilia
The green of young Beech leaves is my favourite colour; in this case on Fagus sylvatica'Prince George of Crete'Driving to the arboretum this morning I was fortunate to catch a portion of Melvyn...
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Breeders, feathers and flames
English tulip 'Doctor Hardy' in its flamed manifestation, showing a broad streak of contrasting colour down the centre of the petal as well as round the edges.For several years I've wanted to visit the...
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Chelsea snapshots
Strawberry 'Christine', from Ken MuirAvon Bulbs featured the dark-leaved honesty, Lunaria annua'Chedglow, which attracted a lot of sttention.A living wall of Begonia rex'Rumba' (Enterprise...
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Chelsea gardens 1
Best in show: the Laurent-Perrier Garden, by Luciano Giubbelei: immaculate in every way. The moonlight colours of the flowers were a lovely contrast to the predominating purples and blues. The low...
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In the garden this week
An Iris left by my predecessor, at its brief peak.Lilium rhodopaeum, the first lily of the season hereand Tulipa sprengeri, the last tulip.Silene dioica'Firefly', an excellent double Red Campion, and...
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Early June
The white opium poppy plants have grown to huge size this year, helped by overwintering from an autumn germination and the abundant soil moisture. But no sooner had the first enormous flowers opened...
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White poppies
I remain captivated by the beauty of the white opium poppies I grow, descended from the seed obtained from a baker by Pam Schwerdt and Sibylle Kreutzberger to grow at Sissinghurst Castle (as described...
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An enjoyable weekend
The weekend started very well with the announcement in The Queen's Birthday Honours that Roy Lancaster (left, with Robert Vernon of Bluebell Nurseries) has been appointed CBE 'for services to...
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Beautiful bindweed
Sea Bindweed Calystegia soldanella at Spurn HeadSea Bindweed in classic habitat at the edge of sand dunes.I only know of one person who encourages bindweed in her garden, but she is rich enough to do...
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Something of a Paine
This appears to be the real Campanula garganica'W.H. Paine'Since 2010 I've been growing a rather pretty alpine Campanula with mid-blue, white-centred flowers and hairy, conspicuously lobed and toothed...
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Planting Yorkshire Yellow
Buphthalmum salicifolium'Dora'I find it very strange that 'Dora' is offered by only a couple of UK nurseries - it's a really good, long-flowering plant.'Dora' is a useful front of border plant. The...
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Rosa 'Louis XIV'
The perfect buttonhole rose: tight and upright on Saturday.Fully open and nodding, Sunday morning.When I visited Dublin last year Helen Dillon kindly gave me cuttings of a plant I'd been coveting for...
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Plant Portrait: Lilium 'Kushi Maya'
Lilium'Kushi Maya' - a hybrid of L. nepalense, with a strong sweet scent.
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Container plants 2014
At the front of the house is a group of large pots, most of which contain one variety of lily with other things This is Lilium'Firebolt', sharing its pot with Argyranthemum'Levada Cream'. Great colour,...
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A sunny day at Wisley
The great parallel borders rightly attract huge interest and admiration, but look at how important the conifers beyond it are in giving height and diversity of shape to the whole landscape.A meeting...
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Ruby Baker, 1923-2014
Ruby Baker, seated where she was always to be found on RHS show days, on the dais in the New Hall, surrounded by friends (in this case Matt Bishop (l) and Jorg Lebsa, February 2012). The sad news broke...
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Murabilia di Lucca
An eye-catching display on entering the show from Lumen Plantes Vivaces.I spent last week in the beautiful Tuscan town of Lucca, having been kindly invited to judge at the Murabilia 2014 flower show,...
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An autumn afternoon
A Painted Lady on Symphyotrichum novae-angliae'Primrose Upward'. The warm sunny this week have seen good numbers of butterflies in the garden, after rather a scarcity of them all...
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