Celebrating gardens, photography and a creative life
One of England’s largest and most successful garden centres, Bridgemere Garden World, has been part of a large chain for several years. Its independent roots still shine through as a result of the group’s strategy to preserve the local feel and individuality of their acquisitions. It’s one of my oases of pleasure in an increasingly mad world. Continue reading “Bridgemere Display Gardens: The Cottage Garden”
This picture of sweet violets was taken with my iPhone: it’s a blessing to be able to have it with me for moments like these. The heart shaped leaves are scrolled up, perhaps to funnel rain water down to the roots and the scented flowers are tiny but radiant. This is a quintessential cottage garden flower for me and I love to see posies made with them. Continue reading “Viola Odorata: Sweet Violets”
Matt black flowers can sometimes be lost in a garden, but the silver lacing tracing the edges of the petals of this polyanthus – and the cheerful, golden yellow centres – are unlikely to be overlooked. Continue reading “Silver Laced Polyanthus Primula”
I prefer to use white flowers as an accent colour, but I know that many people love all white gardens (sometimes called moon gardens because of the way the flowers reflect the light). Here are some of my favourites – I hope you like some of them too. If I’ve mentioned where I photographed them, the gardens are well worth a visit. Continue reading “White Cottage Garden Plants for a Moon Garden”
Fragrant lilies in a corner of the garden at Wollerton Old Hall against a backdrop of hedging, roses and clematis. Wouldn’t a tumble of lilies make a great collective noun?
I picked this small posy of flowers from Mum’s garden. She grows plants on heavy clay soil she’s worked hard to amend over the years. Her garden, shaded for part of the day, supports a selection of fruit, roses and other cottage garden flowers.
I overstuffed a tiny milk jug with flowers of the right scale to fit: ‘Harlow Carr’ roses, a sprig or two of lavender, two forms of geranium, bellis, viola and some campanula. I’ll never make a florist, but it looked (and smelled) sweet. I only needed to raid the back garden, leaving the fine foliage plants and shrubs at the front for another day.
As so often in a private garden, there’s a little story behind each plant. Some arrived as presents from family or friends: others were grown from seed or acquired on a trip to her favourite garden centre, Bents. Continue reading “In a Vase on Monday”
Susan Rushton 