Celebrating gardens, photography and a creative life
Begonia sizemoreae (syn. longiciliata) on the Dibleys Nurseries’ display was charming all the passers by at the latest incarnation (should that be invegation?) of the RHS’s northern flower show. Continue reading “Hairy-leaved Begonia sizemoreae (syn. longiciliata) at a Show”
Plant combinations fascinate me, so I loved the way these flowers, foliage and billowing grasses were painting their lines and colours against the textured background of a gravel mulch in the most alluring feature garden at this year’s Hampton Court Flower Show.
The effect previewed the romantic, soft planting trend that would be taken further at the Tatton Park Show a few weeks later.
The plants pictured here include:
Allium sphaerocephalon (drumstick allium; purple)
Galactities tomentosa alba (milk thistle; creamy-white)
Verbena officinalis var grandiflora ‘Bampton’ (vervain Bampton; lavender-pink)
Erigeron ‘Dimity’ (fleabane; pink)
Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ (catmint; lavender-blue)
Santolina chamaecyparissus (cotton lavender; yellow)
Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass) Continue reading “Carol Klein’s Iconic Horticultural Hero Garden”
You read that right, although it is not generally the done thing to say so.
I don’t deserve praise for growing this fine produce because I didn’t – they caught my eye at a flower show. Being a lover of peas in pods (provided they are sweet), as I could not eat them, immortalising their freshness in a picture made a good, if sorry, second. Purple potatoes, purple kale and purplish tomatoes added extra interest, but it’s not for spotting those either. Continue reading “I Think I Deserve Praise”
After a two-year hiatus, courtesy of the pandemic, the Southport Flower Show was back in style for its 91st year. This northern show has something for everyone – even well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome. For those who couldn’t make it, here are some of my pictures:
Continue reading “Southport’s Summer Flower Show is Back at Last”
I’m not sure I’d have enjoyed my favourite garden at Floriade as much if I’d seen it in April, soon after Floriade opened to visitors. In pictures of the Europarcs garden taken before the deciduous trees had leafed out, The Rebel House commands the space. A broad, meandering path wraps around the clean, metal-edged outlines of flower beds. Newly-planted perennials are neat, well-spaced and picture perfect, like an architect’s diagram.
Three months later, the plants have bedded in and are relaxing out. Leaves and flowering stems mingle and mesh together, gently spilling over the path. The ‘Within Nature’ theme of the garden is emerging. Continue reading “Biodiverse Planting Scheme by Stefano Marinaz for the EuroParcs Garden, Floriade”
Floriade is an international horticulture exhibition / garden festival held in a different part of The Netherlands every ten years. While it attracts garden-loving members of the public, its aims go beyond that. Continue reading “Review of Floriade Expo 2022 in Almere, NL”
We’re recently back from visiting Floriade Expo 2022, a ten-yearly international horticulture event taking place in Almere, The Netherlands. I wanted to share this idea from a display in the Natural Pavilion about how the food of the future could be customised to suit our body’s make-up and our individual tastes. Continue reading “Food For Thought From Floriade 2022”
Susan Rushton 