Tag: FOTD

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Osa pulchra: a rare tropical plant that needs a midwife

Osa pulchra flowering at Kew

Last month I was lucky to see a rare tropical shrub/small tree, Osa pulchra, in full bloom. Huge, trumpet-shaped flowers hung just overhead, still and improbable, translucent against light pouring through the magnificent high roof of one of Kew Garden’s conservatories.

At the time I didn’t understand what I was looking at, but I knew it was special. To an observer I must have appeared like a human version of the His Master’s Voice dog. Continue reading “Osa pulchra: a rare tropical plant that needs a midwife”

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Florist’s Roses: Cream, Pink and Peach

Florist's roses in shades of cream, pink, salmon and peach

I’m offering pastel-coloured roses as a sneak peak of the treasures on display at this week’s RHS Tatton Park Flower Show. They are part of Beth Shaw’s nostalgic, scented Market Flowers installation that celebrates British-grown flowers and foliage.

Shared for Cee’s Flower of the Day.

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The Wildness of Foxgloves (Digitalis Purpurea)

Wild foxgloves growing with grasses and ferns along a country lane in Lancashire

While I enjoy seeing foxgloves in gardens, I can’t help comparing the straight, sturdy, varieties of commerce to wild foxgloves that weave around Lancashire’s fields and country lanes.

Rarely without some form of wave or bend – the ‘nod’ of folklore – wild foxgloves can grow with aplomb wherever they find themselves, high or low. Much of their charm is in their willy-nillyness. Continue reading “The Wildness of Foxgloves (Digitalis Purpurea)”