Yellow Lady Banks’ Rose (Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’)
When you see this rose in flower, Lady Banks’ Rose may fall easier to your lips than its botanical name, Rosa banksiae. There are several versions available (see the Q & A below), but my favourite is the double yellow form, ‘Lutea’, pictured here.
…it only flowers for about a month, but what a month!
– HOUZZ
From a distance, a flowering Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’ is like a pale yellow throw rug; up close, the flowers are small rosettes, held in graceful sprays. If not firmly tied up, the foliage seems to drip on long stems from the plant, creating a distinctive look. Continue reading “Yellow Lady Banks’ Rose (Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’)”
Gresgarth Hall’s Walled Kitchen Garden In Winter
There’s something about this picture of a Lancashire country idyll that I like. The hillside garden looks serene; the house and land on the far side of the wall have a hazy romance. Inside the walled garden, the soil is rich and well-cultivated. It’s winter, and the garden is girded against the twin assaults of rain and freezing temperatures. Continue reading “Gresgarth Hall’s Walled Kitchen Garden In Winter”
Wordless Wednesday: Hellebores Floating
A Red And White Dahlia With An Exclamation Mark
Gresgarth Hall has a walled kitchen garden where fruit trees and vegetables grow alongside flowers for cutting, depending on the season. I was about to describe the dahlia I photographed there as bicoloured, but could not ignore the flush of peach that gives it a sophisticated look. A tricolour, then. I know someone out there is going to want to grow this when they see it, but unless an identification appears in the comments below, I have no idea what it is. The orange blurs in the background are nasturtiums and the feathery foliage, nigella. Continue reading “A Red And White Dahlia With An Exclamation Mark”
Pebble Mosaic Garden Paving At Gresgarth Hall, Lancashire
Part of the joy of visiting Gresgarth Hall Garden is the chance to admire so many well-sourced, premium quality garden accessories – all the bits and bats as we say up North. Each thoughtful touch beautifully enhances the space, from the frog decorated tap (faucet), to garden benches, gates, cloches, terracotta planters, greenhouses – even the plant labels. The lady of the house, Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd, includes five gold medal-winning Chelsea Flower Show gardens amongst her credits as a landscape designer. So the stone mosaic walkways in Gresgarth’s Zodiac Garden are par for the course: superb modern interpretations of an ancient art.
Knowing that pebble floor designs of ancient Greece, Rome and Mesopotamia still exist today makes me wonder how many centuries these designs will live on the garden pathway. Continue reading “Pebble Mosaic Garden Paving At Gresgarth Hall, Lancashire”
Regular Random: Double Hellebore
When you photograph a hellebore, you’re faced with some stark choices. Show the plant as it is and capture the natural essence of the bloom, or lift the flower to show the inside. It’s tempting to go for a macro shot like this one to reveal the beautiful pattern of veining but it gives me a weird feeling of misrepresentation; invasion, almost. It feels uncomfortably like peeking at a Victorian lady to get a glimpse of voluminous, lacy underwear.
I would have said that this shot gives a better impression of the true character of the plant if the one in the back didn’t seem to be wearing a superman cape and keeping a watchful eye on a couple of conspirators in the foreground. Continue reading “Regular Random: Double Hellebore”
