Celebrating gardens, photography and a creative life
The grounds of Chatsworth House make a wonderful setting for the youngest of the major UK flower shows. I hope you’ll find something of interest in my personal picks from the show.
Freddie’s Flowers had packed a breathtaking array of seasonal cut flowers in shades of lavender, cream and pink in the back of a truck to advertise their bouquet by post service. Continue reading “Highlights of the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show 2019”
More spikes today, in support of Becky’s MarchSquares. My first shows a classic English cottage garden with lupins and foxgloves in the display gardens at Bridgemere Garden Centre in Nantwich. Continue reading “Spiky Squares: UK Style And Southern USA Style”
Mum and I called in at Holehird Gardens in the English Lake District this week to see what Spring had brought so far. I’ve written about Holehird before, here and here, but today I’m joining in with The Propagator’s Six on Saturday. I had thought that the ‘Six’ had to come from your own garden, but the helpful participant guide says six things from a garden visit are also welcome, so without further ado:
1. Chionodoxa (Glory of the snow)
Blue and pink Chionodoxa were at their peak in and around the rock garden. We were a little early to catch the daffodil field in full flower – I’d guess it was a week or so off looking its best.
2. Fritillaria michailovskyi
A visit to a garden is always a treasure hunt, so I was happy to spot a few of these, hidden away just past the hellebores, not far from a small clump of Fritillaria meleagris. The bell-shaped flowers are an unusual colour combination – rich purple-brown with bright yellow tips. Continue reading “Six On Saturday: Spring at Holehird Gardens”
Many people know sempervivum as houseleek, or hen and chicks, which celebrates the plantlets produced as offsets. It is monocarpic which means the original rosette-like plant will reach flowering size after several years’ growth, then after flowering once, will shrivel and die, being succeeded by its chicks of various ages and any seedlings.
Sempervivum ‘Lady Kelly’ seems to be a rare form. The place where I saw it (Beth Chatto’s nursery) didn’t have any for sale and when I searched for one to buy online, I couldn’t find any source, let alone an equally reputable one.*
The rich lavender – blue – grey colouring was very striking in real life against the greens and corals. I fell immediately in love with the plant and ‘Blue Boy’ a similarly coloured sempervivum cultivar that I might share in a future post. Continue reading “Sempervivum ‘Lady Kelly’: A Beautiful, Unusual Form Of Hen And Chicks”
Until I had chance to travel through the Southern States of America, I didn’t much care for succulents. Gradually they’re been growing on me – not literally – though I could see these aeoniums being worn as cute little hats to Ascot or Chelsea Flower Show Press Day.
Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ captured my heart because of the variable variegation (did I just write that?) – each rosette is a blend of bluey green, green and cream, edged in pink. Continue reading “Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ And A More Menacing Variegated Succulent”
This picture was taken in one of several magnificent plant houses at Kew Gardens that shelter tender or unusual plants. The starry green Sempervivum ciliosum flowers make a lovely contrast with the pink tubular and daisy-shaped flowers scattered across the background. Continue reading “About A Very Gray Cactus and a Flowering Succulent”
Susan Rushton 