Monday, July 25, 2016

VERATRUM MAACKII?

I grew this from seed and assume it is correctly named?
It stands 8' tall in a moist semi-shady area and has the beautiful pleated hosta-like leaves.
Delicious to slugs.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

BUDDLEIA CRISPA 'STONE HOUSE COTTAGE'

A variegated sport that appeared on my ordinary B.crispa some years ago. It is possibly not as hardy as the type.

Thursday, July 02, 2015

Schizophragma fauriei - BSWJ1701



This superb Wynn-Jones collection from Taiwan has soft apple green foliage and Hydrangea like flowers in July.
It prefers it's feet in the shade, but flowers best in the sun.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

LONICERA SUBEQUALIS OGISU 93.329

Collected by Mikinori Ogisu in Sichuan this curious honeysuckle appears to be flowering in the centre of a green cup.
I have had some difficulty in giving it the right conditions, but
it now seems happy in a sunny moist spot.
It is perfectly hardy.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

HIBBERTIA ASPERA

Hibbertia aspera is a neat, lax evergreen climber that will quickly cover a sunny wall. It has buttercup yellow flowers in May but will not survive a very cold winter.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

ARISTOLOCHIA MANSHURENSIS



Aristolochia manshuriensis is a hardy climber with heart shaped apple green leaves and large flowers like a yellow brown saxaphone or a dutch-man's pipe. A  superb Crug farm collection  from South Korea.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

THALICTRUM ORIENTALE

Forming a neat mound 30cm high this Thalictrum has been flowering solidly since February.
It originates from Turkey and likes to be in  dry shade - what more could you ask of a plant?
I will try to propagate it for next year, A gem from Evolution Plants,

Friday, April 10, 2015

The Juno Irises have a reputation for being tricky to grow.
 I have only ever attempted two varieties that are supposed to be fool proof and they have done well in a sunny dry spot underneath a  thirsty evergreen shrub.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

LONICERA ELISAE

 Lonicera elisae is a hardy and very reliable winter flowering shrub.
 Supposedly it is fragrant but the weather is usually too cold then to catch the scent. 
Unlike Lonicera x purpusii, it flowers on completely bare wood. Should it come out in June it would be hardly noticed but is a welcome sight here in February and March.


Friday, February 27, 2015

ATHEROSPERMA MOSCATA

An erect evergreen shrub from Australia that I have grown here against a wall for over thirty years.
It is well over 4 metres high and has scented white flowers every February.




Sunday, February 01, 2015

CLEMATIS YUNNANENSIS 'WINTER BEAUTY'

This is a newish evergreen climber with attractive foliage and reddish stems.
It is clearly vigorous but there does seem to be some doubts as to it's hardiness.
I have yet to test it with a cold winter.
It has delicately fragrant, waxy bell-shaped flowers from January to March.
Try it in a sunny sheltered site.

 

Thursday, January 22, 2015

ARAUJIA SERICIFERA


Araujia sericifera is an evergreen South American climber that survives most winters but is not completely hardy.
It flowers in late summer and is fruiting now.  It's common name is cruel plant as moths, bees and butterflies are often trapped by the secretion within it's flowers.



They seem to usually escape the following morning when the flowers re-open.



Wednesday, October 29, 2014

MY STAR PLANTS IN 2014

The double, or semi-double, form of Anemonopsis macrophylla flowered well this summer and seems as easy to grow in a shady moist spot as the ordinary form.


This wonderful Melianthus, with extra jagged leaves and red flushed stems, came as a seed from Maurizio Usai  of  La Pietra Rossa garden in Sardinia.
It seems to have a more fastigiate shape and has made a handsome plant this year.



Erigeron annuus grows to about 5' and has nice modest white daisies for weeks and weeks. It is a short lived perennial but seeds gently.






Friday, September 19, 2014

CIONURA OREOPHILA

A handsome evergreen climber that has been flowering steadily, but never profusely. since July. Now, in late September, it is beginning to flag but still has the one or two flowers left. 
It smelt wonderful and on the warm sunny evenings we had in July.

Sunday, August 03, 2014

ALBIZIA JULIBRISSIN ROSEA


This tree is about 20' high and flowers every year.
The beautiful ferny foliage appears quite late in the spring and casts very little shade.
The flowers look like balls of pink cotton wool that have been thrown onto the branches.



Friday, June 27, 2014

DESMODIUM CALLIANTHEMUM

I have grown this Desmodium on an east facing wall for quite a few years.

It's magenta  flowers appear reliably in June and are set off by neat green foliage.
It has reached about 8' high.




Thursday, June 12, 2014

LATHYRUS NISSOLIA

The grass vetchling, a tall erect
annual flowering in my meadow now
.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

OXYTROPIS GRACILIS, PASITHEA CAERULEA AND SOPHORA DAVIDII



Oxytropis gracilis is a charming Canadian native flowering now. It appears to prefer a dry spot and seems easily grown.


Pasithea caerulea has grasslike leaves and comes from Chile. It grows to about 60cm and seems to be tolerant of drought.



Sophora davidii is a deciduous shrub from south west China. It forms a neat rather prickly mound and has blue and white pea flowers in late May and June.