Author: HortPage 5 of 17

In the bowels of the plant

Astelia chathamica is a vigorous bold clump of sword shaped leaves. A native to New Zealand, more specifically, the Chatham Islands. Our well established plant is fruiting prolifically….

Mellow yellow

What better way to light up the area beneath a deciduous canopy, in this case, Salix x sepulcralis ‘Chrysocoma’ . Sunlight filtering through the canopy and playing tricks…

Folded foliage and weighty limbs

Following the prolonged dry period, the rain that we are experiencing now is a welcome shock to plants. The Paeonia lutea reacted to the additional weight of this…

Two Clematis

In an open aspect to the south of the rock garden two Clematis are flowering. Clematis ternifolia, a vigorous grower with lightly scented white star like flowers bearing…

Botanical campanology

Campanula incurva found growing in the rock garden and producing a mass of large inflated upturned bell shaped white flowers, the texture resembling parchment paper, all from a…

The hot end of the border

The herbaceous border has a group of plants throwing out hot colours. Revelling in the long hot, dry days, this is peak Monarda season. Complementing the Monarda ‘Jacob…

Lanky by name, Lanky in growth

A fine sight, walking past the rock garden and looking up at the rock mounds populated with the spreading Lilium lankongense. The spread through the area is via…

Gazania from Africa

On the alpine wall with no appreciable rain forecast is a bright yellow composite. Baking in the heat and loving the root run through the free draining alpine…

Following Storm Hector

A casualty of Storm Hector was the loss of our mature Medlar, Mespilus germanica. The large canopy was like a sail gusting in the full force of the…

Diminutive and demonstrative

On the alpine wall baking in the June heat is Jasminum parkeri. With the familiar Jasmine shaped flowers this is a ground hugging evergreen shrub native to northern…

Straggly with style

Two herbaceous perennials that originate in North America are in flower at the garden. The Aquilegia was collected as seed in British Columbia growing in full sun on…

A very fine tree

Pterostyrax hispida is a choice tree native to shaded edges of forests in China and Japan. Growing at RBGE in the F beds it is now in full…

Fragrant flowers

Intense and heavily sweet, the fragrance from the coral white flowers hanging hidden within the climbing canopy of Schisandra grandiflora is overpowering. In bud the dangling spheres are…

To rival the Lilac in scent and colour

A perennial herb grown for its flavoursome foliage; Chives, Allium schoenoprasum, is also a reliable flowering plant. When cutting for the kitchen, slice as far down the leaf…

Look what the sun brought out

Pure white petals on the flowers of Paeonia emodi glow in the bright May sunshine. This is a vigorous member of the genus. The foliage growing to over…

Seed stock

Looking through the naturalised areas where Snowdrops and Winter Aconites provided the colour during winter the Eranthis hyemalis are ready to shed their seed. The seed capsules, held…

A fine Rhodo

Nestled into the flora in the sunken courtyard to the north of the centre glasshouse is a fine specimen of Rhododendron annae. A Forrest collection from SW China,…

Destined for the bucket

Easily introduced to the garden when lifting and dividing Snowdrops from another area; Allium paradoxum is an invasive coloniser of cultivated ground. This form of wild garlic has…

A floral carpet for May Day

Anemone nemorosa provides a carpet of white or light blue flowers lasting several weeks. Colonising the woodland floor where deciduous canopies are not causing excessive shade. Appreciate these…

Primula

Considering the cold weather that has characterised early April the new foliage on Primula sieboldii ‘Fantasy’ has emerged with its usual fresh appearance. The foliage has a deeply…