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Deutzia purpurascens a deciduous twiggy shrub of light structure which nonetheless manages to develop into an impenetrable tangle of growth. A native to Western China, found on steep…
If you look very closely at the picture you will see that there are two different vegetable seedlings germinating in the same row. We sowed our parsnips in…
Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Rainbow’, this cultivar of the Ericaceous family is growing in the sheltered and shaded sunken north facing courtyard of the front glasshouse range. Lush shiny foliage…
One of the quickest way to improve the overall image of a plot or a garden is to mow, edge and top dress. This week I took on…
Most of last week I spent on building support structures for my peas, beans and sweet peas. I went for the cane and twine fence idea and constructed…
The truss of blooms on Rhododendron sinofalconeri is worthy of show merit. The colour and form are first class. Give this 16 year old plant time to mature…
Some weeks ago I mentioned that we received some funding through the Botanic Garden Conservation International (BGCI) and their Communities in Nature project. Communities in Nature is an…
Latin Name: Equisetum myriochaetum Cham. & Schltr. Common Name: Giant horsetail Distribution: Central Mexico to Peru Habitat: Prefers fertile wet soil and is found in tropical and subtropical…
Latin Name: Cupressus cashmeriana Royle ex Carrière Common Name: Bhutan Cypress, Kashmir Cypress Distribution: West central Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh Habitat: Monsoon forest of Eastern Himalayer and south…
Latin Name: Myrtillocactus geometrizans (C.Mart.) Console Common Name: Bilberry Cactus, Whortleberry Cactus or Blue Candle Cactus Distribution: Central & Southern Mexico Habitat: Stony and sandy soils in deciduous…
Latin Name: Gnetum montanum Markgr. Common Name: Gam nui, Sot nui Distribution: Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Sikkim, Thailand, Vietnam Habitat: Subtropical broadleaf forests Description: Evergreen, climber; branches…
Latin Name: Euphorbia virosa Willd. Common Name: Gifboom, Poisoned Tree Distribution: South Africa to Southern Angola. Habitat: Stony and sandy soils. Occupying arid areas Description: A succulent spiny…
Latin Name: Encephalartos natalensis R.A.Dyer & I. Verd. Common Name: Natal giant cycad Distribution: Endemic to South Africa (Eastern Cape & KwaZulu-Natal) Habitat: On cliffs in open forests…
Caltha palustris, a lush growing plant with a wide distribution covering the temperate northern hemisphere. It has the most unfortunate common name; “May blob”, referring to the golden…
Cypripediums have a reputation for being very difficult to grow and even more difficult to acquire. Plants in the wild have become rare due to changes in land…
The demonstration garden at the Botanics is a veritable frenzy of activity at this time of year. It is not just the Edible Gardening Project team at work…
Another unwelcome visitor appeared on my plot – slugs. This time the victim turned out to be Nemophila maculata ‘Five spot’ seedlings. Slugs munched on the cotyledons and…
This is a Clematis like no other; a leafless tangle of green reed like stems. The scandent growth mounds over itself reaching 1.5metres in height. A native to…
Pricking out can be either a relaxing or stressful activity. In my case it turned to be the latter one. I simply got overwhelmed by the task: three…
Willow fence – a recent addition on my plot. Constructed with a thought of keeping children at bay and as a support structure for fleece and letter netting….