The last of the tulips

I

Well, I took this one a several years ago and forgot to publish the post - those striped tulips were fantastic along side the dark ones. I really love the shapes and colours this time of year. By Spring I have usually forgotten exactly which varieties I put in which tubs so it is always a revelation when they bloom. I keep the packets so I can recognise them - if they are lovely I might get the same ones again or give some to friends for Christmas presents - all planted up in tubs. I find this is a very acceptable present because you get the beauty of it in Spring not when you are ovewhelmed with stuff in December.

Spring in Madeira - grotto in tropical gardens 2006

An interesting grotto with various ferns. The Monte tropical gardens are full of narrow canals called levadas and these bring the water from the top of the mountain down to carious parts of the garden. Everywhere there are little streams and grottos.

Hampton Court Flower Show 2013

Foot sore but delighted, I just got back from a day at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show. This year we went by train and then got the boat down the Thames on a 10-15 minute ride to the show-ground entrance from Hampton Court Station, all super easy and fuss free.
There is too much to see in one trip however unless you are super fit.  Where to start? Well there are the mini gardens on the way into the main area that are enjoyable to stroll past, especially if you get there early before all the crowds.

Bee Sculpture

One feature I liked was a fun giant sculpture of an insect made from old cycles and plastic bottles.
There are several large marquees but unless you get a catalogue there don't seem to be any one-page maps for sale or for free to guide you around.  There are some around the site but they are really too small to see clearly unless you get quite close.  You've heard about the Hampton Court Maze, well this isn't it but it might as well be. Quite disorienting at times. I'm glad my friend knew where to go.

Plenty of places to eat and drink line several avenues with picnic tables and there are also a couple of huge restaurants in marquees.

Pretty Border

Many of the gardens had a soft,  sensuous, summery feel with blue and pink flowers mixed with grasses.  More cottage garden than country house.

Lovely hardy geraniums with veronicas and foxgloves.  My kind of gardening.

In the Butterfly House

The butterfly house was a geodesic dome, rather hot and filled with many wonderful  butterflies, we also saw a few escapees around the show - the ones that got away.

Rose display

The Rose marquee was good, the smell of roses hit you as you walk in.  In the same place were some displays with the theme Vintage and a few flower arrangements but not like at the Chelsea show.

Hot Chocolate

 These pretty roses caught my eye on several stands. They are called Hot Chocolate.





Also in the Rose area were exhibitions on the Vintage theme where these stunning creations all or partly made in flowers were to be found.

Lady in Red Roses

Sedum Chair 

Singing in the Rain

We wandered around the heritage Marquee and plant collections and seeds for sale.
There was a non-plant area a bit like a craft show, rather warm and full of the usual goodies.  Eventually, we went in the vegetable and fruit area which was OK and after a quick packed lunch set off for the main Plant Marquee on the opposite side of the long water.  This was the highlight for me, lots of plants on display and to buy, which we did of course, notwithstanding the train trip back. Lots of people had those plastic trolleys, like a box on wheels, full of plants.

There were two magnificent stands with Hostas, lots of herbaceous perennials, a faboulous allium display.  This year, in addition to the usual plants, there were lots of  Veronicas, Salvias and Nepetas as well as Achillias in evidence, it must be the fashion. Although these have been filling my garden for a number of years  complementing my geraniums.

Lady in flower costume

We spotted some interesting trailing plants, interestingly they were Tiarellas which have small spikes pink flowers in Spring.  A good basket and ground cover plant or to trail over a wall. And finally we bought a few plants each.

On our way out, we ran across several people in amazing flower costumes, the lady in the bright pink one looked absolutely lovely.

There was a leisurely boat trip back up the river to the station and a restful train ride home notwithstanding two changes at Surbiton and Raynes Park.

Rose Garden at Hever Castle

This was the best kept rose garden I've ever visited. If you pick the best time of year - normally June, it is fabulous.  Created in a super walled garden and right by the lake and restaurant it is well worth a visit.

Cherkley Court

This is a work in progress, the house is used for functions so it is just the gardens that you can visit. However they are really interesting as they sit on a south facing slope of the North Downs in Surrey near Leatherhead, giving fantastic views over the Mole Valley.

Chelsea Physic Garden

Visited this very ancient garden earlier in the Summer.
If you plan to visit it remeber to check the opening days and times as it is not open all day - just afternoons from 12:00 and not everyday.

We had a guided tour then wandered around by ourselves. It was fascinating as it contained thousands of plants used for medicines and other purposes like dyes. Collected from around the world it provides a fantastic resource for herbalists and pharmacists.

Sited in the exclusive area of London that is Chelsea, near to the site of the famous Chelsea Flower show and right by the river Thames, it has survived for centuries and is still in use.

There is a small shop and a good cafe selling really nice fresh food. If the weather is inclement you can spend time in the greenhouses between showers, as we did). I thoroughly recommend it to anyone interested in historic gardens and/or the history of herbs in medicine.

Wisley Gardens

We walked around Wisley gardents (Surrey,UK) today and went to the new greenhouse again. It was lovely and warm on a nippy day and there were loads of orchids on display.

We also went up to the alpine house to see what was in bloom - masses of tiny narcissus and a range of other pretty tiny flowers. As the sun was shining we also pottered around the vegetable plot but apart from a few leeks and other winter veg, there were spaces just waiting to be filled in the Spring. Even saw a few weeds which makes me feel better about mine.

Lunch in their excellent cafe was nice, we had soup and some bread then walked it off again round the shop and garden centre.

January is a good time to see the structure of the garden and then further visits this year will show how the new rose gardens are going to be laid out and various outher features.


I shall watch with interest. over the nearly 40 years i have been an RHS memeber, the gardens have evolved and sometimes "step" changes have taken place like the new greenhouse. I sometimes feel that in recent years things have changed in a way I dont appreceiate - less for the gardener and more for show - to get the punters through the doors. But of course it is basically the same place.

Visit to Mottisfont Abbey Garden and House

On Monday June 18th, this week, we went to visit Mottisfont Abbey Garden. It holds the National collection of old roses. The rain had damaged many blooms and brought donw several of the talled perennials but it was still lovely.

There was a very nice restaurant with a smallish but good selection of lunchtime fare. The house was converted from an abbey to a family house in the 19th century so was less interesting then the garden. However, the hose has a great number of paintings given by artist Derek Hill, not just his own but a small Degas and some other famous names. (I was not especially interested in these.) We also saw a lovely exhibition of paintings of flowers - some botanical in their detail, others more artistic in their representation.

In addition, you can buy many of the rose varieties but we didn't! No more space in the garden for big shrubby roses at present.

A really good day out, despite the awful rain in the morning, as we had coffee in Winchester on the way and pottered around the shops for a while until the abbey opened at 11am. On the way home we went via Farnham for a cup of tea - another old fashioned sort of town, interesting and worthy of at least a half day trip.

As the weather was so wet I did not take my camera although now I wished I had. So no photos only a link to the national trust page.

Pink Perfection in Spring

I took this one years ago (well 2002 actually). The centre of a lovely Rhododendron flower. I thought it was quite artistic really. As it is that time of year again now I felt I'd post if for you all to see.

The Lake at Wisley Gardens

A magical place - Wisley gardens in Surrey (UK). Home of the Royal Horticultural Society's original show garden. A place for gardeners and everyone who likes beautiful plants and gardens. I took this last year on a bright but not very sunny day. Just look at the variety of trees here reflected in the lake.

Spring Lamb

Well you might become a vegetarian if you saw this little lamb. Adjacent to West Dean Gardens in Sussex.

West Dean Gardens - again

Just a lovely view with the little stream ( a bourne which is seasonal) flowing alongside and through the garden. The leaves had their lovely green spring colours.

West Dean Gardens - a gravel bed

A few weeks ago I visited West Dean Gardens in Sussex (UK). It was fantastic. Although the spring flowers were finishing it is in a valeey with rolling downland complete weth lambs on one side and an interesting house (which is not open to the public) - used as an education centre / college - on the other. There are acres of gardens and lots of greenhoses in a walled vegetable garden. Here is an interesting plant I saw in the gravel garden. I can't remember what is it.

These attract the bees

These poached egg plants really attract the bees.

I let them self seed around the garden - especially near the vegetable plot so that all those beneficial insects can pollinate my crops. I expect most of them will be finished by the time my beans come up as I only planted them this week. I did put several lots in pots in the greenhouse but they just rotted off - I think it was much too hot earlier in the season.

Still my potatoes are doing well as are the broad beans my daughter helped me sow in a rare gardening moment.

Little orange flower

This is in my greenhouse - what a fantastic colour.
I bought this Million Belles weeks ago to go in the summer hanging baskets and tubs but the weather has been hot then cold then warm then cool. So I kept it inside and look at it now.

New pond - we have water

Green perfection have done their bit - now I have to tidy it up and stock it with wildlife and plants.

I kept some tadpoles in a bucket of old pond water which I shall be putting in soon. We need to wait until all the chlorine has evaporated and the water starts to go green before we put the pump on. A couple of weeks after it was first filled.

I'm eagerly awaiting the chance to get going on the aquatic plants - the garden centres near here have a good selection.

New pond - work in progress

New Pond taking shape may 2007

The new pond - just being dug out. A local company called Green Perfection did the work. I still need to create a rockery around it as it is a bit spartan.

The old pond was damaged by the drought in 2006 - the water level was down really low so the plastic liner cracked. Out area had a droght order so i could not fill it up from the mains and the water butts were not big enough. I used water from the butts to water a few precious plants and the tubs and baskets.

Here is my favourite pet - feed it bamboo

adopt your own virtual pet!

Spring in Madeira - Fushia in Funcal

 

A tree sized fushia - what a lovely colour