Tuesday 26 September 2017

Phlomis 'angustifolia' Toob

Phlomis angustifolia
A very striking Phlomis with the edges of the grey leaves turned up to reveal the white undersides, giving a very smart two-tone effect, especially in winter. The flowers are a clear bright yellow.
This has proved hardy and easy in a sunny well-drained spot.
Phlomis angustifolia
Originally obtained as P.angustifolia, it seems this name is a synonym of P.fruticosa. It's not clear if it's a form of fruticosa or another species but it's a much nicer plant. Nick Macer gave it the varietal name 'Toob' because of the 'toobular' shape of the leaves.
£12

Monday 25 September 2017

Fascicularia bicolor canuliculata

Fascicularia bicolor & Correa Marion's Marvel
I think most keen gardeners now know about this remarkably hardy (to about -12C) Chilean bromeliad. There has been some confusion about the naming - the F.bicolor bicolor apparently has broader shorter leaves and is generally less hardy and easy to flower in the UK. F.bicolor canuliculata forms a mass of long narrow silvery leaves under a wide variety of conditions in most of the UK and flowers regularly. The only thing it definitely needs is excellent drainage. It doesn't mind drying out periodically or being root-bound, and makes an excellent container plant. It will also grow well in the dry shade of an evergreen shrub as long as it gets sun coming in from the south side, especially in winter.
In the wild it tends toward the epiphytic or lithophytic, growing in rock crevices and in the forks of branches so a raised bed is the obvious place for it. If you have a gnarly old tree I'd definitely give it a go there too - wiring the roots in a fork in the trunk, covering them in moss and giving it some water while it gets established. Try it in the crown of an old Cordyline or on the fibrous trunk of a palm.
These plants are substantial divisions of the plant in the photo
1L pots ~ £8



Saturday 12 August 2017

Lobelia siphilitica good blue

Lobelia siphilitica ex Kevin Hughes Blue
Despite the unfortunate name (some old medicinal use I assume?) this is a very worthy perennial from the USA - fully hardy and easily grown in any soil as long as not too dry, and the slugs don't seem interested in it.
Lobelia siphilitica ex Kevin Hughes Blue
These are seedlings from a good blue from Kevin Hughes.
£6



Sunday 4 June 2017

Buddleja nivea yunnanensis

Buddleja nivea yunnanensis
This is an absolutely enormous shrub growing to 10ft very quickly and demanding a big space. The leaves are also very big – up to 20-30cm pale grey above, pure white felted beneath and along the stems.
Buddleja nivea yunnanensis
The flowers resemble davidii but the small purple orange eyed flowers are in hefty clusters up to about 30cms long and set in white fluff. All in all a dramatic and remarkable thing.
Buddleja nivea yunnanensis
The down side is that the new shoots and buds have been severely damaged by late frosts so needs a sheltered situation or a mild garden. Easy and undemanding otherwise
£10



Saturday 27 May 2017

Hemiboea


Hemiboea subcapitata
Hemiboea subcapitata
I was very excited when I first came across this on Ed Bowen’s Opus nursery website. I thought at first it might be some very classy Abelia relative with long white flowers, marked rich red inside over dark green leaves, but it is in fact a member of the gesneriaceae.
Hemiboea subcapitata
Now, one does not expect gesneriads to be hardy easy-going perennials in the UK but this does appear to be the case here. The easiest up until now have probably been Haberlea and Mitraria but this adds to the list and seems if anything, even more adaptable.

Unlike many choice woodlanders it doesn't appear to need cool moist conditions to do well and, as I've discovered, puts up with rather hit-and-miss watering rather well. It spreads and bulks up well and quickly here. I don't know yet how much cold it puts up with but it seems hardy at least in Southern England. It dies back to rosettes in winter.
Still rare outside specialist collections but destined to be very popular I think.
£10




Hemiboea strigosa
Hemiboea strigosa
This pink-flowered species was being sold as subcapitata by a few nurseries but is obviously distinct, both in the flower colour and the thinner texture of the foliage.
Hemiboea strigosa
It seems just as easy to grow and may even be hardier, judging by the fact that the overwintering rosettes have remained evergreen.
£10




Stachys discolor

Stachys discolor
A very beautiful species a bit like officinalis but larger in all parts and with flowers of palest yellow on compact greyish bushes.
Stachys discolor
Hard to explain but this plant has a real refinement compared to many of its coarser relatives and is not even slightly weedy. Easy and adaptable in the border. A real charmer.
1L pots ~ £7




Wednesday 10 May 2017

Heuchera Brownfinch

Heuchera Brownfinch
A change from the endless stream of bedding Heuchera that are so fashionable at the moment – this is very close in appearance to H.cylindrica which is usually available in a form known as Greenfinch. Brownfinch has the same cylindrical flower spikes, but of a rather nice rich red brown, on unusually tall stems. The foliage is attractively silver splashed.
Heuchera Brownfinch
Rare in cultivation, but easily grown in sun or part shade. Keep an eye open for vine weevils, which love Heuchera roots.
1L pots ~ £8



Sunday 7 May 2017

Iris aphylla

Iris aphylla
A medium sized bearded Iris species from Eastern Europe - an excellent species in the garden, forming compact clumps and always making plenty of rich purple flowers on short stems.
Iris aphylla buds
Also has excellent new foliage - a feature in itself.
Dracocephalum austriacum and Iris aphylla
Easy in the open garden in a sunny well-drained spot.
1L pots ~ £8




Saturday 15 April 2017

Kalimeris incisa Edo Murasaki

Kalimeris incisa Edo Murasaki
A rather choice compact aster relative with flowers that remind me of Anemone blanda - with rich violet rays and yellow centres. The foliage is lush and deep green and the whole plant is of modest size without being a blobby dwarf.
Kalimeris incisa Edo Murasaki
Not fussy about soil or aspect as long as extremes are avoided, and flowering through the summer - usually June to autumn, but it started in March this year!
1L pots ~ £8



Monday 20 March 2017

Aesculus californica

Aesculus californica
This is a very large spreading shrub (or low spreading tree) and needs a lot of space - the flowers are fragrant, creamy or rosy white and held in solid ‘candles’. The foliage is neat and attractive and the bark is chalky white (especially good in winter after the leaves fall). 
Aesculus californicus
Given an open sunny well-drained site this will be one of the most magnificent woody plants we can grow. Hardly ever offered and I have no idea why it isn't better known. Young plants grown from conkers collected in California. 
5l pots ~ £21





Sunday 12 March 2017

Sanguisorba applanata


Sanguisorba applanata
Not flowered here yet for some reason but an excellent foliage plant, reminiscent of a low spreading Melianthus or a giant Acaena. The flowers should be white bottle brushes, but are not the main reason for growing this plant. Suitable for any moist fertile soil in sun.
£6



Tuesday 21 February 2017

p&p

I thought it might be good to show potential customers how much trouble I take over packing up your goodies. Some people I know are wary of mail order plants - and I've seen some dreadful examples of packing over the years - small plants rattling around in a big box - compost everywhere, broken stems, buds knocked off, soaked disintegrating boxes. I've had only one real disaster among all the consignments I've sent out and when I got it back it looked like someone had stood on it.



1. Any surface crust, moss, liverwort, weeds or other debris is removed













2. paper is used to hold the compost in place

















3. the paper is taped in position so nothing can rattle loose in transit












4. the pots are enclosed in plastic bags, mainly to stop the box getting wet















5. this is my packing material stash - all recycled. I've never had to buy paper, bubble wrap, bags or boxes














6. packed as tightly as possible in a box














7. these packing balloons are excellent for cutting down on weight. Otherwise I use shredded paper













8. taping it all together


















9. finished off with document pocket and FRAGILE tape














10. packing a taller shrub requires a slightly different method


















11. bubble-wrapped to avoid knocking the buds off. The canes are to brace it against the side of the box so that if the box is turned upside down, the heavy pot won't break the stem













12. like this













13. then packed in with the smaller pots and packing balloons as before
And I don't charge you for any of this!