Double flowers are generally ‘Gardener bred’ and not naturally available in the wild. Doubles are harder for insects to pollinate and therefore single flowers have survived and evolved more readily. Double flowers were the aim of many Victorian breeders and plantsmen as they sought the awe factor. These blousy double Peonies have this Awe factor [...]

If you like daisy flowers then you will love Anthemis. A couple of varieties, to grow, are shown above and detailed below. Anthemis arvensis is a clump-forming plant with green, ferny foliage, that produces numerous daisy-like flowers with white petals and a bright golden centre. It is a good plant in a naturalised planting or [...]

Have the Pansy and Orchid genes got mix up somewhere in evolution? Not really but a gardener needs some imagination, to say nothing of perseverance, patience…..

August is a good time to trim your hedges and create a neat appearance for autumn and winter. When of Hedge Trimming. When birds have flown their nests you can trim to your hearts content without disturbing the fledglings. Try to prune a wild life hedge only after the fruit have been eaten in late [...]

If you want to pick a bunch of flowers like these next spring first you need to buy and plant your bulbs. The best selection is generally available first. Buying Spring Bulbs From August the bulbs start arriving in the nurseries and Garden centres. I have bought my first selection of miniature Narcissus Little Gem. [...]

Perennials are a huge group of plants that should survive year after year. The majority of perennial plants discussed here are herbaceous in that the leaves and stems die back and new growth restarts from the buried roots in the new year. Choosing Shapes and Colour The delicate blossom of Oriental Poppies, the bristly blue [...]

I have tried to grow several Pelargonium varieties this year and been pleasantly surprised at the various forms and colours I have succeeded in producing. The Grandiflorum is an upright, shrubby perennial with soft smooth stems bearing lobed leaves and large, pinkish-white flowers with dark-purple markings. The plant above I spotted in Chelsea Physic garden [...]

Autumn has a slight air of melancholy as the summer glory fades and a last bright showing of seed and flower takes pride of place in the Japanese garden.