A Sense of Place

Clematis 'Frances Rivis' I'm going to be in the UK for a week and won't be able to post anything during that time. I thought I'd leave with a nice image on my site, Back on the 1st March.

There has been much written lately about the artificiality of photography of plants on tags and in certain catalogues. The deceitfulness is, of course, unforgivable, but I have to admit I get some pleasure from the over the top liberties that are taken with reality ( whatever that is). If only these little crafty works didn't claim to have a purpose and instead of posing as a form of identification, they could be accepted as examples of Folk Art. This was happening way before Photoshop,in the 1943 book 'The Border in Colour' by T.C. Mansfield, the 80 plates in colour are a super-real and jump of the page in vivid shades in which nature could not have had a hand. The photograph of Inula royleana, for instance, turns this this quietly elegant flower into a vibrant Van Gogh Sunflower.In another plate Astilbe, usually a cool semi-shader has been transformed into a blazing candy-floss. In the example I show here Gentiana, Malvastrum and Potentilla are coloured by the hand of so...

ISBN:13: 978-0-500-51353-8 Many people (I mean Garden People, of course), are fascinated with Garden Personalities. I am amongst those that seek out information about these formidable men and women who have influenced me through their writing about gardens and gardening. However, I sometimes wonder if this just another form of the 'personality cult' that grips contemporary society? But on further examination I feel that the fixation on distinctive personalities is more than that of a mere fan, but is an affectionate respect for a teacher and mentor. They are opinionated and passionate and happy to spread that enthusiasm around; they give us technical information, how to prune Clematis or when to plant Galanthus, but also we learn from them an enlightened attitude towards seeing, creating and the delight in the Art and Craft of gardening, not so much of 'how to', but more the 'why?'.

Salvia greggii 'Cherry Chief' Salvia greggii 'Lowrys Peach' Salvia Boroder at Kew Autumn 2009 Salvia Border at Kew with Salvia leucantha in foreground In the Autumn of 2009 I spent 48 hours in London and took the opportunity to visit Kew Gardens. One of the many things that impressed me was the long border planted with every species of Salvia imaginable, so much so, that I was bound to try and do a similar planting myself. This would have to be on a smaller scale, of course, as I live and garden on a small city lot. In fact, by comparison, much smaller, I was thinking a couple of containers devoted to the family Salvia. Luckily I live within an hours drive of Richters Herbs and set out a few days ago along with friends Gayla( You Grow Gir l), Davin and Johnny to escape the cold and spend a few hours in a warm greenhouse. I headed straight for the Salvia, of course, and made a start at collecting Salvias for the growing season. So far I've found Salvia greggii '...

Outside- Hamamelis x intermedia "Jelena' Inside the Greenhouse- Lavendula Inside the Greenhouse- Oxalis obtusa "Peaches and Cream' Inside the Greenhouse- Erodium pelargoniiflorum Inside the Greenhouse- Cyclamen coum

Outside- Hamamelus x intermedia 'Jelena' Outside-Magnolia stellata In the Greenhouse- Prunus 'Kojo No Mai' In the Greenhouse- Oxalis obtusa 'Peaches and Cream' In the Greenhouse- Clematis x cartmanii "Joe'

I was so encouraged by the reaction to my posting of the Sempervivums that I thought I might show this image of a collection of Orostachys in bloom. It's not difficult to grow, in fact, it needs the same growing conditions as their cousins the Sempervivums. But I have to admit that I've never been able to grow them this well since this picture was taken three years ago. They are susceptible aphids (in the flower buds), and perhaps have to be kept drier than the Semps.