Cercis canadensis 'Eternal Flame' The Chelsea 2021 Show Winner

 

I have watched and really enjoyed all the Chelsea coverage ending with last nights highlights, so I thought it totally appropriate to add one more picture post of the show winning plant. This is Cercis canadensis 'Eternal Flame'. It is such a pretty, hardy tree. A few arrived here on the nursery a few weeks ago and it's been admired and all but one bough very quickly! I was delighted it won. It is so autumnal and appropriate for this years unique show.

The Greenfingers Charity Garden by Kate Gould at Chelsea Flower Show 2019

 

Kate Gould is building her 10th Garden at Chelsea Flower Show

Kate Gould's 2019 Chelsea Flower Show Garden In The Making

A January Day At The Sublime Evenley Wood

We were lucky enough to pop over and see our friends and ramble into the magnificent 60 acre wood on our doorstep at Evenley yesterday and whilst it was very chilly and many of the snowdrops were hanging their heads it was wonderful.

The little snowdrops and aconites scattered under the trees are simply stunning.
Here are a few pictures for now. I shall be back as soon as I can. I believe the camellias and rhododendrons are breathtaking.

Coton Mannor

A sweet little garden in Northamptonshire thats been loved. It has a very homely feel. It is quiet small but it is immaculately kept and dead headed to perfection. You will see some large herbaceous borders in spectactular colour and excellent combinations of perennials. You can also stop for a cup of tea and cake or a light lasagna or quiche in the pretty courtyard tea rooms.

 

A Prarie Garden At East Ruston

We found this part of the East Ruston Garden in Norfolk very close to closing time so I felt  I needed more time to do it justice. It is the most wonderful soft flowing planting and absolutely at its peak late summer.

 

East Ruston The Old Vicarage Garden In North Norfolk

A beautiful garden with echos of many of my favourite great gardens such as  Hicote and Great Dixter but also totally remarkable and exciting with a delightful appeal of its own. This garden is a credit to those who have  brought it to life

An Exotic Garden At East Ruston

This is just one of the gardens within the fabulous 32 acre garden at East Ruston Old Vicarage in North Norfolk I mistakenly called this a Mediterranean garden but its not. Its in the guide books as a Desert Wash and represents Californian planting.

Kiftgate a Garden to Visit

A fantastic garden to visit. Set in the Cotswolds and only a short drive from Buckingham. If you haven't already go and see this garden. It is next door to Hidcote an equally lovely garden. This is Kiftsgate. It’s a garden that has been loved and its a garden with a vast and interesting collection of plants. A lot of thought has gone into the placing of plants and much consideration has been taken over colour.

Broughton Castle Near Banbury - Film Location for Wolf Hall

This Castle is a hidden gem. Its only open a few days a week but throughly worth a visit. Its walled garden is beautiful. The castle was used  as a location for the filming of Wolf Hall the Man Booker prize winning novel by Hilary Mantel, staring Damian Lewis (Homeland actor) as Thomas Cromwell in the 6 part Tudor drama.

The knot garden was featured in the first episode of Wolf Hall. Henry was talking to Thomas Cromwell in the knot garden.

Rousham, A lovely Landscaped Garden To Visit Near Lower Heyford

What a great garden to discover and just on our doorstep. Had a customer not mentioned Rousham I would not have known this garden existed. Google maps

This is not a commercial place so don't expect to find a tea room or shop. You certainly won't fight for a parking space, just pay at the machine and walk round the gardens. Make sure you take a picnic and loose yourself for the day whilst  admiring one of the best landscaped gardens in the county.

Visiting Great Dixter in the Footsteps of the Great Christopher Lloyd #GreatDixter #Christopher Lloyd

 

If you like informality and cottage garden style herbaceous planted to create outstanding contrasts you will love Great Dixter.

Sudeley Castle Another Fantastic Garden to Visit

Steeped in Tudor and Plantagenet history is the delightful Sudeley Castle. Not only is the castle itself full of well documented fascinating stories of old relating to the life of Katherine Parr and earlier our beloved Richard III (Duke of Gloucester) the grounds are full of character and beautifully planted. I could have spent much longer here than my allotted visit.

The Peoples Choice Artisan Garden - Chelsea Flower Show 2014

Togenkyo the Peoples Choice Artisan Garden
A Paradise on Earth-Gold Medal

This garden was undoubtedly exquisite. It had character and charm. It was a little mystical and it invited you to explore. Inspired by a fable and with references to happy memories of gardens recalled by the designers father of Nagasaki. The mix of planting dominated by Acers Palmatum and moss was not unique but it was undoubtedly beautiful. A huge achievement  was the water wheel and the stream with split levels and its perfect flow through the space.

Favourite Chelsea Garden from the Past

 Favourite gardens at Chelsea Flower Show are not necessarily big medal winners. It may sound odd.Often gardens loose show points over minor changes and don't get the place you feel they deserve.
I loved the 4Head Garden of Dreams in 2006. I had no expectations and walked by with the crowd as one does! It was only as I looked back I remember the surprise at seeing the grass was actually a sculpture of a mermaid. I have since visited Heligan in Cornwall and seen some more of this beautiful naturalistic work and not been disappointed

RHS Malvern 2014

Some of the Gardens from RHS Malvern 2014

A Game of Contrasts. This was the best Festival Garden. The celebrated Cloud trees frame the space. These were Hornbeam.  Cloud trees were a huge success at Chelsea only a few years ago.

Malvern Garden Notes 2013 Lets take a look at Last Year

 With Malvern just round the corner it might be nice to remember last year.

The Real Gardeners Shows Have Begun

I was lucky enough to visit the RHS show at Malvern last week at the Three Counties Show Ground and what a joy it was to see such creative gardens. There were crumbling old boat houses, wood cutter retreats, a burial ground and even a house leek dalek! The standard was as high as Chelsea and the planting combinations were excellent. It's a pleasure to be able to enjoy everything without the crush of the London crowds and the with the beautiful backdrop of the Malvern Hills.

Hampton Court Flower Show 2013

A Quick Visit to Hampton Court Flower Show 2013

2013 was my first visit to Hampton Court and I was curious to see what it was all about. It was hot, it was busy and there was lots to take in not just the gardens.  There was a Country Living Magazine marquee, a food tasting marquee, plant marquees, stalls selling everthing you would expect at a country show, lots of shopping going on and at one point in the late afternoon I came across a fashion show and on the catwalk models were parading to uptempo music in garden and picnic wear.

The Palace setting is phenomenal, particularly in the gorgeous weather we have been having. What is great is you can drive there, park, which was easy and walk in through the grounds, but gates don't open until 10am unlike Chelsea  which opens at 8am. Visitors have more access to the gardens than Chelsea which most see as a bonus but it made it almost impossible to photograph the whole the garden canvas without strangers in your photograph.

The Gardens

There are lots of Garden categories. There were some delightful garden show gardens and summer gardens with delicious combinations of summer colour to inspire, some low cost high impact gardens and conceptual gardens that were really quite strange, intended to provoke thought and raise awareness. I can honestly say there was not a conceptual garden I would wish to replicate in my garden. 

Ashes to Ashes

Hidcote Manor Gardens

This is one garden it is imperative everyone should visit and its only an hours trundle through the Cotswolds. The hydrangeas are exquisite at the moment. Here are a few bits of the garden I was able to enjoy. There is lots more to this garden and I shall enjoy going back to spend  time there. It deserves to be admired  in spring, summer, autumn and winter.I was in awe of the hydrangeas. Mid October I imagine it will look completely different as the colours bleed  into autumn.

Winding paths guide you through the garden

Chelsea 2012

Just a little window from my lens into Chelsea 2012 gardens.