Tag Archives: alliums

Northern Highlights

agapanthus in garden at tatton park

This garden is in tune with our logo.

Despite the weather outlook garden enthusiasts and agapanthus were out in force at the Tatton Park Flower Show this year.  I managed to escape with my shins intact despite a close encounter with a plastic trolley, the likes of which John Grimshaw so fondly writes. Here’s a few highlights from the show.

begonia display at Tatton Park Show

Begonias on display by Blackmore and Langdon.

spectacular dahlias at the tatton park show

Dahlias by Pheasant Acre Plants.

gladioli on display in the floral marquee at Tatton Park

Gladioli display by Devine Nurseries.

Alstroemeria by Philip Tivey & Son.

Cactus land display

Please do not sit on the stand. An impressive display of spikes from Lincolnshire’s Southfield Nurseries.

garden designs ideas for paths and decks at tatton

The path in this garden (lower right hand corner) was made from concrete fence posts.

rspb advisor

The Most Persistent Agent Award for the show goes to Daniel Trotman who put forward a strong case to join the RSPB.   They do not specify a joining fee and only ask that you give what you feel is fair.  No wonder they have over a million members. Learn more on the inspirational RSPB website.

impressive display of range of aliums

Wow,  just look at this display of alliums by Warmenhoven. I had to buy some.

Adorned with Alliums

Allium heads are gathered and used to embellish the box hedges

Apparently this use of allium heads has puzzled lots of the visitors to the flower garden at Arundel. The gardeners pick them and push them into the box hedges instead of leaving them to fall over in the borders.  Visitors often ask them how they get them to grow that way.

Tulip Overload

Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs

Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs

Whoops – done it again –  gone and ordered far more bulbs than reason dictates.  So that’s my work mapped out for the next few weeks – removing the summer plants from pots and preparing them for tulip planting in November.  I will also plant out the narcissi, alliums, iris reticulata and other temptations I succumbed to while perusing the Peter Nyssen catalogue.  Although I’m feeling a bit overdosed right now, I also know that I won’t regret my profligacy come the spring.

Plants at the Hampton Court Show

edulis
I really loved the display by Edulis in the Growing Tastes marquee.  It featured all sorts of unusual edible plants as well as some marvellous pod sculptures.

Milkweed

Milkweed

In the Plant Heritage marquee the display of milkweeds (Asclepias) was eye catching with its evocation of American desert habitat.

http://www.theenduringgardener.com/alliums

Allium

Warmenhoven  can always be relied upon to put on a magnificent display of alliums, but unfortunately I don’t find their website at all user friendly. Downderry Lavenders were, as ever,  downright gorgeous and Avon Bulbs was where I finally cracked and bought some plants – 3 Ornithogalum magnum – the tall white spires in the centre of the picture.

Downderry Lavender

Downderry Lavender

Avon Bulbs

Avon Bulbs

The plant discovery of the show was the fascinating range of Ginkos on the big plant nursery stand.

ginkgo

The Big Plant Nursery.

Other things that caught my Eye Part 2

As ever, Jekka McVicar’s display showed herbs at their very best – and all organic too from www.jekkasherbfarm.com, while in the marquee Foxgrove Plants www.foxgroveplants.co.uk had a luscious display of diascias, penstemons and pennisetum.

Best Gardens

Luscious display of diascias, penstemons and pennisetum | Jekka McVicar’s Herbs

Two plants in particular caught my eye at Hampton Court, a South African grass-like plant with intriguing cream flowers blotched with brown called Dietes bicolour. Apparently it does well in a sunny spot so it should do well in my garden. The other plant was on Warmenhoven’s stand where there was a fine display of alliums amongst which was this flower head that attracted this very busy bee – and me.

Best Gardens

Alliums

I was told that it is a Nectaroscordium meliofilum but I have been able to find no trace of it on their website www.warmenhoven.co.uk or anywhere else on the internet. I will report back if I manage to find out where to buy this lovely bulb.

I’m off to Wales in the morning for relaxation and garden visiting and will be back blogging from my own garden on my return.