Summer Archives - Page 2 of 7

Rosa ‘Souvenir du Docteur Jamain’ Climbing

7 June 2019June 11, 2019the3growbagsLeave a comment

There are so many beautiful roses out right now, so how on earth do I choose just one? No rose is perfect, and my favourite today shares certain less attractive traits with many others. Let’s face it, few roses look their best after a downpour and this one is no exception, it really sulks after rain; and then there is the dying process which can be untidy at best or downright unsightly. But in so many other respects, ‘Souvenir du Docteur Jamain’ is a winner. First off, it is one of the best for a north facing wall: its...

Geranium sylvaticum ‘Album’ AGM. White, wood cranesbill

26 May 2019May 26, 2019the3growbagsLeave a comment

There are well over 400 species in the genus geranium, and so when it comes to choosing one for that precious spot in your garden, it pays to do a little research, and above all, be selective. It is oh so easy to be seduced by the one that happens to be in flower as you pass it in your local nursery or garden centre, but a random purchase can be a cause for regret later. It might turn out to be too tall, too floppy, too thuggish, too sparing in its flowers …. The Latin ‘sylvaticum’ means ‘of...

Hylotelephium ‘Red Cauli’ A.G.M.

30 August 2018September 1, 2018the3growbagsLeave a comment

(Previously … Sedum ‘Red Cauli’!) Just to confuse us further, not all sedums are re-named Hylotelephium, just some of them. Seen above with Diascia personata, my star plant this week is the amazing stone crop ‘Red Cauli’: it is one of those plants that just sings at this time of the year. Interestingly neither of these two thrives in a pot – the sedum seems to want to grow sideways out of it, and the Diascia is so brittle that if you pick up the pot, you invariably snap off a lovely long flowering stem! But once planted, I can hardly think of...

Carex testacea – New Zealand hair sedge

17 August 2018August 17, 2018the3growbagsLeave a comment

Like a constant friend who goes way back, so does my plant this week. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember, always there in a pot outside the front door, giving me pleasure each time I pass, and it’s also a terrific foil to other plants. Evergreen and seemingly never having an off-day, it is the warm coppery orange leaves that make this grass so compelling, whose subtle colour-changes through each season prevent it from becoming boring. However, it is at this time of the year when the sun’s evening rays come slanting through the arching...