A busy week

Argyanthemum 'Jamaica Primrose' is still flowering profusely, despite the generally dingy weather and the frost a month ago.  It is one of the very best plants I grow.

 I've had a rather busy but interesting week, with meetings at Wisley on Monday afternoon and Tuesday (the annual specialist societies and RHS colloquium) and then at the RHS offices at Vincent Square for a meeting of the Gardens Committee. In between we have been active at Colesbourne, continuing the preparations for winter.

My purchases from Kevock Garden Plants.

 On Wednesday evening we had the busiest ever meeting - at least in living memory - of the Oxford & District AGS Group, with almost 50 attendees present to hear Prof. David Rankin of Kevock Garden Plants give a fascinating talk about the plant introductions of George Forrest. Illustrated with pictures of plants both in the wild and in gardens, he discussed the plants Forrest brought in and the ones he missed, or didn't persist, and made ther point very clear that we must do our utmost to keep viable populations of plants going in cultivation whenever possible. It was a great talk and I can recommend him as a speaker. Perhaps what really attracted the crowd, however, was the opportunity to buy plants (and pick up pre-orders) from a very tempting selection he and his wife Stella had brought along from the nursery. 'Feeding frenzy' is a mild description of the activity around the stall.

Another batch of goodies arrived in the post, in the form of a selection of succulents sent by Stephen Anderton. They'll make a nice addition to the display next summer.

 A nice day today has meant it's been possible to get outside and start the auitumn tidying in the garden here, and to enjoy the flowers left on many plants. Now we await the arrival of The Bishop on a pastoral visit, though spirits rather spirituality are more the order of the day.

The curious dwarf Acer platanoides 'Marit' - always a conversation piece.