tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24173817814400638182024-03-14T03:14:59.774+00:00John Grimshaw's Garden DiaryWho would look dangerously up at planets that might look safely down at plants?John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.comBlogger751125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-11721092296794910922017-12-31T19:20:00.001+00:002017-12-31T19:20:42.270+00:00Plant of the Year 2017: Narcissus 'Thalia'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcLKgxsSw5Z6wAJBITygAY8K9T6tyZoJzkgpKVTnQj1DPctBKZWpsfbqCvPZcy_DsOrr0VsxAkNOwijxBnRi4yXDl7cpDEyfhEWj43T-o50wiMVLxXa3IffwXF7YqIq3H88DlTUZD2t0/s1600/Thalia+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1091" data-original-width="787" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcLKgxsSw5Z6wAJBITygAY8K9T6tyZoJzkgpKVTnQj1DPctBKZWpsfbqCvPZcy_DsOrr0VsxAkNOwijxBnRi4yXDl7cpDEyfhEWj43T-o50wiMVLxXa3IffwXF7YqIq3H88DlTUZD2t0/s320/Thalia+4.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Narcissus</i> 'Thalia'</td></tr>
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In selecting plants of the year my usual thought has been to nominate something that gives a long season of interest, but this year I've selected a plant that on one gorgeous April day caught my attention and provided a lovely set of images. Not that <i>Narcissus</i> 'Thalia' is ephemeral - in most years one will have flowers for several weeks in April, though in this year's fine weather they didn't last as long as they can do.<br />
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'Thalia' was raised by the breeder Van Waveren in Holland pror to 1916, so it must be classed as an old daffodil now - and like the early hybrids it retains an elegance and charm that so many lack. Its vigour is seemingly not significantly reduced by the virus load it carries, evident in the streaks and mottlings of yellow or paler green in the foliage and stems, though it would be nice to see what clean stock could do. In the past few years we have planted many thousands of 'Thalia' in the Yorkshire Arboretum, especially on the low eminence known as Bracken Hill. Here a cap of sandy soil sits above the clay, providing ideal conditions for this descendant of <i>Narcissus triandrus</i>, which is planted in the grass below the trees - young oaks and birch especially. No other daffodils grow with them, the impact of the display coming from the serenity of thousands of white flowers, though as they fade <i>Camassia leichtlinii </i>'Caerulea' comes into flower and carries the display into May. The images below were taken there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimprEiozyRoLgZIEZM8jr3EI5GqjEtWAywhILRBwR6kq8vSC5sQbPelROV2NzboZYj8z88pZrtq15ikIi41fnfsFt1QnGwXyLJ_6q7FlX7outBJuj871GP9JimN_6PgSMFLNJuDSDJM44/s1600/Thalia+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="1296" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimprEiozyRoLgZIEZM8jr3EI5GqjEtWAywhILRBwR6kq8vSC5sQbPelROV2NzboZYj8z88pZrtq15ikIi41fnfsFt1QnGwXyLJ_6q7FlX7outBJuj871GP9JimN_6PgSMFLNJuDSDJM44/s400/Thalia+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Narcissus 'Thalia' on Bracken Hill in the Yorkshire Arboretum.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPqSAsw7R5oD4JrDDgar3L98F-yMOkkJdA1usO4E4wKYyXvkpKa07hnv5H2Ocd71ndH5Wgg3EV7hInZ2MEA2z47ieJ6D4_mtzSy_Um86rmkC1H72ZMQVJW-0L9TqJagEPlCYLKRmIhEI/s1600/Thalia2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="1296" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPqSAsw7R5oD4JrDDgar3L98F-yMOkkJdA1usO4E4wKYyXvkpKa07hnv5H2Ocd71ndH5Wgg3EV7hInZ2MEA2z47ieJ6D4_mtzSy_Um86rmkC1H72ZMQVJW-0L9TqJagEPlCYLKRmIhEI/s320/Thalia2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkENeLbawr1eJiJtm4nX3LuNFUwNlaQgChK3OQJaJLorj7UncErhyuMZqs9C85EN0O87uTTPG63QP0DCSzuXIpp7JJw7x7v60TsajDozIiY3XT0S9lRN2F2jgX1XSJFG6tm9q9zTKFE5w/s1600/Thalia5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="1296" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkENeLbawr1eJiJtm4nX3LuNFUwNlaQgChK3OQJaJLorj7UncErhyuMZqs9C85EN0O87uTTPG63QP0DCSzuXIpp7JJw7x7v60TsajDozIiY3XT0S9lRN2F2jgX1XSJFG6tm9q9zTKFE5w/s320/Thalia5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Seeing this display on such a day reminded me of a line from Tolkien describing the passage of the Elves as 'a swift shimmer under the trees, or a light and shadow flowing through the grass.'<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CzH9wAMORJpgXFNndqqfYqXj53AWa66moL8X4VC1XDQ23nQQRJTjLeUc3bUamiQx9dM9tYKaaqQI6m5JiNHooMD7C-r1ddx_4OH1KMO-sqDauHRF7wBwHTMhVR6A48oOcsO6jrIGrBs/s1600/Thalia+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="1296" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CzH9wAMORJpgXFNndqqfYqXj53AWa66moL8X4VC1XDQ23nQQRJTjLeUc3bUamiQx9dM9tYKaaqQI6m5JiNHooMD7C-r1ddx_4OH1KMO-sqDauHRF7wBwHTMhVR6A48oOcsO6jrIGrBs/s320/Thalia+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potted 'Thalia' on the arboretum's cafe terrace.</td></tr>
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Every year I plant some large terracotta pots with 40-50 bulbs each of 'Thalia' stuffed in cheek by jowl in two layers of bulbs. The pots live in a cool, frost-free shed until roots are well-formed and the shoots advancing and are then placed on the arboretum's cafe terrace where they never fail to attract attention. The elegance of the individual flowers is perhaps subsumed in the mass, but the effect is splendid.John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-47177348721448620242017-12-30T18:33:00.000+00:002017-12-30T18:33:31.593+00:00Garden People 2017<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTXkx4J3yzBGRZs552LZoxq9DFR_XYeZUVeSll-X5jyZ88_SUJeOfDJPBqRF7rZUGuNd-Ib7agXkvLc86O1POgd2pA2ADof3WXcY5uDlKpIJH0kyZ_P3XFxEsROkM1p2otVZe1V-XsVg/s1600/Bill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="890" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTXkx4J3yzBGRZs552LZoxq9DFR_XYeZUVeSll-X5jyZ88_SUJeOfDJPBqRF7rZUGuNd-Ib7agXkvLc86O1POgd2pA2ADof3WXcY5uDlKpIJH0kyZ_P3XFxEsROkM1p2otVZe1V-XsVg/s320/Bill.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proud 'parent': Bill Baker with <i>Roscoea purpurea </i>f. <i>rubra </i>BBMS 45, his introduction from Nepal in 1992.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Absorbed: Keith Rushforth leads a discussion on <i>Sorbus</i> and other Rosaceae. Hugh McAllister on right.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jurors: Maurizio Usai confers with other members of a jury panel at Murabilia, Lucca. Rosie Atkins left centre.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden visitors: Sue Gray, Ann Fritchley, David Barnes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author: Bobby Ward, Raleigh, North Carolina</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Director: Mark Weathington, with<i> Lagerstroemia fauriei</i> 'Fantasy' at JC Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Botanist: Kris Fenderson, in the Green Swap Reserve, North Carolina...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...teasing a Venus Fly-trap. Seeing <i>Dionaea</i> in the wild was my botanical highlight of the year.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uber-plantsman: Tony Avent, with new 'urbanite' crevice garden at Juniper Level Botanic Garden, NC</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doyenne: Nancy Goodwin, creator of the garden at Montrose, Hillsborough, NC</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3AyzHgdrgPo5ppkS19ixvdRqZNVBNIOPUkfFJr1dS1DvWaSIPI0ByKYKM8xm0InTy6UJUSuKwklg120JkLCJyNVp9gMs90Y_WdFCZHce1nlJjxLfKmzlxyJ7PbNkt4Pe1APBdHDlOzmc/s1600/Neil.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="1202" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3AyzHgdrgPo5ppkS19ixvdRqZNVBNIOPUkfFJr1dS1DvWaSIPI0ByKYKM8xm0InTy6UJUSuKwklg120JkLCJyNVp9gMs90Y_WdFCZHce1nlJjxLfKmzlxyJ7PbNkt4Pe1APBdHDlOzmc/s320/Neil.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right-hand man: Neil Batty, Operations Manager at the Yorkshire Arboretum, with new Gator</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbJMVakNVre5Flw5RBZ3mka183khncjC52GRN_QK64RovY-MA7P67msYR__b5tHOUHyiX4pvFb5SfEV8PpkZPmztdJpCMgKlXdx7l_eHBS4K138XAIU9elRCYiv2yB78FA7r54oEKGQQ/s1600/JKB+JMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="815" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbJMVakNVre5Flw5RBZ3mka183khncjC52GRN_QK64RovY-MA7P67msYR__b5tHOUHyiX4pvFb5SfEV8PpkZPmztdJpCMgKlXdx7l_eHBS4K138XAIU9elRCYiv2yB78FA7r54oEKGQQ/s320/JKB+JMG.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mentor (and pupil): Ken Burras with JMG, plus <i>Sciadopitys umbellata </i>donated by Ken to the Yorkshire Arboretum </td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-46585861490637573852017-04-11T22:15:00.000+01:002017-04-11T22:15:38.354+01:00Cherry Tree Arboretum<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79zqhXBvePwa5T2bXCHIEOm6jIc_oDjVZj-cZOEU0vrsiZOIG3i_IJ67_lXwYQzaXFFVNLKfRtgfheJ9Hp68PdpVrMT7pqMpsCKf_GM24Yf2fuo3oHw5Jd7LpRzUK0g8S52PbilGLWsM/s1600/Shirazz.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79zqhXBvePwa5T2bXCHIEOm6jIc_oDjVZj-cZOEU0vrsiZOIG3i_IJ67_lXwYQzaXFFVNLKfRtgfheJ9Hp68PdpVrMT7pqMpsCKf_GM24Yf2fuo3oHw5Jd7LpRzUK0g8S52PbilGLWsM/s400/Shirazz.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Magnolia</i> 'Shirazz'</td></tr>
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On Saturday Alastair and I went to Cherry Tree Arboretum on the Shropshire/Cheshire border near Woore. This is the private collection of John and Elizabeth Ravenscroft, former proprietors of Bridgemere Garden World, and has been planted across the 50 acre site over the past twelve years or so. Despite this youth it is one of the most interesting collections of trees in the country, concentrating on good ornamentals, especially <i>Magnolia</i> and other flowering trees in spring, and those with good autumn colour later. The magnolias and cherries stole the show on an exceptionally warm and beautiful spring day, but there was a great deal to see and enjoy beyond these, not least the beauty of the site, with collection blending into the countryside of old hedges and field trees.<br />
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Cherry Tree Arboretum is more than just a retirement hobby, as there is a very active nursery on the site, producing large numbers of beautifully grown young trees. The primary focus is on really good magnolias, but again they produce a wide assortment of unusual trees, most of which are seldom grown by other nurseries. The aim is for the nursery to bear the costs of running the collection and hopefully to be able to do so long term. Sales are wholesale only, though we were recently able to acquire a selection for the Yorkshire Arboretum, and the arboretum isn't open to the public, so we're very grateful to the Ravenscrofts for a chance to see it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAsu8pXspfbsQs5omqOeQ13QZl_dVptI3O2CdNK1eL1wYZ-MkhZbHGNzWpHUHLI_IScMSYbZg6bozn4vH20Jjl_Y_2-WqVZrprmQtF6T-As_ThOHQKGrpQEwXzFm4fUs2yQ7axaWboHI/s1600/Tina+Durio.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAsu8pXspfbsQs5omqOeQ13QZl_dVptI3O2CdNK1eL1wYZ-MkhZbHGNzWpHUHLI_IScMSYbZg6bozn4vH20Jjl_Y_2-WqVZrprmQtF6T-As_ThOHQKGrpQEwXzFm4fUs2yQ7axaWboHI/s400/Tina+Durio.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The upper part of the site has a more gardened feel, with beds of shrubs and trees; here <i>Magnolia</i> 'Tina Durio' is spectacularly paired with a <i>Spiraea</i>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLJxa1PeL8nLeHPkRW0Uq5fHesp5jbGYkDb_od9A9K6tmqhoJB7IclaRRy-eSLJ10LutIr8ME8YuQ-bAA7jAv29thGLzf4AjT4i39eKfzjVt79ywk2jNB5VHdD7MBk4sa1whqXWgkKrQ/s1600/Sir+CL.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLJxa1PeL8nLeHPkRW0Uq5fHesp5jbGYkDb_od9A9K6tmqhoJB7IclaRRy-eSLJ10LutIr8ME8YuQ-bAA7jAv29thGLzf4AjT4i39eKfzjVt79ywk2jNB5VHdD7MBk4sa1whqXWgkKrQ/s320/Sir+CL.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is an interesting collection of rhododendrons and azaleas, like everything else grown in full sun and none the worse for it. This is the old hybrid 'Sir Charles Lemon', supposedly a chance wild hybrid that arose in seed collected by Joseph Hooker in 1849.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1mBy5alpoVu6M_FiVRjqLbAXhWUh8DcB5_3p-c1QVzKYN_lfhoTzuBzyaQ_hH6SdXdbpfMID415hutruAbdsBH3rR5SW1Mx_7Xc5sGEhwUgmVhii7QaMTymDGAc7AJcf7rtA68ElRRA/s1600/ELisa+O.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1mBy5alpoVu6M_FiVRjqLbAXhWUh8DcB5_3p-c1QVzKYN_lfhoTzuBzyaQ_hH6SdXdbpfMID415hutruAbdsBH3rR5SW1Mx_7Xc5sGEhwUgmVhii7QaMTymDGAc7AJcf7rtA68ElRRA/s400/ELisa+O.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magnolia 'Elisa Odenwald' with the arboretum spread out beyond it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZ-8tGP9zW8vOMcRc71wHY00U978xWEJ_oQXC8ny5uBwEMPzuJ_arw0C3CtmVxnKyWgTc1GaiJlLIOBsoS78WSa91o9VfVd_-y5B5IT6qx7m_8qsP7UCZ6HcgKLIpVcyMAo4fKeeBBf4/s1600/Jane+Platt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZ-8tGP9zW8vOMcRc71wHY00U978xWEJ_oQXC8ny5uBwEMPzuJ_arw0C3CtmVxnKyWgTc1GaiJlLIOBsoS78WSa91o9VfVd_-y5B5IT6qx7m_8qsP7UCZ6HcgKLIpVcyMAo4fKeeBBf4/s400/Jane+Platt.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Magnolia stellata</i> 'Jane Platt'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWJGKUIBNQyYXJkzeVvOLye4yzX8p8E-Tj9K3gS7fkO-U03VS2OENqTU8gh10IVNksL4_upVKzJHMiOKIZShc7Sphgu0wP5h4l0MJw_p8nskj7M6_tnhafVywDVYevI4hTw7lXc5rx-c/s1600/golden+pond.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWJGKUIBNQyYXJkzeVvOLye4yzX8p8E-Tj9K3gS7fkO-U03VS2OENqTU8gh10IVNksL4_upVKzJHMiOKIZShc7Sphgu0wP5h4l0MJw_p8nskj7M6_tnhafVywDVYevI4hTw7lXc5rx-c/s400/golden+pond.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The curiously named 'Golden Pond', a lovely soft creamy yellow.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WB1uxtEglXJkfZ_1ibytTWzUHbBGpn-vEVI2XoD_GYHmjY3ldcnM1TXz5a0u62xybyF31F8j0eZhKVXAXU3eCQ8WfDNyDPHV_dHKY14MpFS1LkQGqzOfXd_cCgofZYMERzAMNChUzos/s1600/cta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WB1uxtEglXJkfZ_1ibytTWzUHbBGpn-vEVI2XoD_GYHmjY3ldcnM1TXz5a0u62xybyF31F8j0eZhKVXAXU3eCQ8WfDNyDPHV_dHKY14MpFS1LkQGqzOfXd_cCgofZYMERzAMNChUzos/s400/cta.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The magnolias and cherries were dominant on this occasion, eclipsing all the other great trees grown there.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgMgqP2pP8fS_PoP8TpdPLdb9LvyVsM9cvcaksM8hxV7OPXX9grFaR6SzC7uXlbgjnVUKBE44YUmoueT_DYCz9xKaVBlR7a39XpTfWzMXqbJiZhR2iwPcqMvJiFSpmXqOEL15YSN542c/s1600/tai+haku.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgMgqP2pP8fS_PoP8TpdPLdb9LvyVsM9cvcaksM8hxV7OPXX9grFaR6SzC7uXlbgjnVUKBE44YUmoueT_DYCz9xKaVBlR7a39XpTfWzMXqbJiZhR2iwPcqMvJiFSpmXqOEL15YSN542c/s400/tai+haku.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Prunus </i>'Tai-haku' - well deserves its sobriquet Great White Cherry.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0BwnHSB_akq_SNBtEYZ21aS2aagsIHaQfUpDFts_7CxqWTGFCgsSO61mB51hNXPj1mIMFKtTGgWdnRmr_EgrlbS8GlkoxoRSCP0QvuN2Kd_DQowApbV-uCHcAGPQH2gUO4EM98SESls/s1600/kobuka-zakura.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0BwnHSB_akq_SNBtEYZ21aS2aagsIHaQfUpDFts_7CxqWTGFCgsSO61mB51hNXPj1mIMFKtTGgWdnRmr_EgrlbS8GlkoxoRSCP0QvuN2Kd_DQowApbV-uCHcAGPQH2gUO4EM98SESls/s320/kobuka-zakura.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The curious old cultivar 'Kobuka-zakura'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsXna6Zt4A1GAzUlOzVZe57zpJ94a7cXLF3hJOR5f9yuBeHod9mQXdyaodsNoiufQngtU6Tzvz-r8RTXcidZUdHYpkNlzTrddweUwUGEealnZH01AVAyqlu7PuPOMZXBD2UeB3YBSJJ0/s1600/Shirayakuhime.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsXna6Zt4A1GAzUlOzVZe57zpJ94a7cXLF3hJOR5f9yuBeHod9mQXdyaodsNoiufQngtU6Tzvz-r8RTXcidZUdHYpkNlzTrddweUwUGEealnZH01AVAyqlu7PuPOMZXBD2UeB3YBSJJ0/s400/Shirayakuhime.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and a delightful more recent selection, 'Shirayukahime'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vMtMEeOT3bmjxsnJgAZLyfEABOkMWerZnfJqns5xdLepER3QeM7xl61ZlXEMGau-7pjMjhx4Ds6RPcDB193zNPlaMKAi9YMqExAWrV-x5WnH2ilR86qP0piXGS-hUV68qKcUKS3zHCw/s1600/S+insignis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vMtMEeOT3bmjxsnJgAZLyfEABOkMWerZnfJqns5xdLepER3QeM7xl61ZlXEMGau-7pjMjhx4Ds6RPcDB193zNPlaMKAi9YMqExAWrV-x5WnH2ilR86qP0piXGS-hUV68qKcUKS3zHCw/s400/S+insignis.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bursting buds of <i>Sorbus insignis</i>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwxaUS6zE3V9FcuqVrCjfz3uli-aTaFHF_mU1ESIWwR9-JqkiFTzSP_rxP-CDciNB3nDgW58XUeWjOmNUoQzx2yky4Sw_jpN4et5YEj1YUkgIChyvw6SDgQflRD5bixvsoJrvkhGEj10/s1600/Matthew+Ridley.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwxaUS6zE3V9FcuqVrCjfz3uli-aTaFHF_mU1ESIWwR9-JqkiFTzSP_rxP-CDciNB3nDgW58XUeWjOmNUoQzx2yky4Sw_jpN4et5YEj1YUkgIChyvw6SDgQflRD5bixvsoJrvkhGEj10/s400/Matthew+Ridley.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had not previously encountered <i>Sorbus</i> 'Matthew Ridley', a selection from Blsgdon, Northumberland, of unknown antecedents. The new leaves are very lovely.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURFPZs0hDT75abmlC7LhbbbHxqzq4Cgl5RQx9O9tKTlbAI8scVDHmhBXPr4rVPMFfxAAWVLNdh6PIu74HfIIHGuuAJyE4PoJSv1Va86BMwH-xRq1-DCsawB2aJLtgwnDeexSPJD0NXDE/s1600/ulmus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURFPZs0hDT75abmlC7LhbbbHxqzq4Cgl5RQx9O9tKTlbAI8scVDHmhBXPr4rVPMFfxAAWVLNdh6PIu74HfIIHGuuAJyE4PoJSv1Va86BMwH-xRq1-DCsawB2aJLtgwnDeexSPJD0NXDE/s400/ulmus.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The corky-barked branches of <i>Ulmus minor</i> 'Suberosa' give a slightly sinister outline against the sky.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4atKPm5-aaD1lhTtcsQ9p3RdQDoVkqdgOTilIxJOIGHnJBLzuvNDagVrohiaFeWxvEjsEI41xd7AYwSfHElZX5P2SwutyXBKzvqNsaSkPXpx5TK_c9BhXhITjyPczUm3mfNLBJek6tE/s1600/sibylle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4atKPm5-aaD1lhTtcsQ9p3RdQDoVkqdgOTilIxJOIGHnJBLzuvNDagVrohiaFeWxvEjsEI41xd7AYwSfHElZX5P2SwutyXBKzvqNsaSkPXpx5TK_c9BhXhITjyPczUm3mfNLBJek6tE/s400/sibylle.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Magnolia '</i>Sybille' has immense white flowers - a superb selection from Arboretum Wespelaar.</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-70004646629354628752017-01-06T18:31:00.000+00:002017-01-06T18:31:28.336+00:00Lembris Kephas Mollel 1972-2017<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHJOEuQqBVOltAlj8RQqNEEJeB84lIeu8f-t10OSthEcB5k-mDA19JtCvdrLoRQIUFczBCyvzdh4xv7v_YE4uga0PuNgkpCLq-rFWW19fllYRgOXeTDRZQSiYPmPcKeuGdOA5NC4o8c0/s1600/Lembris+2006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHJOEuQqBVOltAlj8RQqNEEJeB84lIeu8f-t10OSthEcB5k-mDA19JtCvdrLoRQIUFczBCyvzdh4xv7v_YE4uga0PuNgkpCLq-rFWW19fllYRgOXeTDRZQSiYPmPcKeuGdOA5NC4o8c0/s400/Lembris+2006.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lembris Kephas Mollel - a smile to lighten the world</td></tr>
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Lembris Kephas Mollel, who died on Wednesday, was one of my field assistants when I was working on Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, between 1990 and 1994, and was someone I am very happy to be able to have called a friend.<br />
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A member of the Waarusha tribe, Lembris lived all his life in the small dusty village of Lerang'wa on the northwestern corner of Kilimanjaro, occupying a small homestead of traditional round huts and cultivating a few acres of maize and beans when the seasons permitted. When Charles Foley and I arrived to undertake a census of the Kilimanjaro elephants in 1990 he was one of the young men of the village to work for us as a porter on our lengthy transects through the forest, and on my return in 1992 he became one of my field assistants alongside Mtapa Abdallah and Obedi Daniel. In this capacity he helped carry the kit, set out quadrats, make camp and cook - we spent many nights huddled round a campfire together, eating an unappetizing meal of ugali and fried cabbage. He and Mtapa were with me on the occasion we walked unawares into a pride of lions and had to take evasive action into the (fortunately) giant heather trees (<i>Erica excelsa</i>)<i>. </i>On another occasion he was deputed to take my parents for a walk in the forest; they came across some buffalo dung and my mother asked 'Where are buffalo now, Lembris?' He said 'oh, far away' - at which point, inevitably, two buffalo burst from cover and dashed off in the other direction (also fortunately).<br />
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In addition to his help 'outside' Lembris also assisted Obedi in drying and managing my herbarium specimens, even mounting many of them onto cards, some of which are still to be found in the herbarium at Kew, and contributed to my ethnobotanical records of the uses of forest species. It was Lembris and Mtapa who guide me to the only known small stand of bamboo on Kilimanjaro (now <i>Oldeania alpina</i>, which uses the Maasai word for bamboo, <i>oldeani</i>, to form the generic name) and, on my last day of the fieldwork, to the tree that was to give the clue to my thesis. This was a huge <i>Juniperus procera</i>, standing alone in broad-leaved forest; since it requires open bare ground to germinate and establish it was evident that the vegetation in that spot, far from being immutable climax forest, had been bare hillside about three hundred years previously.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiim6KwM27JSF5WcENJlVLiFFFqfqn2i8FKYfAa8xljwQ7YYAAcUj-ZU7m76z6e3Rhj-3Wq787gUz90-_zOxTiQIpzgqXphpsGD0pDnlQQiYK7pw1fhav1vcIvrViJXTSohQZF8c_1YnUI/s1600/Lembris+%2526+Mtapa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiim6KwM27JSF5WcENJlVLiFFFqfqn2i8FKYfAa8xljwQ7YYAAcUj-ZU7m76z6e3Rhj-3Wq787gUz90-_zOxTiQIpzgqXphpsGD0pDnlQQiYK7pw1fhav1vcIvrViJXTSohQZF8c_1YnUI/s400/Lembris+%2526+Mtapa.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lembris (left) and Mtapa at the foot of the solitary <i>Juniperus procera</i>., August 1994</td></tr>
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After I left Tanzania we kept in touch and Lembris became a village game scout, largely trying to keep wild animals away from the crops. On one occasion he called me to let me hear the noise of a herd of elephants in a maize field - I couldn't actually hear it, but it was a lovely thought. Later he became the leader of an anti-poaching team based on West Kilimanjaro, funded by the Big Life Foundation, and head of the tracker dog team deployed to follow up poachers. He achieved a modicum of fame through this, and images and accounts are to be found on various websites.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQWAlyTvMM9yOnDqC2IRjXTjoOeO63vS6hyphenhyphenMb6uyJ2WpMfXHkD1iKP-s03I4HDPdUkJeipQM9ExhqxiSeW9s1BPDeVPbc6DWgaNRe6r_EZWn22rlCSuDV-nNHxK0Cyq2bT7KVv9fVRuE/s1600/Lembris+%2526+dog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQWAlyTvMM9yOnDqC2IRjXTjoOeO63vS6hyphenhyphenMb6uyJ2WpMfXHkD1iKP-s03I4HDPdUkJeipQM9ExhqxiSeW9s1BPDeVPbc6DWgaNRe6r_EZWn22rlCSuDV-nNHxK0Cyq2bT7KVv9fVRuE/s400/Lembris+%2526+dog.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commander Lembris </td></tr>
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Inevitably we did not meet very often, but in 1997 Lembris helped porter for an Alpine Garden Society expedition to Kilimanjaro, and I would see him on the occasions I was able to visit Lerang'wa over the years. In 2009 I was presented with a sheep - as an elder I needed a flock - which was promptly turned over to Lembris's care. She bore a pair of twin lambs, but unfortunately they were all taken by a leopard. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHyZy7cX-WLYxUMgWQ9pjgIUrBAIvjPDahZYUcCVO1AGUb1_VA4gKfJ30o1YKRBv8UmoPPXhTxzsK9MoPdaPKzc7WkybpR17UWrU3ia5juFkT7y1d0KH4oR4DpRrbVzL98ZGxros230U/s1600/Joseph%252C+Lembris+%2526+my+sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHyZy7cX-WLYxUMgWQ9pjgIUrBAIvjPDahZYUcCVO1AGUb1_VA4gKfJ30o1YKRBv8UmoPPXhTxzsK9MoPdaPKzc7WkybpR17UWrU3ia5juFkT7y1d0KH4oR4DpRrbVzL98ZGxros230U/s320/Joseph%252C+Lembris+%2526+my+sheep.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lembris and Lerang'wa village Chairman Joseph with my sheep, 2009.</td></tr>
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In 2014 while on patrol Lembris collapsed and was taken to the Aga Khan Hospital in Arusha, where a brain tumour was diagnosed. He was taken from there to the sister Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, one of the best in East Africa. The operation (funded by Big Life Foundation) to remove the tumour was successful but the damage was done and he never regained his full faculties. 25 years ago communicating with Lerang'wa was difficult and slow, but the sad news came by Facebook message the same day he died, and many Tanzanians have posted their tributes to him on friends' pages. He leaves his wife Anna, and their children Eliudi, Shedrack, Naomi, Meshak, Abednego, Elirha and Elia, to whom I send my deep sympathies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheU52yEVa0bFWwJAp9QhMhEbHgmtlqAjw3Yz-3GOg1u_LeU9ksF61jtYeaXQCTvE6E9n5tqFWvkp7zSZ09mDCxmckS3f4XL2K68gClOboc2sL06dxvBpMv3kgr_rolRglOJBQgPSnoa0U/s1600/Mrs+Lembris+%2526+Elisha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheU52yEVa0bFWwJAp9QhMhEbHgmtlqAjw3Yz-3GOg1u_LeU9ksF61jtYeaXQCTvE6E9n5tqFWvkp7zSZ09mDCxmckS3f4XL2K68gClOboc2sL06dxvBpMv3kgr_rolRglOJBQgPSnoa0U/s320/Mrs+Lembris+%2526+Elisha.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna and Elia</td></tr>
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A deeply religious man, and self-styled <i>Mtoto wa Jesu</i>, I can think of no better words to commemorate him with than the Epitaph from Gray's <i>Elegy</i>, though many other lines also apply:<br />
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth</em> </div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown. </em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fair Science frown'd not on his humble birth, </em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And Melancholy mark'd him for her own. </em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere, </em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Heav'n did a recompense as largely send: </em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He gave to Mis'ry all he had, a tear, </em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He gain'd from Heav'n ('twas all he wish'd) a friend. </em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">No farther seek his merits to disclose, </em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Or draw his frailties from their dread abode, </em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(There they alike in trembling hope repose) </em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The bosom of his Father and his God. </em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Kwa heri, Rafiki</em></div>
John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com122tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-78176393293357852722016-12-31T19:47:00.002+00:002016-12-31T19:47:48.694+00:00Plant of the Year 2016: Ampelodesmos mauritanicus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUF71qWJlymn35eJz1tJOxOMLvt6_adBpAQnYhSgF5Q0P2L7LiLSqlf3lnyz08Q6J0cdj5HX3a9hLpS80fQOsuPqtgT92mDnVcVFqC3brmnqa602LGh8ix1FEX2TUOWqqTdN2ChJ2JaE/s1600/Amp+June+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUF71qWJlymn35eJz1tJOxOMLvt6_adBpAQnYhSgF5Q0P2L7LiLSqlf3lnyz08Q6J0cdj5HX3a9hLpS80fQOsuPqtgT92mDnVcVFqC3brmnqa602LGh8ix1FEX2TUOWqqTdN2ChJ2JaE/s400/Amp+June+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The arching inflorescences of <i>Ampelodesmos mauritanicus</i> developing in June.</td></tr>
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In the course of the year many plants have their season of excellence, coming up to prominence, doing their thing and retreating. Some have a longer season and catch the eye for longer; for none has this been more true this year than my clump of <i>Ampelodesmos mauritanicus</i>. I've known this grass for a while, and admired it in other gardens, but hadn't grown it myself. In 2014 I acquired a small plant, which has grown steadily into a significant tuft of dark green, pampas-like leaves - though only about 90 cm long they are just as sharp. Last year it produced one inflorescence but this year a whole sheath of them appeared in June. They flowered in July and since then have waved in the background on stems at least 1.8 m long, arching over plants and the path, giving a beautiful leitmotif to the garden for the past six months.<br />
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The modern country of Mauritania seems a long way from North Yorkshire, but in classical times Mauritania referred to the western portion of the Maghreb, in present day Morocco. The grass is found there and in southern Europe and presumably there is some variation in hardiness. Books say it is not entirely hardy in northern Britain, so we shall see how it fares long term (the past two winters having been very mild), but this year it has been a star.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmu_CZOLLSsSiFe0IIVet9zKwQF8b_NFXvTxCDkIg9jyy3KC_l-oZ9EFTioGdiLVcT91rrZmBoNmzwS8iNfrLiMQBM5oO_mPFZdyijHmZSHmc4Y3-nuQ57F7rRrXWA70qRo801g6vRhvI/s1600/Amp+July.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmu_CZOLLSsSiFe0IIVet9zKwQF8b_NFXvTxCDkIg9jyy3KC_l-oZ9EFTioGdiLVcT91rrZmBoNmzwS8iNfrLiMQBM5oO_mPFZdyijHmZSHmc4Y3-nuQ57F7rRrXWA70qRo801g6vRhvI/s320/Amp+July.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flowers opened in mid-July.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flowering heads took their place among the summer profusion of flowers, here in July. The tuft of dark green leaves is just visible.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fDmJZGJzl5YkL_ke0_oo19WPz3pRPDL22smQQ1yy0MkrquIWfD5zn4IyUZwzvnPftzL4WLuF-Cp3ziPKq7qAfpDFFrJi2MWdrXh0193m2x8siSJ3jCu1udmE1KgWoPhSJNznnFad3zU/s1600/aMP+AUG+EVE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fDmJZGJzl5YkL_ke0_oo19WPz3pRPDL22smQQ1yy0MkrquIWfD5zn4IyUZwzvnPftzL4WLuF-Cp3ziPKq7qAfpDFFrJi2MWdrXh0193m2x8siSJ3jCu1udmE1KgWoPhSJNznnFad3zU/s400/aMP+AUG+EVE.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catching the light on a late August evening</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDe8HwkQ9ABoN8IB-PZIMzQSV84HhHYXt2EbGkTnA1d35yq59fGZYczpa_z3Lv73-YD5eqOFlPOqXINF8CDbJdLtzWU6WqFgWeqgRthAJQZvJ77hUuGYzSpBnLb8YlVOeIvFngRqomOmU/s1600/aMP+NOV.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDe8HwkQ9ABoN8IB-PZIMzQSV84HhHYXt2EbGkTnA1d35yq59fGZYczpa_z3Lv73-YD5eqOFlPOqXINF8CDbJdLtzWU6WqFgWeqgRthAJQZvJ77hUuGYzSpBnLb8YlVOeIvFngRqomOmU/s320/aMP+NOV.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">- and on a frosty morning in November.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vEE2-pnHhn4teL3voDXeK_Z3PNonxs5GgcueoWfyav0olAVydAfDnmqmNgvrMxOEZaYuKNvwEo3wdsKkP27N020ly-fmW1NI8eQ0b5H_uQ2ZTjPRd_ZhMd-R3pHwBSFcngtSsKCeCcs/s1600/aMP+dEC.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vEE2-pnHhn4teL3voDXeK_Z3PNonxs5GgcueoWfyav0olAVydAfDnmqmNgvrMxOEZaYuKNvwEo3wdsKkP27N020ly-fmW1NI8eQ0b5H_uQ2ZTjPRd_ZhMd-R3pHwBSFcngtSsKCeCcs/s400/aMP+dEC.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still firmly arching and framing the border this week.</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-51440335214838330712016-12-30T18:33:00.003+00:002016-12-30T18:33:48.111+00:00Garden People 2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Z9pwMEzjrvCGog1WfanMD0dMvGO8i1T6x6RSC2BD8cET5z505GV-5bZhh7kXYcLrKez2bpQ1h496-RjodGP2AFXooBLXIINyTDP91v8J4MKVmy0Bv8QkmiAUuriVCMOiFwUz4znWrgU/s1600/GP16+Mary+S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Z9pwMEzjrvCGog1WfanMD0dMvGO8i1T6x6RSC2BD8cET5z505GV-5bZhh7kXYcLrKez2bpQ1h496-RjodGP2AFXooBLXIINyTDP91v8J4MKVmy0Bv8QkmiAUuriVCMOiFwUz4znWrgU/s400/GP16+Mary+S.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volunteer: Mary Sykes helps collect Rhododendron blooms for the Harlow Carr show.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgM5CXUrAKPtYnUlyzhYgYt1WwuMbt0H9d9tWwLoDotCp95pOWFmRG3_zMIPSTbbPbrWlW9xI-y2boAGuygqbo__JDUYOklHyXmoVjKXLhYR-bfn-y3QCLcfhfR-AC8Vv26xKxUq8z8A/s1600/GP16+Nicola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgM5CXUrAKPtYnUlyzhYgYt1WwuMbt0H9d9tWwLoDotCp95pOWFmRG3_zMIPSTbbPbrWlW9xI-y2boAGuygqbo__JDUYOklHyXmoVjKXLhYR-bfn-y3QCLcfhfR-AC8Vv26xKxUq8z8A/s320/GP16+Nicola.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plant Records Officer: Nicola Hall receives new labels from Kew, after a very long wait.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dO4-Xm6_wdkNkHHdG959W-mGuLErAjBrrdEZkQmNLB6OcAXDDkUXeb-0Oe12MpnWdklGR5fEMGXcJZw38_v6-2iOMdXHgtvbSqVOLLAG6j1MCsw6Q5iGN8UCK3duxi9pGQA5tByhuZk/s1600/GP16+Tree+planters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dO4-Xm6_wdkNkHHdG959W-mGuLErAjBrrdEZkQmNLB6OcAXDDkUXeb-0Oe12MpnWdklGR5fEMGXcJZw38_v6-2iOMdXHgtvbSqVOLLAG6j1MCsw6Q5iGN8UCK3duxi9pGQA5tByhuZk/s400/GP16+Tree+planters.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree planters: Will Hinchliffe, Tom Christian, Jamie Single from Airpots, David Knott, at RBG Edinburgh with <i>Nothofagus alessandrii.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqF7wKrP-LyzagR2Ow4OVHtLgLjf2jEeARf8g9-6cLNh5OqiI2DDtmZ0r-qAxSz932Xv2ySynTsO0SJ32IZS5cvwt2OU84ZgWQFZ-uneT7Sl4XeRuo7f4SVMchpSlJh8SS1i5fLOgEds/s1600/GP16+irish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqF7wKrP-LyzagR2Ow4OVHtLgLjf2jEeARf8g9-6cLNh5OqiI2DDtmZ0r-qAxSz932Xv2ySynTsO0SJ32IZS5cvwt2OU84ZgWQFZ-uneT7Sl4XeRuo7f4SVMchpSlJh8SS1i5fLOgEds/s320/GP16+irish.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish head gardeners: Alex Slazenger (Powerscourt), Neil Porteous (Mount Stewart).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgD4DWjF0TNz1InvlMpRdbKNJVvQCkkF-NFG5YMgC-BxapndRK_6fSqyqorZzNh3MHOMkpvK6pvUaCB0ANvuL2zSxmZ-NdntKs1tJxaZq9nBKigOtVGlJH3-DxO18GzeS5YYlXiuIXDM8/s1600/GP16+Hugh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgD4DWjF0TNz1InvlMpRdbKNJVvQCkkF-NFG5YMgC-BxapndRK_6fSqyqorZzNh3MHOMkpvK6pvUaCB0ANvuL2zSxmZ-NdntKs1tJxaZq9nBKigOtVGlJH3-DxO18GzeS5YYlXiuIXDM8/s320/GP16+Hugh.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Botanist: Hugh McAllister, with <i>Sorbus hughmcallisteri</i>, at Ness Botanic Gardens.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgctmRyiNAr6ods1MtBPcsqgmcf4MoYR5vfPBYgyf3RsL-UiWcz1jfkfenV1eAIJWnVi9fojEXJtvi94BCeMDuM597kLxjG59ttdM7LzthLPj19RgXHDwsCnGK8p0dM50S9zUVrNSZ4og/s1600/GP18+hortihorts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgctmRyiNAr6ods1MtBPcsqgmcf4MoYR5vfPBYgyf3RsL-UiWcz1jfkfenV1eAIJWnVi9fojEXJtvi94BCeMDuM597kLxjG59ttdM7LzthLPj19RgXHDwsCnGK8p0dM50S9zUVrNSZ4og/s400/GP18+hortihorts.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hortihorts; Alastair, Darran, Nick, Matteo, (unknown), Jon, Joseph, at Great Dixter Plant Fair</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvwDDUEJlmlkJbjc4R8HzoK5G4oSrbc8plnztgRPNM6SnJOKT6RA49U9Hp6AxHJSYgxKfz7jycxbIdAxeIuUyRCIieeKz3ekdkRQPXpNUM-EZ7wq_YCnasIWiGjicHMCRw5e3I0UCu-A/s1600/GP16+students.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvwDDUEJlmlkJbjc4R8HzoK5G4oSrbc8plnztgRPNM6SnJOKT6RA49U9Hp6AxHJSYgxKfz7jycxbIdAxeIuUyRCIieeKz3ekdkRQPXpNUM-EZ7wq_YCnasIWiGjicHMCRw5e3I0UCu-A/s320/GP16+students.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students: Jack, Igor, Emily, with <i>Pinus stylesii</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoa2pz5Z2ZAj1MG_OM9Wq_AWz72Are0vvv79rcfn45q2TGwEKsB4uUWhOkvoffu68s5KBToSb809ukGzj2WBUEoY2srfUMImye8CmGAh_Hd0xmrWrOfp66rpAtYcv-hal5LgSR4ffIgA/s1600/GP16+visitors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoa2pz5Z2ZAj1MG_OM9Wq_AWz72Are0vvv79rcfn45q2TGwEKsB4uUWhOkvoffu68s5KBToSb809ukGzj2WBUEoY2srfUMImye8CmGAh_Hd0xmrWrOfp66rpAtYcv-hal5LgSR4ffIgA/s400/GP16+visitors.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden visitors: my open day, 18th September</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Zitny6AXxikZ7VXyiRXFXnLrUFp_RQ2Zd02JCOh0oD6ug81qUJoOW624wEwNoInVyh2p2BoSvJa641OAG9HMBsVJOgpEPqaPEzHVYqQLzDhmvdrRX6hkLmJ7pHa23qAFLHXkdWXlZ8s/s1600/GP16+AG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Zitny6AXxikZ7VXyiRXFXnLrUFp_RQ2Zd02JCOh0oD6ug81qUJoOW624wEwNoInVyh2p2BoSvJa641OAG9HMBsVJOgpEPqaPEzHVYqQLzDhmvdrRX6hkLmJ7pHa23qAFLHXkdWXlZ8s/s320/GP16+AG.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Significant other: Alastair Gunn at Dove Cottage Nursery</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-29967094140332306452016-06-15T22:39:00.004+01:002016-06-15T22:39:53.883+01:00Garden open on Sunday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View across the gravel beds.</td></tr>
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On Sunday 19 June my garden at Kirkhill Farm, Settrington, will be open from 2-6 pm, as part of the Yorkshire Arboretum's open garden's scheme. Sixteen gardens are taking part, and there are several more to come over the next few months - see the <a href="http://www.yorkshirearboretum.org/blog/2016/5/2/open-gardens-for-the-yorkshire-arboretum">programme on our website</a> for full details of them all. So far I've been to them all - and now it's my turn! Despite the misgivings expressed in <em>The Garden</em> about the June gap the garden is looking well enough, I think, although a rabbit did get in for a while, and there is currently a mole...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_3Tr8KMG-yGIY0lXJfMg_Opm-Yr6RaqL7JovzHZAwMb-FSJaVupx40tH7J9-dajDjZvaBLe7n9G-2fo1Fr7FgqlMIuijSO-6s8zwbOkS9E-6OfkBPGC7El395ysR3L2Bw1tIgpNzaLU/s1600/garden+Iris.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_3Tr8KMG-yGIY0lXJfMg_Opm-Yr6RaqL7JovzHZAwMb-FSJaVupx40tH7J9-dajDjZvaBLe7n9G-2fo1Fr7FgqlMIuijSO-6s8zwbOkS9E-6OfkBPGC7El395ysR3L2Bw1tIgpNzaLU/s400/garden+Iris.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm glad that my <em>Iris sibirica</em> "Tall Blue" seedling is in flower for the occasion.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFARm75-3dpX94gePGuzn1Rd34PN2K4TRC4OCNrosYf2rYIXVemqukz8XFBMGcteeV31yE9nwz5cmBjAXAMud9GiKNfJoXOGcKvuXTwyiJvKTx68GvkNTWf0PriuIDW_jCPmmvsA734o/s1600/Garden+WP.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFARm75-3dpX94gePGuzn1Rd34PN2K4TRC4OCNrosYf2rYIXVemqukz8XFBMGcteeV31yE9nwz5cmBjAXAMud9GiKNfJoXOGcKvuXTwyiJvKTx68GvkNTWf0PriuIDW_jCPmmvsA734o/s400/Garden+WP.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seed of my white poppies and quite an assortment of good plants will be for sale.</td></tr>
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The garden will also be open on 7 August and 18 September.John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-47185014163210306992016-06-05T23:54:00.000+01:002016-06-05T23:54:07.341+01:00A weekend of orchid-hunting<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iJCSCS6kDI84YKVnrjXhsG7XqVrPtnoPuByZJdIv8yFK2mqsiE0DOfMbH7zQ1IzOLzw_sM3OXUq0_aDIfzGGNgkCb3ZwdHxk27T8FIcTzP2P4kwwQkkSP0AljJNSVteJHLAejajhlkI/s1600/Cypripedium+calceolus+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iJCSCS6kDI84YKVnrjXhsG7XqVrPtnoPuByZJdIv8yFK2mqsiE0DOfMbH7zQ1IzOLzw_sM3OXUq0_aDIfzGGNgkCb3ZwdHxk27T8FIcTzP2P4kwwQkkSP0AljJNSVteJHLAejajhlkI/s400/Cypripedium+calceolus+1.JPG" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have wanted to see a wild Lady's-slipper Orchid in this country for over 40 years - but how wild are these?</td></tr>
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After a week of cold greyness a fine weekend was to be made the most of, and I've spent much of it looking for orchids. Yesterday I visited a site on magnesian limestone just north of Pickering, and today I've been across to Gait Barrows National Nature Reserve near Silverdale in Lancashire, returning via Kilnsey Park in Wharfedale. Here are some of the orchids seen: 13 species, including those not in flower yet, plus three hybrids.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHEtVmgmrDbWWApdBjIcATmNIaoy-h9BRsoXhF3PhOZMOQiQ1KC-vBMfesdGYG3Yt9ExMc6vcq99MaZuo12wkHjn9Cl95STCiReAevubbg4qU7i0jLx0C4qeUi6JTQ-JjlUlqnJjFRfs/s1600/Orchis+mascula.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHEtVmgmrDbWWApdBjIcATmNIaoy-h9BRsoXhF3PhOZMOQiQ1KC-vBMfesdGYG3Yt9ExMc6vcq99MaZuo12wkHjn9Cl95STCiReAevubbg4qU7i0jLx0C4qeUi6JTQ-JjlUlqnJjFRfs/s400/Orchis+mascula.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Purple Orchids (<em>Orchis mascula</em>) have done well this year, and the Pickering site had some of the longest 'long purples' I've ever seen. It was also abundant at Kilnsey Park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nop5YoUbs9fFwtT8pRjNW1G4Z0IWzXK-hyjXNN8uZLgvAm2lnWqGFEdVbdrkwWohgd7qngOz63RCH0RSF0t-qEOucPa7L5xgDStasFFisJs0uBnE49UXFk5jWCpDt2H9njOc1EZPMxs/s1600/Neotinea+ustulata.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nop5YoUbs9fFwtT8pRjNW1G4Z0IWzXK-hyjXNN8uZLgvAm2lnWqGFEdVbdrkwWohgd7qngOz63RCH0RSF0t-qEOucPa7L5xgDStasFFisJs0uBnE49UXFk5jWCpDt2H9njOc1EZPMxs/s400/Neotinea+ustulata.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This site is known for its tiny population of <em>Neotinea ustulata</em>, the Burnt-tip Orchid, which is tiny in stature too. I had not seen this species before, so it was a good start to the weekend. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PGFoQEm2RgAJ6YwdW2NV9k0_9vn9Po8xULQqk-tHbouSWu-T19Jyyq4OckwR8bLJKWNTD13CfNSPR7KYq94zDDTLdffLIiqnYkfNGUOPWgW-08kM2efq9Eiq12NEqcoZO00YP6oKs1Y/s1600/Neotinea+ustulata+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PGFoQEm2RgAJ6YwdW2NV9k0_9vn9Po8xULQqk-tHbouSWu-T19Jyyq4OckwR8bLJKWNTD13CfNSPR7KYq94zDDTLdffLIiqnYkfNGUOPWgW-08kM2efq9Eiq12NEqcoZO00YP6oKs1Y/s400/Neotinea+ustulata+2.JPG" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just three plants were visible, in the shortest turf on a site that is being undergrazed and in quite a parlous condition. The colour of the sepals was noticeably different in these two.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPutt2c0DnoE80uWXzOnoucYXh3D-I9hzKyBUfn3zDRe67kT1qlNDvU9H2EFp-DNOMsMgS1TXwxaqfQLTR59NS1a_yS8Oe3Ue8AeaD_qESjgMLZCy8K1PRVx2LL0fIL1RYrN1h5r8dJ9o/s1600/Ophrys+insectifera.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPutt2c0DnoE80uWXzOnoucYXh3D-I9hzKyBUfn3zDRe67kT1qlNDvU9H2EFp-DNOMsMgS1TXwxaqfQLTR59NS1a_yS8Oe3Ue8AeaD_qESjgMLZCy8K1PRVx2LL0fIL1RYrN1h5r8dJ9o/s400/Ophrys+insectifera.JPG" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also growing in short turf in the open were a good number of Fly Orchids, <em>Ophrys insectifera</em>, always a nice plant to see. In addition Common Twayblade, <em>Neottia ovata</em>, Common Spotted Orchid and a butterfly orchid (<em>Platanthera</em> sp., indistinguishable in bud) were still in bud.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKG-A4IdXhjCJRI22PS7txjJdmLdlLS5UxmWFV13W0H4UBXz2WZk8rx0YDsHWqUht1dK4lUE2gLIf-uOt_6q8EKZwObSNe0114TgVW8_m80u29hTvywoAlO3m61o1apT6V7tXsfG2PhI/s1600/Cypripedium+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKG-A4IdXhjCJRI22PS7txjJdmLdlLS5UxmWFV13W0H4UBXz2WZk8rx0YDsHWqUht1dK4lUE2gLIf-uOt_6q8EKZwObSNe0114TgVW8_m80u29hTvywoAlO3m61o1apT6V7tXsfG2PhI/s400/Cypripedium+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The highlight of the weekend was seeing the reintroduced Lady's-slippers, <em>Cypripedium calceolus</em>, at Gait Barrows. A visiting area has a number of clumps ranging from this stunner to eaten-off stumps, in areas demarcated by tape to reduce damage. They are the progeny of native parents, grown at Kew under the auspices of the Sainsbury Orchid Project, as part of the effort to re-establish this almost mythical plant back into the wild in suitable (often former) localities.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOcJ3a_XvDVXi2woYL5_nHEuxVbjA1B18BbAqUslAmyWKEMELN4zZaxVapNBzTzurtLLWezRV8W1TapCJZDOvZgTqluZbMHragfqwibgjhdO9vKpkyhikJQuJY6V2grdumMZACaWJ5Rs/s1600/Cypripedium+calceolus+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOcJ3a_XvDVXi2woYL5_nHEuxVbjA1B18BbAqUslAmyWKEMELN4zZaxVapNBzTzurtLLWezRV8W1TapCJZDOvZgTqluZbMHragfqwibgjhdO9vKpkyhikJQuJY6V2grdumMZACaWJ5Rs/s400/Cypripedium+calceolus+2.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every bit as gorgeous as expected!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm31hBaRuU6GoKeDz6S1NYrY2wuOU7kkY0LkXVHWusihJMEVwywLqtLAuJKU_1Wf_lbw2-8bxLTETtXF52QVxpyMlNqSrAU54eIylyMAdTFdHd5nVNvOCFJwQwinpHwebZZJMo1d7fOIo/s1600/Cypripedium+theft.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm31hBaRuU6GoKeDz6S1NYrY2wuOU7kkY0LkXVHWusihJMEVwywLqtLAuJKU_1Wf_lbw2-8bxLTETtXF52QVxpyMlNqSrAU54eIylyMAdTFdHd5nVNvOCFJwQwinpHwebZZJMo1d7fOIo/s400/Cypripedium+theft.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadly thefts still occur, although nursery-grown stock is now freely available. The Gait Barrows site is amply publicised and signed, within an easy walk of the car park, so very accessible. The plants are still being gardened though, with each shoot trained through a presumably slug-repelling copper tube. Slug pellets are also visible near each plant. Success of the project will presumably be when self-sown youngsters are discovered away from the parents.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiErdd2UR8HZrgHeYQlRgZAVY_4fLdf5bGavX0fm3SXyrBJnaJnjunXrQAzSzuUDsWO5BEnUdDF6qPFcj7xtzf3bbvt0F7Xg7yiY9-FHTnMkuw4cj0CANUIBsm4-m9rKS4PYBEDtqbsQw/s1600/Epipactis+atrorubens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiErdd2UR8HZrgHeYQlRgZAVY_4fLdf5bGavX0fm3SXyrBJnaJnjunXrQAzSzuUDsWO5BEnUdDF6qPFcj7xtzf3bbvt0F7Xg7yiY9-FHTnMkuw4cj0CANUIBsm4-m9rKS4PYBEDtqbsQw/s400/Epipactis+atrorubens.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The limestone pavement of Gait Barrows is a well-0known site for Dark-red Helleborine,<em> Epipactis atrorubens </em>It was too early for it to be in flower, but good to see this clump. Broad-leaved Helleborine,<em> E. helleborine</em>, was also present in the woodland. Marsh Helleborine, <em>E. palustris</em>, was growing in the flush at Kilnsey, but is also weeks off flowering.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnBXtOLnhHwoY73APxtgIHAh1CMOMHJsu6KIX87Cr7HAtGOwy9e1F4HImWjERW9EOd4MtKdIhcOhyphenhyphen5EiOTnC0moF3-3EpL5NeI-elRuJtOLUmhFJHBhtZhbV12SN-Iz0x89dVknUhpPo/s1600/Dactylorhiza+fuchsii.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnBXtOLnhHwoY73APxtgIHAh1CMOMHJsu6KIX87Cr7HAtGOwy9e1F4HImWjERW9EOd4MtKdIhcOhyphenhyphen5EiOTnC0moF3-3EpL5NeI-elRuJtOLUmhFJHBhtZhbV12SN-Iz0x89dVknUhpPo/s400/Dactylorhiza+fuchsii.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the hay meadows Common Spotted Orchid, <em>Dactylorhiza fuchsii</em>, was just starting. Yhis is a small one, but very typical.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCONuOtgtin7V3xvKiErKJtJiYJ5va3RYdUA4ssRAqtBIQZNl58lrrqwvEeC2dGoscj2Snp0mOde5V2_pDwHUQp1wKvBZ7O3tU242zpwCFIVOGohSfy9HFe4Z7xXemXVA8bGkyuB3AwoY/s1600/Dactylorhiza+purpurella.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCONuOtgtin7V3xvKiErKJtJiYJ5va3RYdUA4ssRAqtBIQZNl58lrrqwvEeC2dGoscj2Snp0mOde5V2_pDwHUQp1wKvBZ7O3tU242zpwCFIVOGohSfy9HFe4Z7xXemXVA8bGkyuB3AwoY/s400/Dactylorhiza+purpurella.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Marsh Orchids, <em>Dactylorhiza purpurella</em>, with broad lips and unmarked leaves, were also present.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWvo5uLhwWXVYB3pUEkrGH8QI0gdNPADCSCR-G_47zZo831yE1HSa_V15GzljodX69ePbYoc9WMzgVWIhxYDWOft7B2MmEIvdTH3CNWeGKymdqUb9pVZp9mQuMlebb5_55mf8G_mnJ1I/s1600/Dactylorhiza+x+venusta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWvo5uLhwWXVYB3pUEkrGH8QI0gdNPADCSCR-G_47zZo831yE1HSa_V15GzljodX69ePbYoc9WMzgVWIhxYDWOft7B2MmEIvdTH3CNWeGKymdqUb9pVZp9mQuMlebb5_55mf8G_mnJ1I/s400/Dactylorhiza+x+venusta.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In consequence there are hybrids... <span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">D.
× venusta</span>, intermediate in flower colour and faintly spotted on the leaves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rJ9gMyIOt8hNidNFDrrnegvnlW99AlJPNiv1nUr10E6psOF1cQ-8XKv4_NXM3_XC_SU9mVJWKygZYJTb-HczLXq1Dgxo0I1T0Ex1xtfrlhSV6S3pmKfTwNbaGfRn7tbVLWhzB_kun9A/s1600/Dactylorhiza+traunsteinerioides.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rJ9gMyIOt8hNidNFDrrnegvnlW99AlJPNiv1nUr10E6psOF1cQ-8XKv4_NXM3_XC_SU9mVJWKygZYJTb-HczLXq1Dgxo0I1T0Ex1xtfrlhSV6S3pmKfTwNbaGfRn7tbVLWhzB_kun9A/s400/Dactylorhiza+traunsteinerioides.JPG" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moving on to Kilnsey Park, behind the trout farm is a wonderful flush, full of good plants including Primula farinosa and Pinguicula vulgaris, but also lots of orchids including the Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchid, <em>Dactylorhiza traunsteinerioides</em>. This is typically rich purple (this one is exceptionally dark) with three rounded lobes on the lip and spotting on the leaves - but dactylorhizas often don't follow the books. Another new species for me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97u6TkuuTLazlvJ7dKoR9ZZbPLY0xJv1nixAf_AhGJLd1HNLoGvK1kGpWC1YapSWNRBsiPdcrGFGCsTgImHOCZm6c5y6evFpGtLys12MX8nxRpIklL07u-pCCtPSdwqL1dA4tumfvxlo/s1600/Dactylorhiza+traunsteinerioides+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97u6TkuuTLazlvJ7dKoR9ZZbPLY0xJv1nixAf_AhGJLd1HNLoGvK1kGpWC1YapSWNRBsiPdcrGFGCsTgImHOCZm6c5y6evFpGtLys12MX8nxRpIklL07u-pCCtPSdwqL1dA4tumfvxlo/s320/Dactylorhiza+traunsteinerioides+2.JPG" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another specimen, showing the long spotted leaves expected in this taxon.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAdM4CHPp9uaFhTpH9RhRdNVI3kb4bgjygs5wQb6ict4xVG_Gx9wpLuDQcK1z8wL4Ant8Fi5rpOMP35mXtc-N3xCWRaNiZfrwMhZvKL8qQ0Jtq77q8qSeAbeZgqVYW32VGsq3rN0e4XM/s1600/Dactylorhiza+incarnata.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAdM4CHPp9uaFhTpH9RhRdNVI3kb4bgjygs5wQb6ict4xVG_Gx9wpLuDQcK1z8wL4Ant8Fi5rpOMP35mXtc-N3xCWRaNiZfrwMhZvKL8qQ0Jtq77q8qSeAbeZgqVYW32VGsq3rN0e4XM/s400/Dactylorhiza+incarnata.JPG" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many diminutive specimens of Early Marsh Orchid, <em>Dactylorhiza incarnata</em> subsp. <em>incarnata</em>, were present too. The looped markings on the simple lip and unmarked leaves, as well as the flower colour, make it easily recognisable.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrEQfPoy-sZXDs3YuRB3cOAbo7ioZHlEZgvkWueXoglKeoldw5LhxeWI_TJHDRFh2UBmOeNc1HTkJXE3leD4eoX3qKam4WlP7meNveHp-lQLgnqpvqHiNvf65vqdAxg6yAhZP-OmxVsk/s1600/Dactylorhiza+incarnata+x+traunsteinerioides.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrEQfPoy-sZXDs3YuRB3cOAbo7ioZHlEZgvkWueXoglKeoldw5LhxeWI_TJHDRFh2UBmOeNc1HTkJXE3leD4eoX3qKam4WlP7meNveHp-lQLgnqpvqHiNvf65vqdAxg6yAhZP-OmxVsk/s400/Dactylorhiza+incarnata+x+traunsteinerioides.JPG" width="328" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A putative <em>D. incarnata</em> x <em>D. traunsteinerioides</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIG-MhOHVo_fGpCD6PEJ2zZy3S4Eq5Q9iYdTfT0MHaciLBsehat1wfDKWXAqPaHC6QPX-U9h89h2vvNc1e9KiSy8hh0GGQWcXxE5opV6q2c1M6HdXdFxf0kWn8qD40p1LPyHrkYgP9BE/s1600/Dactylorhiza+x+kerneriorum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIG-MhOHVo_fGpCD6PEJ2zZy3S4Eq5Q9iYdTfT0MHaciLBsehat1wfDKWXAqPaHC6QPX-U9h89h2vvNc1e9KiSy8hh0GGQWcXxE5opV6q2c1M6HdXdFxf0kWn8qD40p1LPyHrkYgP9BE/s400/Dactylorhiza+x+kerneriorum.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A perfect intermediate between <em>D. fuchsii</em> and <em>D. incarnata</em>, <br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>D</em>. × <em>kerneriorum.<o:p></o:p></em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpx03Ppgh7jv2viI0epfCUqf0yV9uxWNkqYbYT1veimqHn8eFtNmuS7xaDKzBLiog-9hyjRw7aJIH1m0GgvLSQ0A5rRMbrLTrWqcE-OgBKQew_7EF_BCfCxgMSxKCToiMWHrycOFCZu0/s1600/Dactylorhiza+praetermissa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpx03Ppgh7jv2viI0epfCUqf0yV9uxWNkqYbYT1veimqHn8eFtNmuS7xaDKzBLiog-9hyjRw7aJIH1m0GgvLSQ0A5rRMbrLTrWqcE-OgBKQew_7EF_BCfCxgMSxKCToiMWHrycOFCZu0/s400/Dactylorhiza+praetermissa.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And to finish the weekend, Southern Marsh Orchid, <em>D.</em> <em>praetermissa</em>, most handsome of them all, at home in the Yorkshire Arboretum.</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-45924822456475253532016-05-08T22:28:00.002+01:002016-05-08T22:28:54.705+01:00Summer dresses in new bloom<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Psh5jfvyuzc2muHQmlmlDZu5utAxaQ_iBF481_9PlJcnHdzsBfVWrgbHm2Em8HNXAmWE4fLetXABtvxWR9qmBp3q7Sx6UKLIKK0To8Zd05yIed4LI_9ZLPB2ON4ILlYjhbXB5vxrpAc/s1600/YA+dandelions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Psh5jfvyuzc2muHQmlmlDZu5utAxaQ_iBF481_9PlJcnHdzsBfVWrgbHm2Em8HNXAmWE4fLetXABtvxWR9qmBp3q7Sx6UKLIKK0To8Zd05yIed4LI_9ZLPB2ON4ILlYjhbXB5vxrpAc/s400/YA+dandelions.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The glory of the moment is a magnificent display of dandelions.</td></tr>
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This morning I had the rare opportunity to walk around the Yorkshire Arboretum alone, and on a glorious summer-warm day. The change over the past few days, from chilly April to warm May is remarkable, and very welcome. Here are a few pics taken on the iPad.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pear Glade with the Cruck house dressed as for a wedding.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluebells have been sown in and are steadily expanding their area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice tuft of Wood Sorrel, <em>Oxalis acetosella</em>, in a fork of a cherry.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view along the 'back ride', where the trees have quickly come into leaf.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqnL35Fl_Pi4dGIVKLlrLGBsLUH1g5QbKgHwuJxkdqZ0qiGXVFplpRUxxGTw0pxHhJwtvU38uB4dqcxP-a93VCIKs4RXpjBjO5ueKjlo-mFCOoIZHz2PEk3VhIFo8brU3jCNAE-nT0X0/s1600/YA+varieg+beech.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqnL35Fl_Pi4dGIVKLlrLGBsLUH1g5QbKgHwuJxkdqZ0qiGXVFplpRUxxGTw0pxHhJwtvU38uB4dqcxP-a93VCIKs4RXpjBjO5ueKjlo-mFCOoIZHz2PEk3VhIFo8brU3jCNAE-nT0X0/s320/YA+varieg+beech.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bright foliage of <em>Fagus sylvatica</em> 'Albovariegata'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgscCbIZvrwf9vupqgr9yefth96oJgZxcL5Kk97XMdjV5Yt_6VWysyU9M5p01fxTCEhHHQtrXzIpG87dUJhcdqJhzd8qGhGG8Lr45xEyevowTVk299VCKVNcvvq6XVhy-RfPilYKPUNXY/s1600/YA+Rh+pseudoc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgscCbIZvrwf9vupqgr9yefth96oJgZxcL5Kk97XMdjV5Yt_6VWysyU9M5p01fxTCEhHHQtrXzIpG87dUJhcdqJhzd8qGhGG8Lr45xEyevowTVk299VCKVNcvvq6XVhy-RfPilYKPUNXY/s400/YA+Rh+pseudoc.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum</em> is at its very pretty peak.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTqeMpizF7RLQ1Yql-kAB9_nbjjWLH5e7h-fSXpP6PS9FoOa3ZnxGKlumvLXCtNqjD6K1NY6gj-kfFC0yPavNXEYPAj-cknAeJ5w3__IKHT094iFbLStjYvbn3gpVvS1HwfMhyphenhyphenjoWovY/s1600/YA+cherry+%2526+cedar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTqeMpizF7RLQ1Yql-kAB9_nbjjWLH5e7h-fSXpP6PS9FoOa3ZnxGKlumvLXCtNqjD6K1NY6gj-kfFC0yPavNXEYPAj-cknAeJ5w3__IKHT094iFbLStjYvbn3gpVvS1HwfMhyphenhyphenjoWovY/s400/YA+cherry+%2526+cedar.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cloud of white flowers on a wild-origin <em>Prunus yamasakura</em> from Japan with <em>Cedrus deodara</em> behind.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6le0G-0Uf_T2NxOSs5AxTTiJOIYbIR-zALetmG2WRC2W9fR9_iL7TeaC9CNHla2aaQhG2tmPLqufH2f2vnV83taOxWPKA3XkgP-Td9RGs6RY0_VpA-nl3VM6EzfvyCcy1kjuD6Yt24Tc/s1600/YA+prunus+jamasakura+white.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6le0G-0Uf_T2NxOSs5AxTTiJOIYbIR-zALetmG2WRC2W9fR9_iL7TeaC9CNHla2aaQhG2tmPLqufH2f2vnV83taOxWPKA3XkgP-Td9RGs6RY0_VpA-nl3VM6EzfvyCcy1kjuD6Yt24Tc/s320/YA+prunus+jamasakura+white.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White flowers and bronzed leaves on <em>Prunus jamasakura</em>.</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-90080902818533489872016-04-13T23:36:00.000+01:002016-04-20T22:05:09.383+01:00Ian Butterfield's Pleione nursery<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYAyCWkcNFNMkM4srwxWOF0X99iCCH0Sce7io620c3zBlB8r9RmNGIsDfXAT58_kahqqV7Oz2Vw7wTnQ8phrteLi1xzma74cNnJRz5DkqjYyGplJkLgrDhZcbVMegO7w5SuvzuAWp1Oo/s1600/Pleione+Michael+Butterfield+%2527Condor%2527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYAyCWkcNFNMkM4srwxWOF0X99iCCH0Sce7io620c3zBlB8r9RmNGIsDfXAT58_kahqqV7Oz2Vw7wTnQ8phrteLi1xzma74cNnJRz5DkqjYyGplJkLgrDhZcbVMegO7w5SuvzuAWp1Oo/s400/Pleione+Michael+Butterfield+%2527Condor%2527.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Pleione </em>Michael Butterfield gx 'Condor' - the most eye-catching plant in the place, noticeable as one walks through the door.</td></tr>
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As I've written previously in this diary I first grew <em>Pleione</em> in the 1980s, and fell in love with these easy, almost hardy orchids from the Sino-Himalaya. At that time only a few species were in cultivation and hybridisation was in its infancy, and the vast majority had flowers in shades of pink or white, varying to darker magenta, though a few, of great rarity, had yellow flowers. At this time I made the acquaintance of Ian Butterfield, a nurseryman principally (then) growing dahlias in the village of Bourne End not far from my home in Maidenhead. But he had developed an interest in these orchids and was already the leading grower and breeder of <em>Pleione </em>in the UK, collaborating with Phillip Cribb of Kew in studying them. From him I acquired a number of clones and had a moderately good collection, but this was decimated in the early '90s by a then new pest, the mite <em>Brevipalpus,</em> and for some years the interest lapsed. While at Colesbourne I acquired a few again, buying some most years from Ian on his stand at the Malvern Flower Show.<br />
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I hadn't visited the nursery for probably twenty years until the opportunity to do so presented itself on Monday. What a revelation! Although I was aware of the progress in breeding work in the genus I was not prepared for the spectacle that awaited - a tapestry of vibrant colours from white to crimson, and cream to deep orange - the result of thirty years' worth of dedicated effort by Ian and a few other breeders. The traditional pinks are still there, and very lovely they are, but they're eclipsed by the new colours.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5Yget6Bqq7mCP1qIMFh7YMz8aR9aM0x6EVCVqorxm89MmI_4_jB5-95F-u9ocbL5b5xPX8WHdNR1OJyJ3nOfqIohC2J_Sz_WbJit0C-QKSU9_TKfqfJNcz_4gQpj6CpMw2siM-PRuhY/s1600/pleione+Butterfield.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5Yget6Bqq7mCP1qIMFh7YMz8aR9aM0x6EVCVqorxm89MmI_4_jB5-95F-u9ocbL5b5xPX8WHdNR1OJyJ3nOfqIohC2J_Sz_WbJit0C-QKSU9_TKfqfJNcz_4gQpj6CpMw2siM-PRuhY/s400/pleione+Butterfield.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The breathtaking display in Ian Butterfield's glasshouse.</td></tr>
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Orchid breeding is a funny business, at least nomenclaturally. All the offspring from any cross between two parents belong to a 'grex' (Latin for group) which can be given a name that is written in normal script without inverted commas followed (officially) by the letters gx. It's not ideal, as seedlings may be totally dissimilar in appearance, but it means that everything can be named. Within the grex individually fine seedlings can be selected and named as cultivars. The first artificial Pleione cross, made in the 1960s, was <em>P. formosana</em> <span style="font-family: "calibri";">× <span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><em>P. limprichtii</em> and was called Versailles gx, from which the clone 'Bucklebury' was selected. When any clone of Versailles is crossed to any clone of <em>P. formosana</em> the offspring are Alishan gx: Alishan crossed with Soufriere gx (Versailles × <em>P</em>. × <em>confusa</em> (a wild hybrid)) gives Mazama gx - all very confusing and requiring an exceptional memory, but ultimately tracing the ancestry. Ian Butterfield has named most of his new grexes after volcanoes (and some family members) and selected cultivars bear birds' names; another breeder, Paul Cumbleton, uses primate names for his grexes. For details of parentage of any hybrid orchid names the ultimate reference is the <a href="http://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticulturaldatabase/orchidregister/orchidresults.asp">International Orchid Register</a>, maintained by the RHS.</span></span><br />
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My hour and a bit at Ian's nursery, under his patient guidance and expert commentary, was a pure delight - the finest candy store any kid could be dropped into, and I shan't miss a visit again next year. Plants are for sale - a pic of my acquisitions finishes this post - and Ian sells dormant pseudobulbs in winter, but he is no longer attending shows. He is not online, but a pdf of his 2015-16 catalogue is available <a href="http://www.heritageorchids.co.uk/61_links.htm">here</a> for anyone wanting to see the options available. A new catalogue will be available later in the year - and I can't wait to put an order in!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span> </span> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvczOjyOSJPAJ5q6gLte12qPLbjTVONQjtijO62AWdjY82k5AmLzovT17gToBP7eyfwbKVwOZ-1wLfnlL2iFk6Lb90c0Euwft26FKaRpOmAJ5okYLxzKji-zAB8XezDlw5SO1hrfQ6jfA/s1600/Pleione+chunii.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvczOjyOSJPAJ5q6gLte12qPLbjTVONQjtijO62AWdjY82k5AmLzovT17gToBP7eyfwbKVwOZ-1wLfnlL2iFk6Lb90c0Euwft26FKaRpOmAJ5okYLxzKji-zAB8XezDlw5SO1hrfQ6jfA/s320/Pleione+chunii.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pale form of <em>Pleione chunii</em>, a very beautiful Chinese species.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnCF5MTi_uJ4sKBl3W5TTvYCFiaY_0hvWff6p5SNUW9Ww9ZbGg4E5wzRnW_xMLCIprXFJlk8k-yHeplyxb0db2LnqeDaF01zw0MSxflxo0r78aGXl7ZrLyYTFaGO8jSoFnaE0o4cNarc/s1600/Pleione+Alishan+Mother%2527s+Day.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnCF5MTi_uJ4sKBl3W5TTvYCFiaY_0hvWff6p5SNUW9Ww9ZbGg4E5wzRnW_xMLCIprXFJlk8k-yHeplyxb0db2LnqeDaF01zw0MSxflxo0r78aGXl7ZrLyYTFaGO8jSoFnaE0o4cNarc/s400/Pleione+Alishan+Mother%2527s+Day.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A particularly good clone of one of the earliest hybrids, <em>P</em>. Alishan gx 'Mother's Day' - a classic pale pink <em>Pleione</em> .</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfI9PTNkONsyW9y2Wxw8eBozXi3UMDQkrjvkMIOAAPnyFpxvMOb6dSnLBGwn-nw65HeAWi9hYNKjuHLcYFHKLW4t4ntWPFSJxALKPHaVKwuzyK6LqC2xSY5s09guWxx4MuRBLCgaBNpbU/s1600/Pleione+Santorini+Golden+Wagtail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfI9PTNkONsyW9y2Wxw8eBozXi3UMDQkrjvkMIOAAPnyFpxvMOb6dSnLBGwn-nw65HeAWi9hYNKjuHLcYFHKLW4t4ntWPFSJxALKPHaVKwuzyK6LqC2xSY5s09guWxx4MuRBLCgaBNpbU/s400/Pleione+Santorini+Golden+Wagtail.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Pleione</em> Santorini gx 'Yellow Wagtail' is a hybrid of the rare Nepalese species <em>P. coronaria</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmT18U1zTw2AifAe1OCfookluZ51G-ebX23G0lpBYsVymIbXjpXpfrDrnKKBWeWppECDw8gzeXFbj-DudDgNGdJsnYOktKzQ9rahRrVDA55XcbckaQjwpUV8EppNsorSBZ9yVEjuLAYk/s1600/Pleione+Leda+Palm++Thrush.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmT18U1zTw2AifAe1OCfookluZ51G-ebX23G0lpBYsVymIbXjpXpfrDrnKKBWeWppECDw8gzeXFbj-DudDgNGdJsnYOktKzQ9rahRrVDA55XcbckaQjwpUV8EppNsorSBZ9yVEjuLAYk/s320/Pleione+Leda+Palm++Thrush.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Pleione</em> Leda gx 'Palm Thrush'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV1J_rUj_TmsGsyweunyBIJBHpydPKtys_UXx_4M4ZzN9qr6whkDVSFERGBO-OcO3eDd7fuZKrKH3MYRRjxWmHt8lrP6R6WHveR0S_IXRNkMAL7j-HFEGGiXjkgYStGoF46cCagjm72w/s1600/PLeione+Krafta+Kimi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV1J_rUj_TmsGsyweunyBIJBHpydPKtys_UXx_4M4ZzN9qr6whkDVSFERGBO-OcO3eDd7fuZKrKH3MYRRjxWmHt8lrP6R6WHveR0S_IXRNkMAL7j-HFEGGiXjkgYStGoF46cCagjm72w/s400/PLeione+Krafta+Kimi.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderful rich orange colour in <em>Pleione </em>Suswa gx 'Golden Eagle', which has a habit of producing bifurcated lips - as in the centre flower.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXihgRqbPVK0P-q98I89fGqGToLDuXL7wZzusoV9j5G0vrRRmmJ-GXd7u76yv9B_LCSFm29j3hop7PZ4z9Tbj0SAjdztireTcip9rcSlBi3m7mKpXf7y84pi0F_02ZZ79aH6XjNeDZF0/s1600/Pleione+Edgecombe+Bat+Hawk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXihgRqbPVK0P-q98I89fGqGToLDuXL7wZzusoV9j5G0vrRRmmJ-GXd7u76yv9B_LCSFm29j3hop7PZ4z9Tbj0SAjdztireTcip9rcSlBi3m7mKpXf7y84pi0F_02ZZ79aH6XjNeDZF0/s320/Pleione+Edgecombe+Bat+Hawk.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Pleione</em> Edgecombe gx 'Bat Hawk' - a peachy rarity.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MyWxIOleO1YeEanHHDQ18ohH-H-6DXMd5JtnshUd2GCM3nit7le4tfPlq3kXrWiE44tJzCtlajz2pbIuAHiDmkbJ7jG6cTPOUOTKqUoQ09StSVFyAwhnQ_r9gq4bNxECBFLAZJ4imTY/s1600/Pleione+Turkana.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MyWxIOleO1YeEanHHDQ18ohH-H-6DXMd5JtnshUd2GCM3nit7le4tfPlq3kXrWiE44tJzCtlajz2pbIuAHiDmkbJ7jG6cTPOUOTKqUoQ09StSVFyAwhnQ_r9gq4bNxECBFLAZJ4imTY/s400/Pleione+Turkana.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seedlings from the same cross (Turkana gx) showing superb poise and robustness; the yellow one has excellent colour but a somewhat imperfect flower (this season at least).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsCq2PW0NiP-Rl2GXlaTRwUkV2hlzK5gKsc8o90oXX8Wx47YXe3HzvksSzliGjTio4hSlU758xdl3vWB2e6w5rw7ylnLcUuNu6Zq9vW0y86uziCHOZmI8aYsZjlGI_68MosV7IZF0ibI/s1600/Pleione+JMG+selection.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsCq2PW0NiP-Rl2GXlaTRwUkV2hlzK5gKsc8o90oXX8Wx47YXe3HzvksSzliGjTio4hSlU758xdl3vWB2e6w5rw7ylnLcUuNu6Zq9vW0y86uziCHOZmI8aYsZjlGI_68MosV7IZF0ibI/s400/Pleione+JMG+selection.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picked from the candy store - my purchases, glowing under a lamp; at back Piton gx, top left Alishan gx 'Mother's Day'; Orizaba gx 'Fish Eagle', <em>P. formosana</em> 'Snow White', Mageik gx 'Black Kite', El Pico gx 'Pheasant', front left Kenya gx 'Bald Eagle', Michael Butterfield gx.</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-41635369803425121302016-03-06T21:33:00.000+00:002016-03-06T21:41:13.840+00:00Harry Dewey, 1921-2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_U0xxOybeeZpMlWqRJpCoZjIOQL3FFlqeXfknoKmaJgcs9xRcPwVrqeG9Q79SBrJcbGL5tDDV22vaPHE4muJQE36HFw-_PfHcliKv1q6NmW-UuJZDvLqTVFvMpkSnEP7W9u7oauUJ3A/s1600/Harry+Dewey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_U0xxOybeeZpMlWqRJpCoZjIOQL3FFlqeXfknoKmaJgcs9xRcPwVrqeG9Q79SBrJcbGL5tDDV22vaPHE4muJQE36HFw-_PfHcliKv1q6NmW-UuJZDvLqTVFvMpkSnEP7W9u7oauUJ3A/s400/Harry+Dewey.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harry Dewey, June 2006</td></tr>
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A brief <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?pid=177837443">notice</a> in the <em>Washington Post</em> has announced the death of Harry Dewey on 17 February. A native of South Carolina, his career was as a librarian in universities and colleges in the Washington DC area, where he lived in Beltsville. He was interested in alpines and was a member of the Potomac Valley Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society (NARGS), within which he was mildly active. He was early to perceive the power of the internet for communication, and in 1995 he founded the online rock garden society Alpine-L, based on the Listserv system.<br />
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Alpine-L was, I believe, the first online plant group, the precursor of today's thriving online community of plantspeople who now use Facebook groups, or for example, the <a href="http://www.srgc.net/forum/">Scottish Rock Garden Club's forum</a>. It functioned entirely by emails being multiplied to its members - there was no journal and no (formal) meetings ever occurred, but it brought together enthusiasts from across the world and a flourishing and friendly group soon developed. It flourished, and was friendly largely due to benign but firm moderation by Harry, whose admonitions under the pseudonym Miss Emaily Post were generally promptly acted upon. I joined in late 1995, and the diversion of the correspondence certainly helped me get through the completion of my thesis. Through it I made contact with many people in American horticulture and enabled me to build strong connections there, notably with Bobby Ward, the horticultural author and current Executive Secretary of NARGS, who consulted on my first book <em>The Gardener's Atlas</em>, and remains a great friend. Another was Nina Lambert, from Ithaca, NY, with whom I exchanged plants in those less restrictive days, reusing a padded envelope for numerous missives across the Atlantic. Her orange celandine,<em> Ficaria verna</em> Aurantiaca Group, was much admired by garden visitors today.<br />
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I met Harry in Washington DC in 2006, and his first comment was 'the bloom has faded', but we had a lovely evening at the home of fellow rock gardener Sasha Borkovec, in humorous good company. I've never forgotten Sasha's wall built of newspapers, a remarkably long-lasting and effective construction.In December 2007 Harry had a severe stroke and faded from view, just as Alpine-L has faded as other platforms have become available. It still functions, just, hosted by the University of Utrecht Botanic Garden. Traffic is almost non-existent, but the <a href="http://mailman.science.uu.nl/pipermail/alpine-l/">archive of past posts</a> is maintained, a mine of information, if only one had time to delve into it.John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-9261824675062400082016-02-28T21:53:00.001+00:002016-02-28T21:53:07.097+00:00The first Slovenian Snowdrop Festival<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjWSxl7kZGQzlnDjhZgLGPcZjz8E8i6aE6Pw3I4zAxoNGzpoWDu54baGUCt6EY5Pfh25fIQ_CxrHYEN2NEVbnsietNU6v0cOS6rgLhpgTGK4tjyVeOO6CpZpoR0wd8atTXKGhZNPdOZc/s1600/pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjWSxl7kZGQzlnDjhZgLGPcZjz8E8i6aE6Pw3I4zAxoNGzpoWDu54baGUCt6EY5Pfh25fIQ_CxrHYEN2NEVbnsietNU6v0cOS6rgLhpgTGK4tjyVeOO6CpZpoR0wd8atTXKGhZNPdOZc/s400/pic.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joint second prize in the school snowdrop art competition.</td></tr>
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I've spent the weekend in Slovenia, as a guest of the Ljubljana University Botanic Garden, which is hosting the first Slovenian Snowdrop Festival. This has taken the form of a series of guided tours, talks, demonstrations and an art competition. Snowdrops are much appreciated in Slovenia, occurring widely across the country as wild plants, and commonly in gardens. There is an old tradition of picking bunches for the home or for sale in the markets, so they have considerable cultural resonance in the country. The press had also recognised this, and the festival was featured by several television and radio shows over the weekend, even featuring on the main national news. It was fascinating to see how much interest there was in snowdrops, and it was an honour to be involved with the first of what everyone hopes will become an annual event. Many thanks to all the kind people who made my visit so pleasant.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujfIg1EDWc9mqcRSp3SydKlHoiQHGcnZkOqfksCWFQGyiTPUPDbOg1ABVWcL8TBDEl3Ufmq8OFJcL2iZhvFusbbPmD_7xprSQdd0IPnnoXqwbsvIR78E6ynP1eiJM41FEskq5fg0Q-NY/s1600/Bavcon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujfIg1EDWc9mqcRSp3SydKlHoiQHGcnZkOqfksCWFQGyiTPUPDbOg1ABVWcL8TBDEl3Ufmq8OFJcL2iZhvFusbbPmD_7xprSQdd0IPnnoXqwbsvIR78E6ynP1eiJM41FEskq5fg0Q-NY/s400/Bavcon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr <span lang="SL">Jože Bavcon, <span style="font-family: inherit;">Director of the</span></span></span><span lang="SL"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Ljubljana University Botanic Garden, and pre-eminent Slovenian galanthophile with three books on snowdrops to his credit, explaining the fine points of some of his selections.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbOfG1mAbCkRr73qHRh-n5-IrzUzA7Anyq2lZ6hyphenhyphenx89sgNzZ_leoen_KNFkhyphenhyphenAl0LdyCg06FU_S8f59lkKP03VVi2mRc9vj6kigbmzS2FHBrmWQQRqdiKYd76RwfJiZENIc0sif2jwoc/s1600/art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbOfG1mAbCkRr73qHRh-n5-IrzUzA7Anyq2lZ6hyphenhyphenx89sgNzZ_leoen_KNFkhyphenhyphenAl0LdyCg06FU_S8f59lkKP03VVi2mRc9vj6kigbmzS2FHBrmWQQRqdiKYd76RwfJiZENIc0sif2jwoc/s320/art.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School children from across Slovenia contributed artworks featuring snowdrops - <i>zvoncki</i> - to the competition and the diversity and quality of interpretation was outstanding. What was extremely interesting was that it was clear that there was a distinction between those children who knew <i>zvoncki </i>to be<i> Galanthus</i>, and those who understood it to mean <i>Leucojum vernum</i>. Botanic garden staff could even correlate this to their own knowledge of regions with or without one of the genera.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOALchd03DTBF05MwtmVSDvSH9uWfy_m3Ho8vRSq317iEmaAaYQYF8eZCk9_IJr1dpscsrFRLPMRlTji3z3V1KTB1sCUzP5wLO3VY4AkZnY-q2mQuwNL3fgevvo5C76WkiXnVo-KJrwxY/s1600/lace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOALchd03DTBF05MwtmVSDvSH9uWfy_m3Ho8vRSq317iEmaAaYQYF8eZCk9_IJr1dpscsrFRLPMRlTji3z3V1KTB1sCUzP5wLO3VY4AkZnY-q2mQuwNL3fgevvo5C76WkiXnVo-KJrwxY/s320/lace.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Friday there was a demonstration of lace-making - a strong local tradition, and a number of ladies produced some beautiful lace snowdrops.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSn2It7Q7M8ShEZEibKftiX1b6cUOjH-l5dLz7SiH4da8KAo5NBZqC60QwbZNjazhKcNm4a63LAUCHv91r_f-oAwSmOuAr-uhSmbv5Hb_IpdYLmSRaukBefi-urM2AXpV8y6Vo0QDLhG4/s1600/frame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSn2It7Q7M8ShEZEibKftiX1b6cUOjH-l5dLz7SiH4da8KAo5NBZqC60QwbZNjazhKcNm4a63LAUCHv91r_f-oAwSmOuAr-uhSmbv5Hb_IpdYLmSRaukBefi-urM2AXpV8y6Vo0QDLhG4/s400/frame.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="SL" style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Jože Bavcon has been studying the wild snowdrops of Slovenia for many years, and has an extensive collection in the cold frames, with some extremely attractive and interesting selections.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieRnYWzvaydFh3WcEcLDiDZlhhLzc9NEN7XmlIRwCAmPCqx4iylkNmXks7TRo-N5W4ccgiAhOH9Xqll4YIrYoWzlFfrsvcNF9LYGeJFeS3yH6bkP_4Bx5oPUlvQgd2TIA9kvcQgCNmGo/s1600/tetra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieRnYWzvaydFh3WcEcLDiDZlhhLzc9NEN7XmlIRwCAmPCqx4iylkNmXks7TRo-N5W4ccgiAhOH9Xqll4YIrYoWzlFfrsvcNF9LYGeJFeS3yH6bkP_4Bx5oPUlvQgd2TIA9kvcQgCNmGo/s320/tetra.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large-flowered clone of <i>Galanthus nivalis.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1u6e9n67WVsqu2Yztij4PLafkftv4Bk-SQKbDGSf_HMkFRLm3X2lUUAidWiZL1PV8a37z2kS8uNI1Yqp4nq3BkUSRP-RP9egf1BJHQpsrBE5yWuD67ZTvpu-1iQuKNFJJYESq24Hz4k/s1600/virescent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1u6e9n67WVsqu2Yztij4PLafkftv4Bk-SQKbDGSf_HMkFRLm3X2lUUAidWiZL1PV8a37z2kS8uNI1Yqp4nq3BkUSRP-RP9egf1BJHQpsrBE5yWuD67ZTvpu-1iQuKNFJJYESq24Hz4k/s320/virescent.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pale virescent clone.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Rud2Da0JUpasP3LBZQ2GA_ZFE1r0QGA7yxri6Xka3s_Soa371bMnyxqb1kYmKy_P3dDrxvQV0M7L_ZApiMaq5-_fl083phq3z2rA3zBE9aFsGzx1yRJp6B1E2Hfeqr06JZfqmWqjZuc/s1600/bg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Rud2Da0JUpasP3LBZQ2GA_ZFE1r0QGA7yxri6Xka3s_Soa371bMnyxqb1kYmKy_P3dDrxvQV0M7L_ZApiMaq5-_fl083phq3z2rA3zBE9aFsGzx1yRJp6B1E2Hfeqr06JZfqmWqjZuc/s400/bg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much of the botanic garden has been colonised by masses of local <i>Galanthus nivalis</i>, with the local <i>Crocus heuffelianus</i> and other early bulbs. It's very interesting to see that these are mostly singletons or in small tufts, and are not clump-forming, very different to the typical clump-forming <i>G. nivalis</i> seen in the UK. Unfortunately the weather was dull throughout the time I was there, so they remained tightly furled.</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-91154713313351042252016-02-09T23:13:00.003+00:002016-02-09T23:13:56.455+00:00Celebrating 25 years of snowdrop open days at Hodsock Priory<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBwhFJTsZX1PxQHy1MkH3GqqsJYzTk3zmz3b_5YG6RrCBIkeIFeOHow-fKzsM6mZY49QUFM4lRtSReE8NrYEkCbEcnl-WJ6ab2Dh6mvb2Vz5Ol0WmWl_OKCjbCdWt3ry-iwrorgazxGY/s1600/Hodsock+buchanans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBwhFJTsZX1PxQHy1MkH3GqqsJYzTk3zmz3b_5YG6RrCBIkeIFeOHow-fKzsM6mZY49QUFM4lRtSReE8NrYEkCbEcnl-WJ6ab2Dh6mvb2Vz5Ol0WmWl_OKCjbCdWt3ry-iwrorgazxGY/s400/Hodsock+buchanans.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George, Belinda, Andrew and Kat Buchanan in the snowdrop wood at Hodsock Priory</td></tr>
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Twenty-five years ago Sir Andrew and Lady Buchanan decided to open their garden at Hodsock Priory, Nottinghamshire, for people to see their snowdrops, the first of the 'big' snowdrop gardens to do so. They quickly realised there was a market for snowdrop viewing and developed the garden and adjacent woodland into a winter garden destination, attracting huge numbers of visitors in snowdrop season. The garden was extensively replanted for winter effect under the guidance in the 1990s of Kate Garton and the snowdrop collection and plantings significantly expanded.<br />
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As with the Elwes family at Colesbourne the Buchanan's connection with snowdrops is ancestral. Andrew's grandmother was Lady Beatrix Stanley, commemorated by the eponymous double snowdrop and an <i>Iris histrioides</i> cultivar, and his mother Barbara Buchanan is commemorated by 'Barbara's Double' and 'St Anne's' for her residence. Andrew and Belinda have now passed the reins of the house and garden management to their son George and his wife Kat, who were the hosts this morning at a press day - a miraculously sunny and calm press day, after the terrible recent storms and dull weather.<br />
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My first contact with Hodsock came in 1997 when I was dispersing Primrose Warburg's collection of snowdrops and other plants from South Hayes. Primrose had acquired a lot of snowdropos from Lady Beatrix's old garden at Sibbertoft Manor and these were grown on a rough bank always called the Sibbertoft Bank, where they had self-sown and produced a number of excellent seedlings. I gave Kate Garton a number of clumps from the Sibbertoft Bank and these were planted in a particular area of the garden at Hodsock - see below. My solitary previous visit to Hodsock had been in the following year, so this revisit was long overdue - it certainly won't be another 17 years before I return!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IrasPMGORcU_YELXJa50TRV2MjiUXbIGsam3ruhyphenhyphenAcZ7dD_h79_jwknO5SmMxfBgnBZNqCO97wUIVhvzOby57CEB85o76uVczxX0VC-36gIyhA6vtEf-IpDcBA7GxHNkzK2I8mFrItE/s1600/Hodsock+spread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IrasPMGORcU_YELXJa50TRV2MjiUXbIGsam3ruhyphenhyphenAcZ7dD_h79_jwknO5SmMxfBgnBZNqCO97wUIVhvzOby57CEB85o76uVczxX0VC-36gIyhA6vtEf-IpDcBA7GxHNkzK2I8mFrItE/s400/Hodsock+spread.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main display in the woodland area is of <i>Galanthus nivalis</i> 'Flore Pleno' - the common double snowdrop it may be but nothing creates such solid white carpets.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU241nblwN8RGrDGViDGinXYf1IrWJgZIm718a4_b4YHEly_YbkVyqSbwNc-0J9cjS0nE7k0vTy94QATMSBcGuE8wPwTzI9TEuC0YjLuZRNQ1VT3DhWZO2pmK4x8pZq3arkmO7QqYjGF0/s1600/Hodsock+Priory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU241nblwN8RGrDGViDGinXYf1IrWJgZIm718a4_b4YHEly_YbkVyqSbwNc-0J9cjS0nE7k0vTy94QATMSBcGuE8wPwTzI9TEuC0YjLuZRNQ1VT3DhWZO2pmK4x8pZq3arkmO7QqYjGF0/s400/Hodsock+Priory.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hodsock Priory never was a priory; the main house dates from the 19th C, but the Tudor gatehouse is original.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7orcdu1cgK8noB43eIr8fkt3wClmFx7xeXwJD6ufZFWZpdlzBDSwjoiF6MZh946l2KJB-0elt-y27cVPNHZtpFWiOfn19ky26lCf0JzMsKDtpd5pqEFmWg1AgzkQGIbZ-hV_kZ5XN6c/s1600/Hodsock+PW+labels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7orcdu1cgK8noB43eIr8fkt3wClmFx7xeXwJD6ufZFWZpdlzBDSwjoiF6MZh946l2KJB-0elt-y27cVPNHZtpFWiOfn19ky26lCf0JzMsKDtpd5pqEFmWg1AgzkQGIbZ-hV_kZ5XN6c/s400/Hodsock+PW+labels.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's good to see that the snowdrops from South Hayes are still remembered and honoured as having come from the legendary Primrose Warburg.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtAapkfgQaLAZqNpGeA_pwikbIBlfnv_ljMLEErI8aEbfiCSfhHxxDDD3mOYPWJkVa-miNbo7aQJQDAdyuhcvb4Bqg5m2d_pqTcky1vaLdscHY0qrNKkPQlyYouLBAaTAsR2mpVl5NFVY/s1600/Hodsock+PW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtAapkfgQaLAZqNpGeA_pwikbIBlfnv_ljMLEErI8aEbfiCSfhHxxDDD3mOYPWJkVa-miNbo7aQJQDAdyuhcvb4Bqg5m2d_pqTcky1vaLdscHY0qrNKkPQlyYouLBAaTAsR2mpVl5NFVY/s400/Hodsock+PW.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The South Hayes snowdrops have been happily sowing themselves and have made a nice patch of variable <i>G. plicatus</i> (mostly), preserving the Sibbertoft genetics.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqjGs5ZwJWGOUYf0wyllHyYGj99YsjFuZTbNd0WD0ix7rtV6aoImemWBCQDCx853EFkHSXUcL3jKbmpo5xpX_-CfCVdhe3b5qsH7_ryMlQlBBQQZyourImCl16ys-2Qt2bCS6fwgHCqg/s1600/Hodsock+Helleb+foet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqjGs5ZwJWGOUYf0wyllHyYGj99YsjFuZTbNd0WD0ix7rtV6aoImemWBCQDCx853EFkHSXUcL3jKbmpo5xpX_-CfCVdhe3b5qsH7_ryMlQlBBQQZyourImCl16ys-2Qt2bCS6fwgHCqg/s400/Hodsock+Helleb+foet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garden round the house has been planned and planted for winter effect, and was looking good in the bright sunshine today.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6s5tDq3ctuaq_MiSy__2bWRarZyRD8skyctHYmiCgeUTxkAcIjLbg3VYFinb7b6gp186hfq6i6c2Csp1vYj1RxFJxZf34ScWxfkxyJ6DSsdPXroyW52ShZfkPvEYA4K38oJFNjfhGCo/s1600/Hodsock+Scilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6s5tDq3ctuaq_MiSy__2bWRarZyRD8skyctHYmiCgeUTxkAcIjLbg3VYFinb7b6gp186hfq6i6c2Csp1vYj1RxFJxZf34ScWxfkxyJ6DSsdPXroyW52ShZfkPvEYA4K38oJFNjfhGCo/s320/Hodsock+Scilla.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This large, robust <i>Scilla bifolia</i>, which I've always known as 'Praecox' is a rare plant, but very much associated with the older generation of galanthophiles - it was nice to see it at Hodsock, linking the generations.</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-17311484208396728912016-01-01T16:05:00.000+00:002016-01-01T16:05:03.284+00:00Plant of the Day 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhL7WWSLkneZMOKzbP5dbOY123wUpFCh1q45Eglb8uHRHm01SraDvin6KGUBN06RCss3gRXnfe4fdXT512iN51nYDygnODW5v8ErF-3F3e2bqJ2ZvL3A-JMNDK2-qtb7qQAARK6ZpNics/s1600/POTD+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhL7WWSLkneZMOKzbP5dbOY123wUpFCh1q45Eglb8uHRHm01SraDvin6KGUBN06RCss3gRXnfe4fdXT512iN51nYDygnODW5v8ErF-3F3e2bqJ2ZvL3A-JMNDK2-qtb7qQAARK6ZpNics/s320/POTD+1.PNG" width="236" /></a></div>
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I've set myself the challenge of tweeting an image of a different plant every day this year, along with a few summary words within the 140 character limit of a tweet. The tweets will be linked to this blog in a column on the right of the screen and can be seen there, or directly through Twitter by following @POTD16<br />
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The subject matter may be anything that catches my eye that day, so is bound to be diverse - let's see where this takes us!John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com1283tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-10337882455594177372015-12-31T20:21:00.000+00:002015-12-31T21:03:31.378+00:00Plant of the Year 2015: Monarda 'Gewitterwolke'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBU6vqHpcekk1WQUzDxFYLIN4yBszSfM9KU4dQ9tJm4KqbJtPaFuzFgL2J39NPUtJQ_HAj_GjhagBGBHVhBbrCTbAZ-4dl_D05jq0UeyuJtrDfcFi-JZNHAxO30Fy8BXieldu6e_693E/s1600/GWW2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBU6vqHpcekk1WQUzDxFYLIN4yBszSfM9KU4dQ9tJm4KqbJtPaFuzFgL2J39NPUtJQ_HAj_GjhagBGBHVhBbrCTbAZ-4dl_D05jq0UeyuJtrDfcFi-JZNHAxO30Fy8BXieldu6e_693E/s400/GWW2.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Monarda '</i>Gewitterwolke', October, with <i>Miscanthus</i> 'Yakushima Dwarf'</td></tr>
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Last year my friend Jimi Blake, from <a href="http://www.huntingbrook.com/">Hunting Brook Gardens </a>in Co. Wicklow, brought me a selection of <i>Monarda</i> cultivars that he had found to be good additions to his regularly changing garden assortment. Among them was the German selection 'Gewitterwolke' - the name means "thundercloud", which he particularly rated. This spring space was found to accommodate the small plant in the main border: it motored ahead and with a judicious pinching-out of the shoots quickly formed a nice multi-branched plant, nestling between <i>Miscanthus</i> 'Yakushima Dwarf' and <i>Aruncus</i> 'Horatio', which between them have given it the perfect setting for the rest of the year. It is perhaps because it worked so well with the surrounding plants that it caught my eye repeatedly through the season, and thus has become my Plant of the Year 2015.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEint95ddLEHwjliCHz90_55uuxdpb27JJ4ZWzLSonnMXD3x8BNCiXOV0B5yH9opBFz3i1-kiLYqBULJRx7GuWcCrcavTuMy2YNXv7KeOOuIpBI1aC1MEnUjleBapo2BMHFDJ_AvwL1femI/s1600/GWW3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEint95ddLEHwjliCHz90_55uuxdpb27JJ4ZWzLSonnMXD3x8BNCiXOV0B5yH9opBFz3i1-kiLYqBULJRx7GuWcCrcavTuMy2YNXv7KeOOuIpBI1aC1MEnUjleBapo2BMHFDJ_AvwL1femI/s400/GWW3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dusky flowers and bracts must have suggested the name; here 'Gewitterwolke' is seen in August with <i>Dahlia</i> 'Freya's Paso Doble' behind, another candidate for Plant of the Year.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KnxCWCBnfj2vyrDsEeuvxzB6H2g8TnxjP-zk2gFC3PKP5wT5sa9CZQje0Zo7JOGnXS6h_YYkwijqPftxONN6VFmiAzY8cVRsIRNpMFxhIQDujM410wbJzi4CQr18Kv2p8PMWKiR6hnA/s1600/GWW1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KnxCWCBnfj2vyrDsEeuvxzB6H2g8TnxjP-zk2gFC3PKP5wT5sa9CZQje0Zo7JOGnXS6h_YYkwijqPftxONN6VFmiAzY8cVRsIRNpMFxhIQDujM410wbJzi4CQr18Kv2p8PMWKiR6hnA/s400/GWW1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening light just catching the flowers. <i>Aruncus</i> 'Horatio' behind and <i>Dahlia </i>'Twynings Revel' beyond (Plant of the Year 2013)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fdYneXc89ZgqfIDbfmYCG31QpI5VWraOgbaaq7OoR_ClIvu4UseHgcBwhfs0D3KBRrP3NjhzWEZNTup6qd5IRwQHKom8C7IxlOpy1AJGvQcSzBbMH7Ezm3q3j9DoWRKsM4l-3QUs07s/s1600/Persicaria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fdYneXc89ZgqfIDbfmYCG31QpI5VWraOgbaaq7OoR_ClIvu4UseHgcBwhfs0D3KBRrP3NjhzWEZNTup6qd5IRwQHKom8C7IxlOpy1AJGvQcSzBbMH7Ezm3q3j9DoWRKsM4l-3QUs07s/s400/Persicaria.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another very pleasing combination was formed with <i>Persicaria amplexicaulis</i> 'Orangofield'</td></tr>
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Another excellent <i>Monarda </i>also deserves a mention - 'Scorpio', a Piet Oudolf selection that plays a big part in his plantings at nearby Scampston Hall, where I got the plant from, in fact (promptly split and shared with Jimi). It's a slightly brighter purple and stood a bit higher than 'Gewitterwolke' this year (next year may even them out), and made - and makes - a superb contribution to the garden. Both are supposedly mildew resistant, though they both had some mildew by late September or early October, but insufficient to be unsightly or cause diminished growth. Such mildew-resistance is essential in any <i>Monarda</i> I'll choose in future.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7IyU2Ed23yBjWHzs9DXxEUZpsHCOQ_7ZIdGVyirVTBI3TR3Cf01fcbXNXPX1c4O-4swbrBNOwnArXiFhqbjIGQcVdRhKH6BF_8sba-tTVZVpkAU_gVsCo6jDzQD9W4vQgr6dUt2Y-SU/s1600/Scorpio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7IyU2Ed23yBjWHzs9DXxEUZpsHCOQ_7ZIdGVyirVTBI3TR3Cf01fcbXNXPX1c4O-4swbrBNOwnArXiFhqbjIGQcVdRhKH6BF_8sba-tTVZVpkAU_gVsCo6jDzQD9W4vQgr6dUt2Y-SU/s400/Scorpio.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Monarda</i> 'Scorpio' in August</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM41H_6lZ0lZTOHXHgYZ7FwRBdEDXjjCRMSxa__J5wmWe4qljtTV3mQ0zEBNSkOscYKvzyRMcG6srguO8xb_DpWoy-9STlGx_Lswiz-Bz-toBUNclYIMnOxQ0UNMmie-u3HqkE8zUG17o/s1600/Scorpio+gdn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM41H_6lZ0lZTOHXHgYZ7FwRBdEDXjjCRMSxa__J5wmWe4qljtTV3mQ0zEBNSkOscYKvzyRMcG6srguO8xb_DpWoy-9STlGx_Lswiz-Bz-toBUNclYIMnOxQ0UNMmie-u3HqkE8zUG17o/s400/Scorpio+gdn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Scorpio' (bottom right) still looking great in early October.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1kWtqAP77qcr30Ydz192Mb2Lt-_28GHDgaQM6KYWhYNdN4Sr5_UE7PfilANYDfHWfGDLR6oocYDLgs3wanhz-Sky2aOhcCBJFyBoFT1JOs8OvfamzdYsKvJz8RSMo3QrozyWhyphenhyphenEv-4A/s1600/dry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1kWtqAP77qcr30Ydz192Mb2Lt-_28GHDgaQM6KYWhYNdN4Sr5_UE7PfilANYDfHWfGDLR6oocYDLgs3wanhz-Sky2aOhcCBJFyBoFT1JOs8OvfamzdYsKvJz8RSMo3QrozyWhyphenhyphenEv-4A/s320/dry.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seeding heads of 'Gewitterwolke' standing firm this week, alongside (though not visible) the<i> Miscanthus</i> and <i>Arun</i><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><i>cus</i>, despite best efforts of Storms Desmond to Fred over the past month. 'Scorpio' is also still in good vertical condition.</span></td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-65209158853685034652015-12-31T10:30:00.002+00:002015-12-31T10:32:45.396+00:00Garden People 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFST6t7QAAUILjxIW14CfQfLyW3el2bcB5wNaD9gr5SKpVqPOwjygJyVnI6MMqFxZltygkoiPpeqXeEWa4IMT5vEayBePKJB0YfvvflELr_oQI0zLTGuW1NaD-SglsjHf25Xd20ufJVU/s1600/Galanthophiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFST6t7QAAUILjxIW14CfQfLyW3el2bcB5wNaD9gr5SKpVqPOwjygJyVnI6MMqFxZltygkoiPpeqXeEWa4IMT5vEayBePKJB0YfvvflELr_oQI0zLTGuW1NaD-SglsjHf25Xd20ufJVU/s400/Galanthophiles.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galanthophiles: <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">Jörg Lebsa, Matt Bishop, Steve Thompson</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzywAaz15nIFUaanUk9EmyCni15VDR0Yb245d3LtKhyphenhyphenHvzMn8-EXGixk5WWxzL-tr_SyfKCphMlUPLQ_r9gGHa4C8BVpg-9KRMWKipAu2brnJLV8jkrRbd1HoNPO3nnCTBAoTbWIWiMHo/s1600/PLant+School.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzywAaz15nIFUaanUk9EmyCni15VDR0Yb245d3LtKhyphenhyphenHvzMn8-EXGixk5WWxzL-tr_SyfKCphMlUPLQ_r9gGHa4C8BVpg-9KRMWKipAu2brnJLV8jkrRbd1HoNPO3nnCTBAoTbWIWiMHo/s400/PLant+School.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Plant School: Rosemary Campbell-Preston and her group, The Savill Garden.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyWQ99L0H9fuLcKUmQi65bAOtstVxb7aMIllagg_qeSqxBA0MFZAtbOKclHgzsFFeciBGl-OOF63DvQYudOaAv5OrUH-4M1Kja1beJWnNMRKrBM6Rz2RKaMfm_51lENKqrUSwXZqK4E0/s1600/K%2526S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyWQ99L0H9fuLcKUmQi65bAOtstVxb7aMIllagg_qeSqxBA0MFZAtbOKclHgzsFFeciBGl-OOF63DvQYudOaAv5OrUH-4M1Kja1beJWnNMRKrBM6Rz2RKaMfm_51lENKqrUSwXZqK4E0/s400/K%2526S.jpg" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nursery folk: Sue Milliken and Kelly Dodson, Far Reaches Nursery, WA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5EJOhNt6Aa_9yQmIBerduJAUn3-Qs_0T1tB2enmhpBL54xK4rFSb08HxGAlqrlvaxKEC7TxIYSepU_AY9iN12eUAjx7hlEmm2J42wnuMKjFHITYUXrlKZ73f7NR3gK_yvkYM7ChnMHvQ/s1600/trousers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5EJOhNt6Aa_9yQmIBerduJAUn3-Qs_0T1tB2enmhpBL54xK4rFSb08HxGAlqrlvaxKEC7TxIYSepU_AY9iN12eUAjx7hlEmm2J42wnuMKjFHITYUXrlKZ73f7NR3gK_yvkYM7ChnMHvQ/s320/trousers.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">note the trousers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zZ07nzrkMftA_PwZBmuxICBzAzciGcUYx6sS4u4Vluq1-k3e1SbV5VCZBZGjbsc68CwCR0-vd57dWgscBE5BAJxT1DTOZj1Pq-fzVtqtsE-n4Hhe0hqeLmy1fN5fYMr5RAvZ5QZyUZs/s1600/Dave+Demers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zZ07nzrkMftA_PwZBmuxICBzAzciGcUYx6sS4u4Vluq1-k3e1SbV5VCZBZGjbsc68CwCR0-vd57dWgscBE5BAJxT1DTOZj1Pq-fzVtqtsE-n4Hhe0hqeLmy1fN5fYMr5RAvZ5QZyUZs/s400/Dave+Demers.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Designer dude: Dave Demers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYJL1Jf68BDNrmiW2kWg2Nmc8wHzi47WcSUlGiXuXSQvoBNU1TCb2y4FasdA5aaepxKChGDIoSoGMAMYIzZCI8PnChXIlQzXYqZHOh5efEF3_UYsRl0Gb5cejyqcDBxTqdclIj65EY6c/s1600/Heronswood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYJL1Jf68BDNrmiW2kWg2Nmc8wHzi47WcSUlGiXuXSQvoBNU1TCb2y4FasdA5aaepxKChGDIoSoGMAMYIzZCI8PnChXIlQzXYqZHOh5efEF3_UYsRl0Gb5cejyqcDBxTqdclIj65EY6c/s400/Heronswood.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West meets East: Dan Hinkley and Tony Avent, with Kathy Musial, Heronswood</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jvbnUIXRupMcfXWfq61X15Wge97crejEBKR4nERI7vSTkc7c7xqVj5TY2vdcd78nqy2aXX4QNPw2K0Mc2yrIfEMBEZQ1gaxglghPNqWrYwWenyjvRZbCBXhdRtQdUYSGTuIHnR1xz-g/s1600/Robbie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jvbnUIXRupMcfXWfq61X15Wge97crejEBKR4nERI7vSTkc7c7xqVj5TY2vdcd78nqy2aXX4QNPw2K0Mc2yrIfEMBEZQ1gaxglghPNqWrYwWenyjvRZbCBXhdRtQdUYSGTuIHnR1xz-g/s400/Robbie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Propagator, writer, conservationist: Robbie Blackhall-Miles</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NgJU8Zap74fOFfmo4fmKQOGPCF4roSTnUq7RcsaHLXdGtx6eLAxYsGgCKSecSCB6AUoVtzMQ3emBzCnAsaPX_4w3QCM0os13EG8eSGzatN9XSr599Vgw4JMsvoxi7v4wynEr_nz0ooU/s1600/NATAG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NgJU8Zap74fOFfmo4fmKQOGPCF4roSTnUq7RcsaHLXdGtx6eLAxYsGgCKSecSCB6AUoVtzMQ3emBzCnAsaPX_4w3QCM0os13EG8eSGzatN9XSr599Vgw4JMsvoxi7v4wynEr_nz0ooU/s400/NATAG.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Name-changers (sometimes): the RHS Nomenclature and Taxonomy Advisory Group</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80Gsi53DRS2AGCoJ2Xbj1n6yxBZUMi7I9cXQkOUAxnwWeZSdJjh3j52EczfEroM-YnQNyChjY9rxeEo2_efZnmPuz7DHZ67bZuFEUv4Q_M6IibltnnlE0XFrikEFow9YXn02ekG2R6kE/s1600/Ma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80Gsi53DRS2AGCoJ2Xbj1n6yxBZUMi7I9cXQkOUAxnwWeZSdJjh3j52EczfEroM-YnQNyChjY9rxeEo2_efZnmPuz7DHZ67bZuFEUv4Q_M6IibltnnlE0XFrikEFow9YXn02ekG2R6kE/s400/Ma.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother: Susan Grimshaw, Winter Hill, Cookham.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjv0aFCdghfs56wroVUXbl2W7Aym-4xUgCsz08rCaFb3K3uZentJ5he5_tN8tHHbkKUzwqRBeXS5K19Efg25CHhTax0fJ8cNyD3iKAIr3W2SOZ7HNVJXFb7NFefQLL-rgu5R9TGbezU7g/s1600/Hannah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjv0aFCdghfs56wroVUXbl2W7Aym-4xUgCsz08rCaFb3K3uZentJ5he5_tN8tHHbkKUzwqRBeXS5K19Efg25CHhTax0fJ8cNyD3iKAIr3W2SOZ7HNVJXFb7NFefQLL-rgu5R9TGbezU7g/s400/Hannah.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhododendronistas: David Millais, Hannah Wilson, RHS Harlow Carr Rhododendron Show</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_0umj4uPIJ9ryT6WnHQI2wuxOtdXDYxuXDqiOmN0hglLV-LiBfc_tpzk55rNpHCvwXVPd0uLc_9PIjbKOM6yStjBvz6VNmhrycCjGKk62yVXO1jIp2O_WcovJljOtphYDd1JYltbEgc/s1600/Jens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_0umj4uPIJ9ryT6WnHQI2wuxOtdXDYxuXDqiOmN0hglLV-LiBfc_tpzk55rNpHCvwXVPd0uLc_9PIjbKOM6yStjBvz6VNmhrycCjGKk62yVXO1jIp2O_WcovJljOtphYDd1JYltbEgc/s400/Jens.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plant explorer: Jens Nielsen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1TA3VroDkf6AQjyP3ZHz-DnpZWKfrsycw1ZN92E6Bun8AvNc7cuV3SgZ_15nl8DDGfDrUCYiDTViTcyleY8BIhrHbnSZQJXBjQ-uUBrT22C3Ja7zr-ss9qp3KNjZVX-Fo2YX8Wf5c0I/s1600/Belgians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1TA3VroDkf6AQjyP3ZHz-DnpZWKfrsycw1ZN92E6Bun8AvNc7cuV3SgZ_15nl8DDGfDrUCYiDTViTcyleY8BIhrHbnSZQJXBjQ-uUBrT22C3Ja7zr-ss9qp3KNjZVX-Fo2YX8Wf5c0I/s400/Belgians.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belgian dendrologists: Abraham Ramnmeloo, Philippe de Spoelberch, Arboretum Kalmthout</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilc17_7aIEqlSYGU7d7BA8afaNSvUoRhIkj1L65sTNkqfLHppPbL-StXAcNauR4xuusZkseOmfclhxFxXd7Lg9ofhKy2EhtntLW4qjAUyYswItpLaN9Cq5ZpQIn16azeWVq348hT7rVaI/s1600/Troy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilc17_7aIEqlSYGU7d7BA8afaNSvUoRhIkj1L65sTNkqfLHppPbL-StXAcNauR4xuusZkseOmfclhxFxXd7Lg9ofhKy2EhtntLW4qjAUyYswItpLaN9Cq5ZpQIn16azeWVq348hT7rVaI/s400/Troy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author, photographer: Troy B. Marden, Burnby Hall Gardens</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoFT7u_WFHZNTkGkmpgZBNk-jgMkZZWmL0r0CCf5w9e8rgu_OEOXXaiBN_x1EVhTiRfQu4Zys1SSSLSf_MtB5Jf6fc3IiBvc9AOqGecR2CmxGvxJfvL97wnVt2KHB6l_1DrUwx-Tzvas/s1600/Ben.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoFT7u_WFHZNTkGkmpgZBNk-jgMkZZWmL0r0CCf5w9e8rgu_OEOXXaiBN_x1EVhTiRfQu4Zys1SSSLSf_MtB5Jf6fc3IiBvc9AOqGecR2CmxGvxJfvL97wnVt2KHB6l_1DrUwx-Tzvas/s400/Ben.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Groundsman: Ben Paterson, The Yorkshire Arboretum</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESl0qyA2fPvfTxMjj6QO7CarCasmNPXi6bwC9EeLhnmzi4x8r2Ch4MWChQ82KpM4uVhCuT8DHMpmgPbS51k_1XfIN7VpKyemNK4scSVLyWqWTVM0rcOExifaP_g2TQtZtTAmLmXKAr9k/s1600/Devonians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESl0qyA2fPvfTxMjj6QO7CarCasmNPXi6bwC9EeLhnmzi4x8r2Ch4MWChQ82KpM4uVhCuT8DHMpmgPbS51k_1XfIN7VpKyemNK4scSVLyWqWTVM0rcOExifaP_g2TQtZtTAmLmXKAr9k/s400/Devonians.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Devonians: Keith Rushforth, Dick Fulcher, <i>Sorbus</i> Study Day, Ashill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCC5HMssuYEP78fuhGtcxIOpStYwogWJJUxHYxRUc9gp9AMJgaiHvHvdwU9GCYEGWrsdrEjQ123aFSO1zcJoOZvFId_Ht0AMFjnXfOBJlG20UyjQUIEm3IFIvPpoS7jtCrOiRUZ6vTH0/s1600/Gary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCC5HMssuYEP78fuhGtcxIOpStYwogWJJUxHYxRUc9gp9AMJgaiHvHvdwU9GCYEGWrsdrEjQ123aFSO1zcJoOZvFId_Ht0AMFjnXfOBJlG20UyjQUIEm3IFIvPpoS7jtCrOiRUZ6vTH0/s400/Gary.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plantsman: Gary Keim, Harewood House</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hortihorts: Darran Jaques, Rob Stacewicz, Soho</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-11680047125705994652015-12-19T18:33:00.000+00:002015-12-19T18:33:16.522+00:00Seventeen degrees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The almost unprecedented spell of mild weather continues unabated, and seems likely to extend into January. Although there was little sun, a warm moist wind has blown all day, with temperatures of 16-17<sup>o</sup>C through the middle of the day. Such temperatures are comfortable for us, and help on the fuel bills, but are not good for the garden or the wider environment; actively growing plants will be vulnerable if a hard frost comes. Fitting these temperatures, or other 'abnormal' weather into the picture of global climate change is difficult, but surely they are part of the complex jigsaw that is only going to get muddled further as time goes on.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Crocus laevigatus</i> 'fontenyi' at RV Rogers nurseries, Pickering, at lunchtime - the flowers open as far as they would go without recurving.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Galanthus elwesii</i> 'Mrs Macnamara' usually comes into flower in early January: it's at least two weeks early this year.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'the colder the weather is, and the deeper the snow is, the fairer and larger is the floure, and the warmer that the weather is. the lesser is the floure, and worse coloured' - astute observation by John Gerard in the 16th Century, confirmed by the miserable flowers of <i>Eranthis hyemalis</i> 'Lightning' just appearing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well-developed flowers on this seedling hellebore</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mild weather made it quite a pleasure to get outside and get on with cutting down the perennials. Strong winds earlier in the month had wrecked most of the standing stems, and the next season is coming on apace below, so there was no compunction in going for it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Silver Sebrights found good pickings around the bases of the perennials - they're particularly fond of young snails.</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-90908341090484417952015-11-16T21:30:00.000+00:002015-11-16T21:30:30.132+00:00A new Curator at Wisley<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZq1EJPCCxquznFZ6Jv2djV7icN-cInjC4eDMyJQamuR1LqmXJl4AbLV52XeOqpFR_5NGtUM6G3tvJnPYMP-l1wjVqwcKrZUmGLVemCrMvofACn1sJVLKRuqQaCWxAF4vs01mMj7XCHA/s1600/MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZq1EJPCCxquznFZ6Jv2djV7icN-cInjC4eDMyJQamuR1LqmXJl4AbLV52XeOqpFR_5NGtUM6G3tvJnPYMP-l1wjVqwcKrZUmGLVemCrMvofACn1sJVLKRuqQaCWxAF4vs01mMj7XCHA/s400/MP.jpg" width="355" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matthew Pottage, at Chelsea, May 2015</td></tr>
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I'm delighted to report that my friend Matthew Pottage has been appointed Curator of RHS Garden Wisley. It's been an unbroken ascent from student to the top job, which in itself is a tribute to both his qualities and the perception by RHS management of an asset to be nurtured and retained. The plantsmanship he brings has been evident in the areas in his charge for several years, and we can look forward to the garden going from strength to strength under his leadership. Great opportunities are in the pipeline as the new masterplan for the site is unfurled, and Matt is just the person to drive the changes forward. Congratulations - and good luck!John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-6785677429155046482015-11-12T23:09:00.000+00:002015-11-12T23:09:49.686+00:00Mark Flanagan, MVO, VMH, 1959-2015<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Flanagan talking about one of his beloved rhododendrons, at a meeting of the RHS Woody Plant Committee, March 2014.</td></tr>
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Yesterday afternoon, at an intensely emotional funeral, we said goodbye to Mark Flanagan, Keeper of the Gardens at Windsor Great Park (The Royal Landscape), and Chairman of the RHS Woody Plant Committee. Having been apparently hale and hearty until then, in mid-September he suffered a seizure and subsequent heart attacks, from which he never regained consciousness until his death on 24 October.<br />
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Mark was thoroughly decent and likeable, a superb plantsman at the pinnacle of his profession and powers, respected by all who knew him. He started his horticultural career as an apprentice in the Manchester Parks Department, and then went on to undertake the horticultural diploma course at RBG Edinburgh, where he met his wife Lesley - and where he had already decided on his dream job: to be Keeper of the Gardens at Windsor Great Park. In due course he did just that, succeeding the legendary John Bond in 1997, but in the interim worked first at Kew and then Wakehurst Place, where he became Deputy Curator.<br />
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It was his great fortune, paradoxically, to be at Wakehurst when the Great Storm of 1987 struck. The devastation it caused at both Kew and Wakehurst Place was the impetus for a series of collecting expeditions to provide new specimens to rejuvenate the collections - and this catalysed a remarkable collecting partnership and deep friendship between Mark and his counterpart at Kew, Tony Kirkham.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A duo immortalised on a plant label (at RBG Edinburgh): <i>Tricyrtis formosana</i> was collected in Taiwan in 1992. Their Taiwanese collaborator, Dr Pan, held such a high regard for Mark that he flew to England to be at the funeral.</td></tr>
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Mark and Tony first travelled together to South Korea in 1989; trips to Taiwan, the Russian Far East, Japan and China all followed. On each they made significant collections of seed of plants of all kinds, from which many of the trees are now becoming quite large and imposing, and which will continue to increase in stature and beauty. Their adventures on these expeditions are chronicled in the first of their two co-authored books, <i>Plants from the Edge of the World</i> (Timber Press, 2005). Throughout their travels their principle inspiration was Ernest Wilson, the great English plant hunter who did so much to bring the diversity of the Chinese flora to western gardens. On a trip to Sichuan in 2001 it was his encyclopaedic knowledge of the gardening literature that led Mark to realise that a (by then dead) huge old <i>Cunninghamia</i> was the same tree as that photographed by Wilson in 1908, reproduced by Bean. This extraordinary revelation sparked a further series of travels in which the two attempted to find locations visited by Wilson, and where possible, take a photograph from the same spot. Although much has changed in China, much remains, and the comparative images, published together in their book <i>Wilson's China</i> (Kew Publishing, 2009), are incredible. In many cases the same trees are easily recognisable, even when they are just components of the landscape, not to mention the set piece images of magnificent veterans. They had recently extended this project to cover Wilson's travels in Japan: Tony assured us yesterday that he will complete this project.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two books by 'Flanagan & Kirkham'. In addition, Mark contributed many well-written articles to the horticultural press.</td></tr>
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As so often is the case, one learns more about someone at the funeral than one ever knew in life. We were privileged yesterday to hear two magnificent eulogies of Mark. Tony Kirkham spoke of things horticultural and their travels, while Callum Flanagan spoke powerfully of his father the family man - 'the perfect male role model.' The standing ovation he received was a tribute not only to an extraordinary eulogy bravely delivered, but to its subject and his family.<br />
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Tributes had also come from the highest places. As soon as she heard of Mark's illness the Queen appointed him a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO), an honour exclusively in her gift, and this was presented at Mark's bedside in Harefield Hospital. Horticulture was slower to respond, but rather remarkably, the Royal Horticultural Society broke with 118 years of tradition to posthumously award Mark the highest accolade in horticulture, the Victoria Medal of Honour (VMH), news broken by Tony Kirkham in his eulogy. The VMH can be held by only 63 living recipients at any time and there is no doubt that as he approached the level of elder statesman it would have come to Mark: but now his name is inscribed on that list of the greats of horticulture, as it should be.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring in the Valley Gardens; Mark's responsibilities in The Royal Landscape covered the Savill and Valley Gardens, and the private garden around Frogmore House. The very highest standards of horticulture were maintained in them all.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8E_TvFbouEdl4ezxBEqH30pblaZ5I7CEnaZe3oFo14-hBKYx1J7s6Sm9k_gzAGyGOgjnNHnZ67HPo1akVgQUhfb5ywlRwsLh73p2ThqoAcw0mEXnWn3cfTzhsHKpoQAVazVjVh9uWbc/s1600/Meliosma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8E_TvFbouEdl4ezxBEqH30pblaZ5I7CEnaZe3oFo14-hBKYx1J7s6Sm9k_gzAGyGOgjnNHnZ67HPo1akVgQUhfb5ywlRwsLh73p2ThqoAcw0mEXnWn3cfTzhsHKpoQAVazVjVh9uWbc/s320/Meliosma.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Meliosma veitchiorum</i>, one of the 'aristocrats of the garden', grown from seed collected by Mark in Sichuan, growing in the Savill Garden (bad phone photo from yesterday morning). The first shoot ever to be cut from it adorned his coffin, alongside the long infructescences of another SICH plant, <i>Pterocarya macroptera</i> subsp. <i>insignis</i> and fine <i>Rhododendron</i> foliage.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FjhkBc6vUXf3dHJs3SQFfegPAP02EevohN7OnYvjcuBfw5zAli3Md2DQhkypLrIktN3ce5_mLYSy6q2x8gRY2kglIR8VE_zkEXrttgkHtdRJdKkimj17SOfbP2Ev4yfWZkXh6o3Abso/s1600/Mark+wreath.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FjhkBc6vUXf3dHJs3SQFfegPAP02EevohN7OnYvjcuBfw5zAli3Md2DQhkypLrIktN3ce5_mLYSy6q2x8gRY2kglIR8VE_zkEXrttgkHtdRJdKkimj17SOfbP2Ev4yfWZkXh6o3Abso/s320/Mark+wreath.PNG" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wreath from Kew was made up by the unofficial wreath-maker there, Carlos Magdalena, using plants collected by Mark and Tony, and other Chinese species. The 'roses' are created from ginkgo and maple leaves. (Img. Carlos Magdalena)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Other tributes will undoubtedly be paid, and commemorations made, but no plantsman could wish for a better memorial than that of gardens stocked with plants he has collected and grown on, and Mark Flanagan's plants are to be found in gardens all over the country. I hope that this, and their rich memories, will be a solace to his family, Lesley, Callum and Sophie, and his very many grieving friends.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>By singing: "Oh how beautiful"and sitting in the shade</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>While better men than we go out and start their working lives</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>At grubbing weeds from gravel-paths with broken dinner-knives.</i></div>
John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-1423204412300309812015-10-18T20:31:00.000+01:002015-10-18T20:31:51.534+01:00Autumn tints in the border<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Z6Qz6JLGzEFJVh9B51qBINzWOaCe7Avb9bB4-QDksbhn09gIzlWYJsjysProy_TAJgCPCf-vFiPN_22F25oGr_yP6QEkBW4jq1sVEPkh-2BKzZ1_6CxIV0RC6Jsu6u8ZYzYTynLHSYQ/s1600/Geranium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Z6Qz6JLGzEFJVh9B51qBINzWOaCe7Avb9bB4-QDksbhn09gIzlWYJsjysProy_TAJgCPCf-vFiPN_22F25oGr_yP6QEkBW4jq1sVEPkh-2BKzZ1_6CxIV0RC6Jsu6u8ZYzYTynLHSYQ/s400/Geranium.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Geranium pratense</i> 'Plenum Violaceum'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A few details of leaves of herbaceous plants, on a damp dull day - not all autumn colours come from woody plants.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4ZqeV5cfAHIl_z1WjRvQ-12C2iENot2yluVVnji6WvXYbRx9huiWs7oadj8zCtfEa9HRvITJd23cC3oyOJe0SbBW68ThYr3M6MYgR6TFRUm9Q8LHJvf2uYlNgtAMCZoVoduAXgIvwSY/s1600/Excalibur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4ZqeV5cfAHIl_z1WjRvQ-12C2iENot2yluVVnji6WvXYbRx9huiWs7oadj8zCtfEa9HRvITJd23cC3oyOJe0SbBW68ThYr3M6MYgR6TFRUm9Q8LHJvf2uYlNgtAMCZoVoduAXgIvwSY/s320/Excalibur.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Euphorbia</i> 'Excalibur'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFyYXMEuRqZuF-S5NCQZd1XVR9r111rXg1DK15psnVyPIGzEJBNXWtljpxsb046i8H_QVrOPJ3kR5ko_EDZ3qT1evpIcUvDLFltpuMeVGX6WUkNXR_Igtmb7zgRNgBj-bzA28pXrPZks/s1600/Sarracenia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFyYXMEuRqZuF-S5NCQZd1XVR9r111rXg1DK15psnVyPIGzEJBNXWtljpxsb046i8H_QVrOPJ3kR5ko_EDZ3qT1evpIcUvDLFltpuMeVGX6WUkNXR_Igtmb7zgRNgBj-bzA28pXrPZks/s320/Sarracenia.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sarracenia flava</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OjSvkFiwb_eVDClz3rsnIq8Ri5xBzqEg4Ce1zATi8hDXOT3_a214ThFoTR3etfBRuZ2iL1q8iVGjK3pOPOYbTNYs-RNa4Ae5oP3q7fm-d70y8Gx_9mqHQKuDikeGJjNjeheHSSscJPg/s1600/umbellifer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OjSvkFiwb_eVDClz3rsnIq8Ri5xBzqEg4Ce1zATi8hDXOT3_a214ThFoTR3etfBRuZ2iL1q8iVGjK3pOPOYbTNYs-RNa4Ae5oP3q7fm-d70y8Gx_9mqHQKuDikeGJjNjeheHSSscJPg/s320/umbellifer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">unknown umbellifer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5tvtU2Q5vJcq024oEcVjbhM5BrCbBL6MmWbPWDQ7cQsh_owpt5rgKc7Y61Pk-6sqx8LbALpPOqTRPIfLqJVFMo-bYynLI8oV8shWYfTFjEjeBxgjWSAloAtEd6UHzGV39u5ZKdpn0GY/s1600/Roscoea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5tvtU2Q5vJcq024oEcVjbhM5BrCbBL6MmWbPWDQ7cQsh_owpt5rgKc7Y61Pk-6sqx8LbALpPOqTRPIfLqJVFMo-bYynLI8oV8shWYfTFjEjeBxgjWSAloAtEd6UHzGV39u5ZKdpn0GY/s400/Roscoea.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Roscoea humeana</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5U4HXZKdgNih_pZmjayq5oF3fIxe6BdmWbS98fGWXd_AsWxQpRvskXt5XUw2IkO8llBbofgaOXnCEUorxcKlLYMXUvFpziwTCuohXdjDCx_l-QUXkNBBckHS_TmF-qlQD4b2LX-WsgE0/s1600/Sanguisorba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5U4HXZKdgNih_pZmjayq5oF3fIxe6BdmWbS98fGWXd_AsWxQpRvskXt5XUw2IkO8llBbofgaOXnCEUorxcKlLYMXUvFpziwTCuohXdjDCx_l-QUXkNBBckHS_TmF-qlQD4b2LX-WsgE0/s320/Sanguisorba.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sanguisorba</i> cv.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GW_dR_RzmbGEJte0N1XYL6bSnHMoZDYaMF2DNpQZ_UvLjN8UMxlmN6Rj05rNrC8RLt1Evb694lt5PlGxiN6_17OjHA_B0CdgTcKTx11vutsKLaWFUi8TQgto_HnJoi912mVknyes6_4/s1600/rhubarb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GW_dR_RzmbGEJte0N1XYL6bSnHMoZDYaMF2DNpQZ_UvLjN8UMxlmN6Rj05rNrC8RLt1Evb694lt5PlGxiN6_17OjHA_B0CdgTcKTx11vutsKLaWFUi8TQgto_HnJoi912mVknyes6_4/s400/rhubarb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhubarb 'Champagne'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDrvI-dAD5HeqrbAz6Yj6760-JcoeXvfkWCcV2I7LqUqbujBNZngshQgpZqmjuclpeFT8g7QpfYsXHSAtbNfw_rYU-oaI1YK2pc_2hoTtxJDznAHIXp8IszPfcJT4O2TH8DRzv4baKjw/s1600/Persicaria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDrvI-dAD5HeqrbAz6Yj6760-JcoeXvfkWCcV2I7LqUqbujBNZngshQgpZqmjuclpeFT8g7QpfYsXHSAtbNfw_rYU-oaI1YK2pc_2hoTtxJDznAHIXp8IszPfcJT4O2TH8DRzv4baKjw/s320/Persicaria.jpg" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Persicaria amplexicaulis </i>'JS Caliente'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDh1ZMhZz5y3zRyTxSg2ah1zKjQvzb3iHSM7CUOlbC6q49E2xfylZx4ULDWuVxTp8QMlforCwxuW1QxxD-wKSzQWVcLFDtc-zuUpXM2nxV_8dG10z224o-pYP0c9YDyMwbLPlLMOu4Sg/s1600/Persic+PF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDh1ZMhZz5y3zRyTxSg2ah1zKjQvzb3iHSM7CUOlbC6q49E2xfylZx4ULDWuVxTp8QMlforCwxuW1QxxD-wKSzQWVcLFDtc-zuUpXM2nxV_8dG10z224o-pYP0c9YDyMwbLPlLMOu4Sg/s400/Persic+PF.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Persicaria runcinata</i> 'Purple Fantasy' (It's interesting that these members of the Polygonaceae all show good colours.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-42982567622140953562015-10-11T21:37:00.000+01:002015-10-11T21:37:00.774+01:00Autumn light<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-c1qCDeBXT7Z1yiBgaGXSSXVKHkS6JBebJKLUCOGeRF09HTeOy8YuQSQQAF8jq8fZs3tDab7AzrtaaF2G3ASC004GV0FMaCqxdFXQ8EgJcIAXYUtEXPvnj9flEylzJYdurFmPcUfGEk/s1600/Dahlia+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-c1qCDeBXT7Z1yiBgaGXSSXVKHkS6JBebJKLUCOGeRF09HTeOy8YuQSQQAF8jq8fZs3tDab7AzrtaaF2G3ASC004GV0FMaCqxdFXQ8EgJcIAXYUtEXPvnj9flEylzJYdurFmPcUfGEk/s400/Dahlia+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dahlia </i>'Mary Evelyn' (and <i>Symphyotrichum</i> 'Nicholas'): the dahlia has 'grown on me' through the season.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With the exception of a couple of wet days early last week the weather lately has been consistently pleasant, with a cool misty morning giving way to lovely warm sunshine. In consequence the lighting effects in the garden have been delightful - these are a few attempts at capturing some of them this weekend.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdURdUywhhmsxc9K6JtRKJcenG8OuwypQh_CfAAQ2WllAAaw5OSEu3q6jXSR9YJ2lpEXQEoIZXQt67akfE2xyYj7peSEbS9QB_tedDypc6LLgjCOmH8V3nXUdwqDVfgxYWp0PlEzGp-H8/s1600/Aster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdURdUywhhmsxc9K6JtRKJcenG8OuwypQh_CfAAQ2WllAAaw5OSEu3q6jXSR9YJ2lpEXQEoIZXQt67akfE2xyYj7peSEbS9QB_tedDypc6LLgjCOmH8V3nXUdwqDVfgxYWp0PlEzGp-H8/s400/Aster.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Aster </i>'Cotswold Gem' - an outstanding selection by Bob Brown.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zYFr0orYzwNonc2x1LLAtmXEAVSWCp3y1SYqkrT19lHTisAImDJlgXXjKt4CxbwPzzMJIiO0i1LZoqclbzfKXxt-5kMR3Y-trZKK-m11lpOIyzVtOp53iQwJMFqHpqU8EF_xKTqCq4o/s1600/aconitum+etc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zYFr0orYzwNonc2x1LLAtmXEAVSWCp3y1SYqkrT19lHTisAImDJlgXXjKt4CxbwPzzMJIiO0i1LZoqclbzfKXxt-5kMR3Y-trZKK-m11lpOIyzVtOp53iQwJMFqHpqU8EF_xKTqCq4o/s400/aconitum+etc.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Symphyotrichum novae-angliae</i> 'Primrose Upward', <i>Aconitum</i> 'Spatlese', <i>Acer cissifolium</i> behind.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgefTG4qFAU1uT-3dhyCiytipFXJGGaQz_gj5PNKR3Bnp4jvmTOAyQ4IbRO76UIpp0fb81qO0eBonjs5ShH1CuUurVHAcSySrCMpROdIqvrssQo7Hy4NFHGsWTgEbg6ggrW-BLU9baOw/s1600/Aconitum+Royal+Flush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgefTG4qFAU1uT-3dhyCiytipFXJGGaQz_gj5PNKR3Bnp4jvmTOAyQ4IbRO76UIpp0fb81qO0eBonjs5ShH1CuUurVHAcSySrCMpROdIqvrssQo7Hy4NFHGsWTgEbg6ggrW-BLU9baOw/s320/Aconitum+Royal+Flush.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Aconitum</i> 'Royal Flush'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKuAEh3vbsj4KqQxXsQwHkeVPjnePnrI1FbVDmv4EOLn-FVvKOjmbDYAWL6_ursOOJAXkA7iFYRyzBBEHanGjmvUPZrXVQKseWBXkCXHQJMlg9eynII9rTAeBLWHJMbhIA0GUxXvnR4s/s1600/morning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKuAEh3vbsj4KqQxXsQwHkeVPjnePnrI1FbVDmv4EOLn-FVvKOjmbDYAWL6_ursOOJAXkA7iFYRyzBBEHanGjmvUPZrXVQKseWBXkCXHQJMlg9eynII9rTAeBLWHJMbhIA0GUxXvnR4s/s400/morning.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning on my study window view:<i> Aruncus </i>'Horatio' and <i>Symphyotrichum</i> <i>novi-belgii </i>'Dusky Maid' are prominent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpxrYMNSkm3HYnrq5eAsgTbV60-9bEIwvMYudntNSaPDTJEjowZomn2KCpsrcgeqQnV5cvISvyGCm8710GsFdlM1YneNCxO_nQFHA124aqvQzS6FFPE9o3FyI72bv6BXGKPHZI_9vbC4/s1600/calamagrostis+emodi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpxrYMNSkm3HYnrq5eAsgTbV60-9bEIwvMYudntNSaPDTJEjowZomn2KCpsrcgeqQnV5cvISvyGCm8710GsFdlM1YneNCxO_nQFHA124aqvQzS6FFPE9o3FyI72bv6BXGKPHZI_9vbC4/s320/calamagrostis+emodi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Calamagrostis emodensis</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7BZ6V7KsnpdZppa7b_TLf53idWCtan1-sj53DQ89ej4SNRRW2GPfpZNsX1THpuwHqH8VKCk9g8ywSFw2gcNa7Bt_GyQkShj5WsjvjYFzXLUF6EQa8jhdjlIrrv6ujIQ09QRc27hW3uE/s1600/Eryngium+serra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7BZ6V7KsnpdZppa7b_TLf53idWCtan1-sj53DQ89ej4SNRRW2GPfpZNsX1THpuwHqH8VKCk9g8ywSFw2gcNa7Bt_GyQkShj5WsjvjYFzXLUF6EQa8jhdjlIrrv6ujIQ09QRc27hW3uE/s320/Eryngium+serra.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Eryngium serra</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QC8emAZgHpnGdUwqr51rsyl04oa_UYgXARu1_w5UyZ8McWxKKo5j9eBk0UR-bze92-AR1qvkXlS23_ryqpfrhqFhTA6BRp5QMjMK5CVDUwsT46BTkjitKwYyghu6yI5TtQYUy1GK_nw/s1600/Euphorbia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QC8emAZgHpnGdUwqr51rsyl04oa_UYgXARu1_w5UyZ8McWxKKo5j9eBk0UR-bze92-AR1qvkXlS23_ryqpfrhqFhTA6BRp5QMjMK5CVDUwsT46BTkjitKwYyghu6yI5TtQYUy1GK_nw/s400/Euphorbia.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Euphorbia ceratocarpa</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMsYeZ9JwgymexMAbQZBHH22zZ4SZVYvjcqmrZW0yOi7LxGrlynrcncS_0W8E8sN-EYWLjXd04cLDLtu30zylmKHU8k-ZlEQA-WyiMmWbH5wu6HBwVoVWddnU57h9PobIf_7JUy3hYR0/s1600/Carine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMsYeZ9JwgymexMAbQZBHH22zZ4SZVYvjcqmrZW0yOi7LxGrlynrcncS_0W8E8sN-EYWLjXd04cLDLtu30zylmKHU8k-ZlEQA-WyiMmWbH5wu6HBwVoVWddnU57h9PobIf_7JUy3hYR0/s400/Carine.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Helianthus </i>'Carine' - a shorter version of 'Lemon Queen', highly recommended.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpu_0ZxztD0PggwmMaXaeeomV2a5E87KWPJWwiBCj9z9JEawVDMHqSefnhCNj0OVGX40-s6DEF2b43SpBIo5_1qsMqxOCHJcf1YYnSh1PnKWpRrzv9xmy-M1flKnbgN02sn0Lp7z6LJY/s1600/Cangshan+crimson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpu_0ZxztD0PggwmMaXaeeomV2a5E87KWPJWwiBCj9z9JEawVDMHqSefnhCNj0OVGX40-s6DEF2b43SpBIo5_1qsMqxOCHJcf1YYnSh1PnKWpRrzv9xmy-M1flKnbgN02sn0Lp7z6LJY/s320/Cangshan+crimson.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sanguisorba</i> 'Cangshan Cranberry'</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG165RFoskgQQrc6vUaQUU76Cx0y_ytn8cf9BQHQpNM1twbewGcwwSX0aHn5tELLLRrje1d8ttDrULl-IiAF8jCQEGHhioYC6m3b13IzLAWgnbsbqnakJVJOjqwwysshnRtFrsTFAJDkU/s1600/r-o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG165RFoskgQQrc6vUaQUU76Cx0y_ytn8cf9BQHQpNM1twbewGcwwSX0aHn5tELLLRrje1d8ttDrULl-IiAF8jCQEGHhioYC6m3b13IzLAWgnbsbqnakJVJOjqwwysshnRtFrsTFAJDkU/s320/r-o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Galanthus reginae-olgae</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-11938433478652928452015-09-25T21:36:00.000+01:002015-09-25T21:36:10.661+01:00Autumn sunshine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtq8gAfo8mntOWAHYRcAuaa41KgnXsBPar5FxZanJOik5gsvjlNDrz9FabUwxGhqkudLaqoAHHtg8TGJYBR_pVYcd15t46j6bgir7dq9A4ACSQneW7AKlGJx7-JoxmWSxrIaX2HMNkxPM/s1600/Helianthus+sal+BC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtq8gAfo8mntOWAHYRcAuaa41KgnXsBPar5FxZanJOik5gsvjlNDrz9FabUwxGhqkudLaqoAHHtg8TGJYBR_pVYcd15t46j6bgir7dq9A4ACSQneW7AKlGJx7-JoxmWSxrIaX2HMNkxPM/s400/Helianthus+sal+BC.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Helianthus salicifolius</i> 'Bitter Chocolate', a great introduction from Bob Brown.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWSEOvqV7pHdQjnGxxc9PUT6MRfp2ZKAKpMuqhy6oxRNkbk8KdjlpNnP037LBDA2MFCL8Rh4cUrUFbYpX_33uTJdrUmXBSEOBLpAmzehlgs9qnD0bMm6VCbTd67VDK-haeKHuStN0Y-Y/s1600/Helianthus+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWSEOvqV7pHdQjnGxxc9PUT6MRfp2ZKAKpMuqhy6oxRNkbk8KdjlpNnP037LBDA2MFCL8Rh4cUrUFbYpX_33uTJdrUmXBSEOBLpAmzehlgs9qnD0bMm6VCbTd67VDK-haeKHuStN0Y-Y/s400/Helianthus+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Helianthus</i> 'Lemon Queen' with <i>Solidago</i> 'Fireworks'</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmv3VGWjngsO0haqHBNSF_zgrZ71ti0znUKfp6TucZrgu_VLcm5E9v7qC8a9Io4ly3HjZ6CVIn7HnfPES7T6J0jPK2QkI6DE6Lj945M5ue_y3FUUE-KilpgJWJvHmQ1F31DFg5JO_EsKA/s1600/view+to+drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmv3VGWjngsO0haqHBNSF_zgrZ71ti0znUKfp6TucZrgu_VLcm5E9v7qC8a9Io4ly3HjZ6CVIn7HnfPES7T6J0jPK2QkI6DE6Lj945M5ue_y3FUUE-KilpgJWJvHmQ1F31DFg5JO_EsKA/s400/view+to+drive.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across the garden from "main" to "drive" border</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPchfjK_e4PVkGQWQjGDsX4D6l2aUNd0nzLCy7G_-yBQzA29-sKKRTkSfVzwHNYJ-gKcMeLgbNSbQs_-tcDde-zIvE2mHtk_wNZLpBTvIEaDtX4GnJF8iORzBLu4iXTQb5XRv6fzd2vBU/s1600/from+drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPchfjK_e4PVkGQWQjGDsX4D6l2aUNd0nzLCy7G_-yBQzA29-sKKRTkSfVzwHNYJ-gKcMeLgbNSbQs_-tcDde-zIvE2mHtk_wNZLpBTvIEaDtX4GnJF8iORzBLu4iXTQb5XRv6fzd2vBU/s400/from+drive.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and the opposite way.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNR53t8BSx-usS5utYQKYgPzS4Dzqwh9AVKEN5BSHhvYNHmwYdfaFf2HclQunBPb20Bq-vky-TPf92kqCvhd9o8WMTygVLTIBnrO7SOQjrEncF15rAO2m9yL9xm79Tj41al8faIhfyYNs/s1600/painted+lady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNR53t8BSx-usS5utYQKYgPzS4Dzqwh9AVKEN5BSHhvYNHmwYdfaFf2HclQunBPb20Bq-vky-TPf92kqCvhd9o8WMTygVLTIBnrO7SOQjrEncF15rAO2m9yL9xm79Tj41al8faIhfyYNs/s320/painted+lady.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first Painted Lady in the garden this year, on <i>Symphyotrichum novae-angliae</i> 'Rosa Sieger'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxmkOgskbPNVA1Ouewyw8Qq71tf6FA4xiT_cQqstt4JF1NKBCZQqraPI591SfXS_aSokkbynJd2L5B5bIX16kPeX6WzuBieyJI-EZda94NH9_8arT2-30Ri4r2uCEgOYka-TI0C0VZ0w/s1600/dahlia+Twynings+REvel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxmkOgskbPNVA1Ouewyw8Qq71tf6FA4xiT_cQqstt4JF1NKBCZQqraPI591SfXS_aSokkbynJd2L5B5bIX16kPeX6WzuBieyJI-EZda94NH9_8arT2-30Ri4r2uCEgOYka-TI0C0VZ0w/s320/dahlia+Twynings+REvel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dahlia</i> 'Twyning's Revel'</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKkQaa8O4C40R88Ljz9xLBKUC_L0Rj-Kjmi0vYf0_NtEB5L3sYLsWq5M8RgS2UOrbWFojwXnsYh3UZxA5IYdWJWLFBn-nXt24LO7S6Pry3ike5vxlxnCcxA3nYTHdRlEh92hcWb9h6VI/s1600/Echeveria++CC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKkQaa8O4C40R88Ljz9xLBKUC_L0Rj-Kjmi0vYf0_NtEB5L3sYLsWq5M8RgS2UOrbWFojwXnsYh3UZxA5IYdWJWLFBn-nXt24LO7S6Pry3ike5vxlxnCcxA3nYTHdRlEh92hcWb9h6VI/s400/Echeveria++CC.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Echeveria</i> Compton Carousel</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuGXG2yy07dya1Kh24L2JcfbEYRLjx5-PNCvQK4RFfAfKZVAVCmLXDx4mNGxtR-ndDOyuBvNdBXE2ulVg5AMvmJdoVlxBvXY9tAmaQw94UMX6gpsRMar4R4AOn8lhitJZv_Gq40qfnvM/s1600/Geranium+Linaria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuGXG2yy07dya1Kh24L2JcfbEYRLjx5-PNCvQK4RFfAfKZVAVCmLXDx4mNGxtR-ndDOyuBvNdBXE2ulVg5AMvmJdoVlxBvXY9tAmaQw94UMX6gpsRMar4R4AOn8lhitJZv_Gq40qfnvM/s400/Geranium+Linaria.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Geranium</i> 'Anne Thomson', with Matt Bishop's superb <i>Linaria</i> hybrid</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbMWZDFk6O65l4bCtGCs_HnucRTNbvIOqLP6Qf877Yn2pjkxga0qQuO1_4i4ncj8Z2UUh4mXiktJboLPNJCO9VJB5f3rTRak21zqs1ZMdkHVlGQTgwTUCTx7uvZ78msWC3_jstAalniQ/s1600/Persicaria+OF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbMWZDFk6O65l4bCtGCs_HnucRTNbvIOqLP6Qf877Yn2pjkxga0qQuO1_4i4ncj8Z2UUh4mXiktJboLPNJCO9VJB5f3rTRak21zqs1ZMdkHVlGQTgwTUCTx7uvZ78msWC3_jstAalniQ/s400/Persicaria+OF.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Persicaria</i> Orange Field continues to improve, alongside Dahlia 'Freya's Paso Doble' and <i>Monarda</i> 'Gewitterwolke'</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-62253007946502379212015-08-12T23:24:00.000+01:002015-08-12T23:24:16.188+01:00A day out in the East Riding<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDZomBPYqKlEYu6ndEKMhQL0WFGi8x_iIxcw-De-4zDxytat89u94Ob70an2cvQ1WjcY4SWtkdu6wVf-8SmsDAtKzJTheBF3cwqHfLbWjqEwbirI-exuB9lFhk72LmPuWKyMMkDo7AYk/s1600/Burnby+Hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDZomBPYqKlEYu6ndEKMhQL0WFGi8x_iIxcw-De-4zDxytat89u94Ob70an2cvQ1WjcY4SWtkdu6wVf-8SmsDAtKzJTheBF3cwqHfLbWjqEwbirI-exuB9lFhk72LmPuWKyMMkDo7AYk/s400/Burnby+Hall.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterlilies on the lake at Burnby Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had a friend, Troy Marden from Nashville, Tennessee, staying at the weekend, and on Sunday took him out for a trip round the East Riding of Yorkshire, south and east of here. First stop was Burnby Hall in Pocklington, where the famous feature is a lake with an extensive collection of waterlilies, but it is set in pleasant and well-maintained grounds with a diversity of different garden styles. The waterlilies were looking lovely, with many classic cultivars forming big patches, but although it's National Plant Collection of <i>Nymphaea</i> it is sadly lacking in modern cultivars, so by no means displays the full spectrum of colours and habits. There is an excellent little museum there too, commemorating the life and travels of Major Percy Stewart and his wife Katharine, former owners of the Hall and creators of the lake and gardens.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhc-_r3iVNUOQnaKhsTnZs0zYn4BAB6HAs5VjT6P0OBcf4jLEhMTDtsE9gzlnusV1NQgJAZRkTRH9vE5_0VEPdMzIDdgCHjw5xa_91xAqAjo6PAw4ocHFuH4DouBQytXJXGnuIvHUcWc/s1600/Nymphaea+Juliana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhc-_r3iVNUOQnaKhsTnZs0zYn4BAB6HAs5VjT6P0OBcf4jLEhMTDtsE9gzlnusV1NQgJAZRkTRH9vE5_0VEPdMzIDdgCHjw5xa_91xAqAjo6PAw4ocHFuH4DouBQytXJXGnuIvHUcWc/s320/Nymphaea+Juliana.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nymphaea</i> 'Juliana'</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexw5ZmaIgZ_n1XlfbBZ8Vq5v-MapdbldSweRb828yiYAivRZwa4WscL0vMLidGNMObHUXbQ8m0gUrSv-F0tBTvmfgYXsd-MQ4mXggTxxADdAOxkbFiKoA8T3MY3ievcQVazvsXiKpDQA/s1600/Romneya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexw5ZmaIgZ_n1XlfbBZ8Vq5v-MapdbldSweRb828yiYAivRZwa4WscL0vMLidGNMObHUXbQ8m0gUrSv-F0tBTvmfgYXsd-MQ4mXggTxxADdAOxkbFiKoA8T3MY3ievcQVazvsXiKpDQA/s400/Romneya.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've never seen such a floriferous <i>Romneya coulteri</i> as this patch in the Victorian Garden at Burnby Hall - quite magnificent.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5i-tNPW1D57YZcazBst4Vyx6rVO4cJhyBGIxtyzRT2IQagRHq5Xmrf3iqU1Ibk364m7xJBbWHeFa0Rx61B9wyByCkVHAE71bnxoLFPi6LOI5D5cGqP_Vi4XKBdFHnbuiOBxZYDFDceE/s1600/Incarvillea+olgae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5i-tNPW1D57YZcazBst4Vyx6rVO4cJhyBGIxtyzRT2IQagRHq5Xmrf3iqU1Ibk364m7xJBbWHeFa0Rx61B9wyByCkVHAE71bnxoLFPi6LOI5D5cGqP_Vi4XKBdFHnbuiOBxZYDFDceE/s320/Incarvillea+olgae.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a great surprise to see<i> Incarvillea olgae</i> in the Victorian Garden - it's a very unusual plant.</td></tr>
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The next port of call was Mires Beck Nursery, North Cave, which grows both ornamental perennials and a very wide assortment of native wildflowers sourced from Yorkshire stock. We've had many thousands of their plugs to put in at the arboretum, but I'd never visited the nursery, and I needed to pick up some cowslips, so it was a good opportunity to look in. <a href="http://www.miresbeck.co.uk/index.php/miresbeck">Mires Beck </a>is far more than just a nursery, being a registered charity offering work and training for people with learning difficulties and other disabilities, and in addition to the usual appurtenances of a nursery there are several nicely kept garden areas and a modern building with a big hall. It's definitely a cause worthy of support and we will continue to buy our wildflowers from them.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQ72E22geTqEDzbC2bjl_gxYye58fPQeJjh2UFrIZUs9PArvo-K_UvIIzKp8cQl7ZnBDSJ_BQbyaZfIw19MQH__Y6oDxRJOtGjvIn2V2PFu9GPamGCpNJr1F-xQ55lpCNTtuJ0k5CWaw/s1600/Miresbeck+myrsinites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQ72E22geTqEDzbC2bjl_gxYye58fPQeJjh2UFrIZUs9PArvo-K_UvIIzKp8cQl7ZnBDSJ_BQbyaZfIw19MQH__Y6oDxRJOtGjvIn2V2PFu9GPamGCpNJr1F-xQ55lpCNTtuJ0k5CWaw/s400/Miresbeck+myrsinites.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A planter at Mires Beck Nursery with an attractive combination of native and 'garden' plants - <i>Euphorbia myrsinites</i> being most conspicuous. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTULjGuYE7mdeuB9amFoI8BbSKMZ-MAETbKUMRiRv_NZvhaIz1ReOzYsDO8wU4bgThnQyPwez2Cx7QhpTNNt-noGYti-Hp3p1KvEiVm3kHqtuuzw968uEhBVIPWO6mV1GqVmipcqsVYM/s1600/Burton+Agnes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTULjGuYE7mdeuB9amFoI8BbSKMZ-MAETbKUMRiRv_NZvhaIz1ReOzYsDO8wU4bgThnQyPwez2Cx7QhpTNNt-noGYti-Hp3p1KvEiVm3kHqtuuzw968uEhBVIPWO6mV1GqVmipcqsVYM/s400/Burton+Agnes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burton Agnes Hall from the east. The globe sculpture in the pool spins round, slowly and elegantly .</td></tr>
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From Mires Beck we made our way to Burton Agnes Hall, situated in the Wolds between Driffield and Bridlington. It's a beautiful brick-built Elizabethan/Jacobean house, dating to 1598-1610, and has some beautiful architectural features and superb interiors.Most remarkable of all is the extraordinary art collection, with works by an array of great artists across the centuries, and some very fine work by less well-known painters too. As an indication of the quality the interpretation panels don't even mention the Renoir or Gauguin.<br />
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The site is intimate - no vast park here, with the walled garden close by the house, outbuildings and church not far away, and a beautiful Jacobean gatehouse at the main entrance. Adjacent to the house e are lawns and clipped topiary, with a formal pool on the east side, but the walled garden is the centrepiece. Divided into various sections, it is full of interest and diversity, and very charming, but one feels it's past its best and needs refreshing. A thorough overhaul of the large shrubs would be a good start. But the potager is actively maintained, with good vegetables coming on amongst lots of annuals.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIkK6_eyRMRU-vQJ_FxBvc2E2e6z6OC9TRaJaIb1WyS-nn6fY6Ft_fAPSDGVowlrUw5FtEsMZWAHLE6BJtrHtuv1PehfK-3tB1iaUFkvQHvA4v7bft1OgnxERLMNBgvRTmgsXUSyQ2qM/s1600/Burton+Agnes+hydrangeas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIkK6_eyRMRU-vQJ_FxBvc2E2e6z6OC9TRaJaIb1WyS-nn6fY6Ft_fAPSDGVowlrUw5FtEsMZWAHLE6BJtrHtuv1PehfK-3tB1iaUFkvQHvA4v7bft1OgnxERLMNBgvRTmgsXUSyQ2qM/s320/Burton+Agnes+hydrangeas.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fringe of hydrangeas around the skirt of the house complement the mellow brickwork. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eiWp7dWKoi67pR_V69mYFwpV1TQ8WQYwxYdZ4JLbHS_HmfhrUQoEv1aZ9p-9zFGy1wLbstUN6XAN2z5duNH6sCG0Vd0_SnmYvKjs1bXmyKs1sEsptyCVgSie5sW80U_ktMALVkaSKH8/s1600/Burton+Agnes+hollyhocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eiWp7dWKoi67pR_V69mYFwpV1TQ8WQYwxYdZ4JLbHS_HmfhrUQoEv1aZ9p-9zFGy1wLbstUN6XAN2z5duNH6sCG0Vd0_SnmYvKjs1bXmyKs1sEsptyCVgSie5sW80U_ktMALVkaSKH8/s320/Burton+Agnes+hollyhocks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The house through a fringe of hollyhocks in the walled garden.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHCr1RvwNGQ2ZPNhM6gA_cYFJb7TQ9FGfk35IZuRkIUYc7cquUh7HnvwUCdke5-kt4AbTg0PSsRYlE_M60bArAIfN_aMJpUFRnEGbpmP2nx1zdEuCEgrVAK1tidR-gfJkTF70jbfXpMo/s1600/red+cabbages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHCr1RvwNGQ2ZPNhM6gA_cYFJb7TQ9FGfk35IZuRkIUYc7cquUh7HnvwUCdke5-kt4AbTg0PSsRYlE_M60bArAIfN_aMJpUFRnEGbpmP2nx1zdEuCEgrVAK1tidR-gfJkTF70jbfXpMo/s400/red+cabbages.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is no ornamental plant with foliage of this colour and magnificence - we need to bring red cabbages into foliage schemes. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrA7gEc8eiksZ8M8NYbWauzjtBr27yhFzgqsu3xQhGHOeu8bXNzrc4CsihzEA9NNbU5sflYsjyeQlyyCNaJpdl6FrSGhKhprKjsuNZF8_3ANegHDXyNlm9ejwXgYJCqNWhAYpxp0aTeQ/s1600/hot+biscuits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrA7gEc8eiksZ8M8NYbWauzjtBr27yhFzgqsu3xQhGHOeu8bXNzrc4CsihzEA9NNbU5sflYsjyeQlyyCNaJpdl6FrSGhKhprKjsuNZF8_3ANegHDXyNlm9ejwXgYJCqNWhAYpxp0aTeQ/s320/hot+biscuits.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was good to see a fine patch of the old Sahin selection of <i>Amaranthus cruentus</i>, 'Hot Biscuits'</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcF87H-SJ0IJTbisBWyWkny5fqGAAapZxxx1M6q36fKjYs5g6PtkOAFNOu7bFf9JP8Xkdjw5I6fbrGNZ82T6iZW8BQjrqz_h8BDZpOoYd6Md5b-F45oI3K6Rd4fXPJBnBbDtx8IjNRHGA/s1600/Dipsacus+laciniatus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcF87H-SJ0IJTbisBWyWkny5fqGAAapZxxx1M6q36fKjYs5g6PtkOAFNOu7bFf9JP8Xkdjw5I6fbrGNZ82T6iZW8BQjrqz_h8BDZpOoYd6Md5b-F45oI3K6Rd4fXPJBnBbDtx8IjNRHGA/s320/Dipsacus+laciniatus.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and I was delighted to see handsome specimens of <i>Dipsacus laciniatus</i>, having a liking for teasels...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheg93yxB_oiszInJ7zRbnRnKXAQfZgxoQXoaW0K4_uLltIaruQoIX_OEnTqD-xDPxW7dt_VtMAPGIYhEmpTBMQt1iISV6Hz-o31sQvnn8X4_SLOUAQnlUbjl3fOMolnQiyVmGNoIcfDKo/s1600/Flamborough+Head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheg93yxB_oiszInJ7zRbnRnKXAQfZgxoQXoaW0K4_uLltIaruQoIX_OEnTqD-xDPxW7dt_VtMAPGIYhEmpTBMQt1iISV6Hz-o31sQvnn8X4_SLOUAQnlUbjl3fOMolnQiyVmGNoIcfDKo/s400/Flamborough+Head.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The penultimate stop of the day was the chalk cliffs of Flamborough Head, still with abundant kittiwakes on their nests, and gannets flying past in files.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KjlxknIkIdV4RLgrrZ51Iu4MRiTEYzC8pmbkHlxHPSkpn4RctNQAVgmmc4V3aHJyoQdDwX__qqoMYTs9yKA7Wx-kZd5V_JpUs4z8y_2HBV4nontU2Ef25JTqD4ocL6wZdjvTk74tiIQ/s1600/Harebells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KjlxknIkIdV4RLgrrZ51Iu4MRiTEYzC8pmbkHlxHPSkpn4RctNQAVgmmc4V3aHJyoQdDwX__qqoMYTs9yKA7Wx-kZd5V_JpUs4z8y_2HBV4nontU2Ef25JTqD4ocL6wZdjvTk74tiIQ/s400/Harebells.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A huddle of harebells on the very edge of the cliff.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLqz4rk7OfzwF1CtLbEbOReHG_lMgoAE5W5sO49y8xOforY4hMxFEZc4R5CmhZgyiMzXSdIC8Mx8CTCJ3LmtOVz_xZLbbaN1PRzxqqLAVYnpLxyNVQ9weprAUphrLsGg_pH7IDLBEN8I/s1600/Rudston+monolith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLqz4rk7OfzwF1CtLbEbOReHG_lMgoAE5W5sO49y8xOforY4hMxFEZc4R5CmhZgyiMzXSdIC8Mx8CTCJ3LmtOVz_xZLbbaN1PRzxqqLAVYnpLxyNVQ9weprAUphrLsGg_pH7IDLBEN8I/s320/Rudston+monolith.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And finally - the Rudston monolith, the tallest (7.6 m) Neolithic standing stone in Britain, also reputed to have a dinosaur footprint visible, but this takes a bit of imagining.</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-28442299729956445302015-08-07T21:55:00.000+01:002015-08-07T21:55:15.616+01:00Nice plants in my parents' garden<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRXqrAOtDRXceNq-UxyUlRDqVOGK_IVGdD4ouL510R8n8L7ikVIqv2A3NnE1-9lMeeSe8SBYpYjf3slrSvo3hL9Q5HemI7qvx_mR9DJIyx2JeBSaIPDCfgrfkD2VYUNMqqojAVNLmonk/s1600/Crinum+powellii+Album.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRXqrAOtDRXceNq-UxyUlRDqVOGK_IVGdD4ouL510R8n8L7ikVIqv2A3NnE1-9lMeeSe8SBYpYjf3slrSvo3hL9Q5HemI7qvx_mR9DJIyx2JeBSaIPDCfgrfkD2VYUNMqqojAVNLmonk/s400/Crinum+powellii+Album.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Crinum</i> x <i>powellii</i> 'Album'. In the early '90s I remarked to Primrose Warburg that we'd had two stems on this, to which she replied that she thought she'd had forty on hers (planted at the foot of her washing line post).</td></tr>
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I had an hour or so at my parents' home in Maidenhead yesterday afternoon, and took some iPad snaps of plants looking good in the garden. Most of the planting there was put in by me in the 1990s, and it is interesting to see how permanent some plants are while others have faded away over the years. It is a warm, south-facing plot in a very mild area, on well-drained loam, so it's a very favourable site for plants that are not reliably hardy in colder areas.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-dWJ0P_-nauD8SI2y8DxKT5UNoku0zRYXeYVgqVxIHoFbvqxuFfYWT62IH1rI2d6coHBaQAChOv6fc7FyZK9jVmCtyk0DMfzWJ07BvZafIzxZTHbZUjk6g9ElDz0ezhyveqYpjVsEso/s1600/Agapanthus+praecox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-dWJ0P_-nauD8SI2y8DxKT5UNoku0zRYXeYVgqVxIHoFbvqxuFfYWT62IH1rI2d6coHBaQAChOv6fc7FyZK9jVmCtyk0DMfzWJ07BvZafIzxZTHbZUjk6g9ElDz0ezhyveqYpjVsEso/s400/Agapanthus+praecox.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Agapanthus praecox</i>, grown from seed from plants that grew in my garden in Tanzania. It has been hardy here for about twenty years.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQG-zNZpruQGAS_9XwT04QvGulLzamMDWripx9lyCC228JypJu_DH3WqqTyC1N2TvbJKP8pQueSS2mbI-lDcoD23NDfFJAY1Q4ilpqfGsVlXugAvIx55wBNo0SKfIr4ABVodrhC7vdKY/s1600/Allium+senescens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQG-zNZpruQGAS_9XwT04QvGulLzamMDWripx9lyCC228JypJu_DH3WqqTyC1N2TvbJKP8pQueSS2mbI-lDcoD23NDfFJAY1Q4ilpqfGsVlXugAvIx55wBNo0SKfIr4ABVodrhC7vdKY/s320/Allium+senescens.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Allium senescens</i> and <i>Eryngium bourgatii '</i>Oxford Blue'</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6L_-fjtm31nyTYirSAGSfzuItm9hMkRb4vFTIDe9ZjKJyQ5SBa1_2adFy8SY3XEN0BO4BGkgzIrm1-nrCE8omeZMd1UuyA_XI7LXErHg7W-gKbvgnUa7aQH4Bvi_PGuwRimklreU7yY/s1600/Allium+sp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6L_-fjtm31nyTYirSAGSfzuItm9hMkRb4vFTIDe9ZjKJyQ5SBa1_2adFy8SY3XEN0BO4BGkgzIrm1-nrCE8omeZMd1UuyA_XI7LXErHg7W-gKbvgnUa7aQH4Bvi_PGuwRimklreU7yY/s320/Allium+sp.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mystery<i> Allium</i> that has appeared - thoughts on identity are welcome!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PWBBghsXttsiNkKbVniLUR3w8zYUSC7uVhjtxyEuftELL7WYt9tjPM-TZXpfMlbxM_O5iEVQioigdXCEdy35v7x43vxUH-ZMtBaL_e1i56ssYW42QnuKGdKXhRw3PMVJPbmlWx_cuPs/s1600/Aeonium+Zwartkop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PWBBghsXttsiNkKbVniLUR3w8zYUSC7uVhjtxyEuftELL7WYt9tjPM-TZXpfMlbxM_O5iEVQioigdXCEdy35v7x43vxUH-ZMtBaL_e1i56ssYW42QnuKGdKXhRw3PMVJPbmlWx_cuPs/s400/Aeonium+Zwartkop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice combination in my mother's planter of <i>Aeonium</i> 'Zwartkop' and <i>Plectranthus argentatus</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA3UO0TIR-NP2x3WQgCq9bp2-ORoCj5reKhwr_Ct_0i0gB5j2hgxoqVaeJEdD8UGoH6xjvqpy9Pj1YDdO4z4jWDg8YSfeQCXU8PU_BG8vWVjUyqqz5le4O0n3IYyg4mz390xvhrTNF9Y/s1600/Polypodium+Cornubiense.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA3UO0TIR-NP2x3WQgCq9bp2-ORoCj5reKhwr_Ct_0i0gB5j2hgxoqVaeJEdD8UGoH6xjvqpy9Pj1YDdO4z4jWDg8YSfeQCXU8PU_BG8vWVjUyqqz5le4O0n3IYyg4mz390xvhrTNF9Y/s320/Polypodium+Cornubiense.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh fronds of <i>Polypodium interjectum</i> 'Cornubiense' forming a lush carpet</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF02ua7slUrVnDt2tmhkHL2nBY82RUFUePGOgGFJ1tyZR5G-E_QnTGfhN0ZA2VcAXvyH7lFZ3uoFLyYUQjaptnbbOyfCLRN4-qyWybvFUogaW4PK-esoHtTQmtpufeZNCvi1DFG9onJbo/s1600/Lavatera+cashmiriana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF02ua7slUrVnDt2tmhkHL2nBY82RUFUePGOgGFJ1tyZR5G-E_QnTGfhN0ZA2VcAXvyH7lFZ3uoFLyYUQjaptnbbOyfCLRN4-qyWybvFUogaW4PK-esoHtTQmtpufeZNCvi1DFG9onJbo/s400/Lavatera+cashmiriana.jpg" width="381" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lavatera cashemiriana</i> came from Chris Chadwell in 1991 and maintains itself by self-sowing modestly.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTh668l5HnNrd3l4j5e0pigVw45WoVzVfCy3LpIBBnOYZxRnV1vZOsQQ2_e5ytRTMuZZZwqKR07WlzLGcoKqq8nHhuCecSNhiO0H7DFlhYO1_OMtiUmpnThIPnnvxcaxs3qWR-yYx5TF0/s1600/Myrtus+communis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTh668l5HnNrd3l4j5e0pigVw45WoVzVfCy3LpIBBnOYZxRnV1vZOsQQ2_e5ytRTMuZZZwqKR07WlzLGcoKqq8nHhuCecSNhiO0H7DFlhYO1_OMtiUmpnThIPnnvxcaxs3qWR-yYx5TF0/s320/Myrtus+communis.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Myrtus communis</i>, originally grown from a cutting liberated from a garden in Charmouth, Dorset, in 1982.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisdjjSmqaVNh08Jn3ecCyM_h2zbMcl9_jTMuKm9QSZSTPUl38g1kQ7EovI_W9Nn_PdlBd1t1LvBRaEAT-JaqNShlOmLF0qf_4NzrWRJ4JNHnpb4jcoi6yjPuusEgTEcLikqBQ2v7uCJw/s1600/Mytus+communis+Variegata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisdjjSmqaVNh08Jn3ecCyM_h2zbMcl9_jTMuKm9QSZSTPUl38g1kQ7EovI_W9Nn_PdlBd1t1LvBRaEAT-JaqNShlOmLF0qf_4NzrWRJ4JNHnpb4jcoi6yjPuusEgTEcLikqBQ2v7uCJw/s400/Mytus+communis+Variegata.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Myrtus communis</i> 'Variegata' is generally said to be tender, but this has been unscathed here since it was planted in 1991, justr like its plain counterpart. It was grown from a cutting supplied from the Oxford Botanic Garden for the plant propagation class in my Botany course in 1987.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyh0N-cVmmBIY8M2nErNP-ZmeES1Iy-5g8b0N4tCnMUr-iqeYIQB3JPBvhnVEzmPaDlygrDDubbf7wnlP_sW4g4Ikrd_HLJD5IneCOaxfV1mu7hyphenhyphen_cWJihaGryMWN1p__vzajmZQrtxE0/s1600/Cynanchum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyh0N-cVmmBIY8M2nErNP-ZmeES1Iy-5g8b0N4tCnMUr-iqeYIQB3JPBvhnVEzmPaDlygrDDubbf7wnlP_sW4g4Ikrd_HLJD5IneCOaxfV1mu7hyphenhyphen_cWJihaGryMWN1p__vzajmZQrtxE0/s320/Cynanchum.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cynanchum sp. - a curiosity as a hardy, climbing asclepiad, with tiny almost black flowers, followed by typical pairs of capsules looking like inflated horns , with silky-haired seed. It sows around, but doesn't really warrant its space.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2OLYwJr_zqDCC5yfvEFPPxu_yFyEwbmyeYzP-5tbzLmam4GpvvqIKZNqQTDoCkF_763hAqndmMhiYfkySpMheCzYlp9a1Prp2k1Os8cbi7Lo-VFnxyZJLx3NC9x01fsNZREJ14El6pY/s1600/Orobanche+hederae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2OLYwJr_zqDCC5yfvEFPPxu_yFyEwbmyeYzP-5tbzLmam4GpvvqIKZNqQTDoCkF_763hAqndmMhiYfkySpMheCzYlp9a1Prp2k1Os8cbi7Lo-VFnxyZJLx3NC9x01fsNZREJ14El6pY/s320/Orobanche+hederae.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivy Broomrape, <i>Orobanche hederae</i>, on ivy roots in a dry border by the drive. A fun plant that parasitises only ivy so can't do any harm to anything else - and the ivy copes perfectly well.</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2417381781440063818.post-38695296512142132552015-07-29T22:36:00.000+01:002015-07-29T22:36:21.012+01:00Snapshots from a long weekend of gardens<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemrKxAb7nGy-K6Vo4zIlrh5M_PsLobxN-nExYQqWV4u4Yl1IPqr-SCBopYdQSR0psCH4hebU8kbXOuzx_jDTOLgUcU4Ks2TbK7a6IFjJBCMohyphenhyphen2N5HGV74A77NZ-bKNeK3Fmb953MeR8/s1600/Perennial+Tatton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemrKxAb7nGy-K6Vo4zIlrh5M_PsLobxN-nExYQqWV4u4Yl1IPqr-SCBopYdQSR0psCH4hebU8kbXOuzx_jDTOLgUcU4Ks2TbK7a6IFjJBCMohyphenhyphen2N5HGV74A77NZ-bKNeK3Fmb953MeR8/s400/Perennial+Tatton.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the Perennial Legacy Garden, designed by Paul Harvey-Brookes, at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show (Thursday) - deservedly 'Best in Show'.</td></tr>
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My friend Gary Keim from Philadelphia has been visiting, and by taking a day off, and fitting garden visits between meetings we were able to get to see a number of good gardens and the Tatton Park Flower Show. Each could have its own blog post, but I've chosen one shot from each as a representative of things to see in each garden at present. Not an easy choice!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnqdujzZSADS17N-O3C08nS2DEvwqOrc_Prdx1DTJRNWkLMlAzJJJ8Gk_98iSLJ0dwLsTcFHnFFaFI9JQuOyI-iBaR8h56zUs85u5qrJeZKYPfyZUlruGmLN_-z5nvqqcVBeKJqTOphs/s1600/Harewood+mulleins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnqdujzZSADS17N-O3C08nS2DEvwqOrc_Prdx1DTJRNWkLMlAzJJJ8Gk_98iSLJ0dwLsTcFHnFFaFI9JQuOyI-iBaR8h56zUs85u5qrJeZKYPfyZUlruGmLN_-z5nvqqcVBeKJqTOphs/s400/Harewood+mulleins.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing mulleins in the tropical border at Harewood House, at peak flowering (Friday), presumably mostly derived from <i>Verbascum olympicum</i>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbtPqgusNTWKxClcyDCV8BT9qIUnBCMlm3Kg6swtKtYUDuMVZpgLuNUI6qIaFEBfQ42iub5gNvrlYpOu7HrFyvkfrD1n7-glT0x-AUg-1n6O90akhgsLTbCOvvUaKQhqYOSFDo1ko-s8/s1600/scampston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbtPqgusNTWKxClcyDCV8BT9qIUnBCMlm3Kg6swtKtYUDuMVZpgLuNUI6qIaFEBfQ42iub5gNvrlYpOu7HrFyvkfrD1n7-glT0x-AUg-1n6O90akhgsLTbCOvvUaKQhqYOSFDo1ko-s8/s400/scampston.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shimmering mass of perennials in Piet Oudolf's central section of Scampston Walled Garden (Saturday).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEkrUKl7dpeci9heGBiQDgMsbvGb_WKv2CJUkPZ2sUFLdQhHSgezoZj39nGvYQkugVytbmOvTV7ng9ExCNZRWLxExm3JWKYt_E9f1UPTUVoAsJgzx7pcDazVvcKvCBni2hmfxZJGpykI/s1600/brezy+knees+glebionis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEkrUKl7dpeci9heGBiQDgMsbvGb_WKv2CJUkPZ2sUFLdQhHSgezoZj39nGvYQkugVytbmOvTV7ng9ExCNZRWLxExm3JWKYt_E9f1UPTUVoAsJgzx7pcDazVvcKvCBni2hmfxZJGpykI/s400/brezy+knees+glebionis.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunglasses needed: Corn Marigold (<i>Glebionis segetum</i>) at Breezy Knees garden (Saturday).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihTAHalm80Bh_Qmx2TkQtjh32CMzf2Sqoxy6MabTNyCPgncjL1_d4ANhqMNjJPYrGaKRn59gzj51BpX0bm4EDMJtJ8KsaOI2Uv-0gUzUKLGbObjxnZZduYdQrqmhhcOUwVNmK6tSQoAU/s1600/Misty+Agastache.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihTAHalm80Bh_Qmx2TkQtjh32CMzf2Sqoxy6MabTNyCPgncjL1_d4ANhqMNjJPYrGaKRn59gzj51BpX0bm4EDMJtJ8KsaOI2Uv-0gUzUKLGbObjxnZZduYdQrqmhhcOUwVNmK6tSQoAU/s400/Misty+Agastache.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mist in my garden on Sunday morning (<i>Agastache </i>'Serpentine' is conspicuous).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKK6Pd6k7QM5Jrk1ICA4BR5zMPbJ_0T4N4IHd7O7ucy0MK2DfM5ruAmyvKPWO77u2DDOQMzT3ETX1Mmy6RaaC0WWK3ohvwcOGEfxu4lCfxq4l1MzrebBU_z4FO9uQADlJvocSH7BLpM8o/s1600/Mme+Julia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKK6Pd6k7QM5Jrk1ICA4BR5zMPbJ_0T4N4IHd7O7ucy0MK2DfM5ruAmyvKPWO77u2DDOQMzT3ETX1Mmy6RaaC0WWK3ohvwcOGEfxu4lCfxq4l1MzrebBU_z4FO9uQADlJvocSH7BLpM8o/s400/Mme+Julia.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Clematis</i> 'Mme Julia Correvon' at the Garden House, Condicote, Gloucestershire (Sunday)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAdmroJt-QhgXC0MQYFScdJ8bmfJ8D5-mEZfR30PGtdVLkWf0ELfrbN5iz1gK-dRc7-O3_rpyOlc6fJIkFYWk5Ce5hllF-Eyv4mheLiiulXCBdoovBhm_vx3dEYLTOc2SaJsvyCVWwNE/s1600/wisley+sunflowrs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAdmroJt-QhgXC0MQYFScdJ8bmfJ8D5-mEZfR30PGtdVLkWf0ELfrbN5iz1gK-dRc7-O3_rpyOlc6fJIkFYWk5Ce5hllF-Eyv4mheLiiulXCBdoovBhm_vx3dEYLTOc2SaJsvyCVWwNE/s400/wisley+sunflowrs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Helianthus</i> 'Little Becka' in the sunflower trial at RHS Garden Wisley, a superb multi-branching short cultivar, with very attractive flowers.</td></tr>
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<br />John Grimshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17363269527913926672noreply@blogger.com3