CABAHS (AH)

Plant(s) of the Month: The Blues (March 2026)

My garden has suddenly come alive with spring colour, mainly yellow, mauve and blue flowers, but I’ve had to work at it: the result being some gorgeously blue-flowering plants purchased (as a contrast to the in-situ yellows) for growing in containers. They have worked their magic, basking in the sunshine and enticing me into the garden with their beauty and my admiration!

This year, I decided, firstly, to recreate my spring ‘blue garden’ in a galvanised planter, first digging out unwanted material. I chose blue flowering plants with different shapes and sizes of flowers for harmony and these are the varieties I planted (including a purple Viola and Agapanthus to give depth to the arrangement):

Veronica umbrosa ‘Georgia Blue’ (alpine speedwell)
A enchanting little ground cover perennial, preferring full sun, if possible, and flowering during the spring months.

Small gardens

What is a small garden?

Margaret P's garden — Small is beautiful. Margaret P’s garden.

Technically, a small garden is considered to be one that is approximately 100m² (33 x 33ft) or less. While the average UK garden is apparently about twice that size (225m²– almost a tennis court), and most new build etc gardens are about half the size of ‘small’ (50m²), we are based in London and what really defines a small garden is probably more a matter of opinion and perception than exact dimensions. To complicate the topic further, many larger gardens are divided into smaller spaces or ‘rooms’, which will often have features and considerations in common with smaller gardens.

March 2026 talk: Plants for Shade

At our meeting on Monday 16 March we welcomed Lynne Moore of Moore and Moore Plants to talk to members about shade loving plants. A specialist in plants for shade for over 30 years, Lynne was clearly passionate about her subject and described herself as a ‘plantaholic’. She noted that from their very first time exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower show, one of the most common complaints she heard from visitors was that ‘nothing grows in the shade’ and this may be why our meeting attracted a large number of attendees. Lynne set out to prove that this is a very mistaken view…

Speaker Lynne Moore of Moore & Moore Plants, speaking at CABAHS, March 2026 — Lynne Moore talking about ’52 Weeks in the Shade Garden’

A slide from Lynne Moore's talk about plants for shade, March 2026 — Lynne Moore talking about ’52 Weeks in the Shade Garden’

March 2026 Meeting and Show Table

The March 2026 meeting had an energetic, spring-like atmosphere, with great attendance from members old and new as well as a number of guests. Thanks to all who took the opportunity to renew their membership for the year. We welcomed Lynne Moore of Moore & Moore Plants, who gave an inspiring and informative talk on plants for shade.

Everyone enjoyed refreshments, took part in the raffle, bought plants and seeds, collected their potato for the autumn potato growing competition and, of course, there was the regular Show Table. And what a lovely display there was this month – thanks to all who brought in their joyful and interesting plants and flowers:

Spring Show 2026 – classes to enter

The CABAHS Spring Show will take place on Monday 20 April 2026 and classes will be judged by John Hughes. Here’s a reminder of last year’s efforts!

Getting the 2025 CABAHS Spring Show set up and ready for judging — Spring Show 2025

Some of the 18 entries for Class 13: Narcissus 'Pipit' CABAHS Spring Show 2025 — Spring Show 2025

The classes you can enter this year are shown below, please have a go at as many as you like!

Pat’s 10 jobs for March 2026

1. Time to cut back Buddleja davidii hard… don’t be timid, take it right back to 40cm to a pair of buds. If you want a taller plant make the cuts higher up the stem. It will grow back in no time. The prunings make good hardwood cuttings and root easily straight in the ground.

Buddleja davidii in need of a hard prune — *Buddlejas* before and after a hard prune (not the same plant!)

Buddleja davidii after a fairly hard prune - already developing new shoots! — *Buddlejas* before and after a hard prune (not the same plant!)

2. You can pot up Dahlia tubers now by placing in pots or trays of peat-free compost in a frost-free place, and water once with no need to water again until shoots appear. Make sure the tubers are firm with no sign of rot.

Orchids at Kew Gardens

It’s celebration time for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as this is the 30th year of their much-loved Orchid exhibition, set within the rare and exotic planting in the Princess of Wales Conservatory.

Orchids at Kew, February 2026 — The magnificent variety of Orchids on display at Kew Gardens

This year, China is the inspiration for the exhibition, in particular the Yunnan Province, where 1,000 species of Orchid are to be found.

Plant of the Month: Edgeworthia chrysantha (February 2026)

So far February 2026 has been very wet, with heavy and prolonged downpours, which has restricted everyone’s garden visits, including mine. So I’ve had help this month from Ali H (many thanks) in seeking out winter-flowering specimens that are looking at their finest at the moment and hopefully will be of interest to you.

Originating from China and the Himalayan regions, Edgeworthia chrysantha is related to the Daphne family and I am not surprised as the flower clusters are extremely fragrant. They appear on the tips of bare stems in late winter, then in spring covered in foliage, consisting of attractive slender leaves, making a nice rounded shape to fit within planting schemes.

Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold' at RHS Wisley (Winter Walk) — *Edgeworthia* species, ‘Grandiflora’ (with bee!) and ‘Red Dragon’ at RHS Wisley

Pat’s 10 jobs for February 2026

1. It’s time to prune your Group 3 Clematis (the Viticella and Jackmanii type) to tackle tangled growth at the base so they can grow away strongly. Take all growth back hard to about 6 to 12 inches above the ground, cutting above a leaf joint. Then give them a feed and a mulch. It seems drastic but they respond well and will grow quickly. If it’s a fairly new plant check around the base for slugs which can quickly eat any weak new growth.

Clematis viticella 'Betty Corning' before February pruning — *Clematis viticella* ‘Betty Corning’ before and after a hard prune

Clematis viticella 'Betty Corning' after February pruning — *Clematis viticella* ‘Betty Corning’ before and after a hard prune

2. Cut back all spent foliage on grasses making sure not to snip emerging shoots. And look out for any seedlings to pot up for our plant sales table if you don’t want them!

Plant of the Month: Abutilon (January 2026)

On Christmas Eve 2025, after enjoying a treat of delicious coffee and mince pies, we were shown Karen S’s very stunning red-veined Abutilon, growing extremely happily in the shade, on the north-facing side of the garden. Covered in glowing, pendulous, lantern-like flowers amongst its dark-green foliage , the shrub lit up the garden during those dark, December days.

This very healthy shrub with maple-like leaves, had been cut back hard some time ago and had grown very quickly. It was a cutting from Margaret T’s garden two or three years ago. Its growth was very impressive indeed. But before that, the cuttings originally came from North London some years ago, from a plant-lover’s garden. One Abutilon in this garden was seen growing happily as a tall shrub/small tree beneath a mature tree, thus receiving a fair amount of shade and protection, which I think is necessary, as Abutilon species originated from tropical and subtropical regions of South America.

Abutilons have a long-flowering period in London, in bloom from early-to-mid summer and again in early winter. Karen’s shrub is still flowering now in January, but the prolonged cold snap earlier this month has, naturally, affected it – not as upright as it was but still continuing to bloom, although the flower colour is no longer quite as vivid. Let’s hope it warms up and recovers quickly. I know how it feels!