CABAHS members share photos from their gardens.
Members, please send in photos of your garden or a particular plant or flower in your garden, to be included here.
Class 17 (‘photograph of a display of plants on a table’) in our recent Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Show was partly inspired by Vija’s ‘Fantasy Garden Tables‘ post in May, which in turn was inspired by Monty Don’s ever-changing and covetable table displays on Gardeners’ World. Members’ photographs were displayed and judged on a digital screen, and were so varied, lovely and interesting, we thought we’d show them here (click on images to see in more detail):
After a brilliant summer, autumn is not too far away and this is when we start to notice more and more orange-flowered plants and berries becoming features in gardens and parks. Orange is a warm and comforting colour, and I’ve listed three that you might be interested in:
Continue reading Plants of the Month: The Oranges! (August 2025)My garden is looking past its best now, as the heat-waves and lack of rain having taken their toll, but these three plants are looking stunning and all worthy of the status of Plant of Month for July 2025.
Being the month of June, I am pleased to say that there is plenty of colour in the garden, including Rosa ‘Bobby James’ out in flower, but, the star plant for me is definitely the Canary Island foxglove, Digitalis canariensis.
This is an eye-catching shrub (albeit short-lived) with burnt-orange-apricot foxglove flowers, (flowering since May), supported by strong, upright stems and dark green, serrated-edged foliage.
This variegated Japanese Pittosporum — P. tobira ‘Neige du Mont Ventoux’ — is a lovely addition to any garden, and particularly courtyard gardens, where space is at a premium, as it is the perfect specimen for growing in a container.
It was at a rare plant fair in Kent many years ago when I spotted this very appealing shrub. It was “twinkling” at me so, naturally, I found I just could not resist it and brought it home! Because of its branched structure, it was placed in a terracotta container and there it has remained, contented, to this day. I hadn’t realised at the time though, that this variety is very suitable for a container, as its height and width is generally no more than one metre at maturity.
Continue reading Plant of the Month: Pittosporum tobira ‘Neige du Mont Ventoux’ (May 2025)Those of you who are regular viewers of BBC Gardeners’ World will most likely have noted Monty Don’s table of potted plants, which varies throughout the seasons and looks like something most of us can only dream of! In a recent article by Alice Vincent, she describes what she calls Monty Don’s ‘Fantasy table’. (My latest garden fantasy? An elegant table covered in flower pots)
The scale of Don’s table and the amount he has displayed is something many of us may aspire to, myself included! On a recent visit to Anna L’s garden, I was impressed by how she had similarly grouped a range of plants in pots, a mix of bulbs, a small Phlox stolonifera, Violas, a Clematis waiting to be planted and a miniature Hosta. Anna very kindly listed the plants for me and you can see from this that a display does not have to be carefully curated, but a selection of whatever takes your fancy!
If you have a shady area in your garden that needs ‘lightening up’, then perhaps consider the rosemary barbary. This shrub is looking fantastic in Linda B’s garden at the moment and I’m hoping that it will seed on my side of the fence in the near future.
Her Berberis is growing on a raised area so it gets good drainage, tolerating the shady side and facing north. So, it’s a tough, evergreen shrub, liking good drainage and drought-tolerant. Its tiny, narrow leaves (much like rosemary) are a leathery green, with a sharp point to the tips.
Continue reading Plant of the Month: Berberis x stenophylla (April 2025)During March, when the changeable weather still surprises us, it is wonderful to see the Camellias in flower, as they provide the much-needed WOW factor during the colder days – their profusion of flowers, colours, shapes and patterns add an immediate vibrancy and character to any garden or parkland.
In my neighbour Linda B’s garden, there are three Camellias but one stands out. The flowers are smaller and single, white (blush-pink as they age), scented and beautiful. The leaves are also different: matt-green and elongated and the overall appearance of the shrub is more elegant. It has grown, albeit slowly, and is now approximately 2’ in height. A plant app identifies it as possibly Camellia sasanqua.
Continue reading Plant of the Month: Camellia (March 2025)You may have spotted that the Charlton House Mulberry has just featured at Number 8 in the list of 20 Greatest Trees of Britain (the Telegraph) – what a well deserved honour!
I confess to being a bit of a Mulberry tree fan, having planted one in our garden in Westcombe Park just over 35 years ago. Our tree was a favourite retreat for my kids when they were growing up since, like all Mulberries, it has a very climbable branch structure and wonderful leaf canopy. Even Jerry our Jack Russell can climb up it when he has the momentum to chase squirrels!
Last year I bought my grandson a lovely children’s book about an old tree standing through the ages (What did the Tree See, by Charlotte Guillain) and reading it led me to ponder what our venerable Mulberry Tree at Charlton House might have been witness to over its 400 plus years?
The story would start in 1607, around the time the House was being built, when King James required landowners to purchase and plant 10,000 Mulberry trees between them, to start his ill-fated silk industry. When Sir Adam Newton bought the “Manor of Charlton”, it included six orchards, 260 acres of land, 100 acres of meadow, 200 acres of pasture and 200 acres of wood – so he certainly had space to please the King by planting a whole field of Mulberries. A pity that the wrong kind of trees were planted for silkworms and the climate was too cold for them to thrive. At Charlton House we know that “a few trees” remained by 1845 but our beautiful and venerable one is all that remains today.
Angela B wrote: “Clivia (or Natal lily, originally from South Africa) is one of my favourite plants. It comes in a variety of colours. I have been growing Clivia miniata, the orange-flower variety, for years. Its glossy leaves and bright orange trumpets are striking and decorative. It has flowered well this year and I thought members might like to see it, and I encourage those who have not grown one to do so.
It’s easy to grow. See the RHS website for detailed care instructions. It’s a woodland plant and likes indirect sunlight and regular watering from Spring to Autumn, but minimal watering over the winter.”
We asked a few other members about this unusual and lovely plant. Chris B is also a fan of them, she says hers has beautiful flowers in May and June and she puts it outside for a holiday in the Summer (although not in full sun). She brings it back inside for winter and reduces the watering.
Continue reading Fans of Clivia miniata
Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 