Profile highlighting a plant that is particularly good each month, chosen by Anna.
Last week I was in Greenwich Park, in what was the Old Rose Garden for several decades, and now transformed into a fantastic herbaceous garden, a riot of colour, shapes and forms, tall grasses swaying and intermingling flowering shrubs (find out more about this transformation). I had gone there to see one specific Salvia – and what a show they were putting on!
A few years ago, my garden would be looking quite green at this time of the year. But not this year; I am pleased to say that it’s actually very colourful, all due to my collection of salvias, which I’ve added to year-on-year. As you know, they are not 100% hardy as they originate from hotter climates, but, they do appear to survive in sheltered, London gardens if the winters are not too severe. And, as a precaution, we have learnt to take cuttings – just in case!
If your own space is looking ‘a bit green’ at the moment, think about adding annuals to liven up your garden in 2026. Here are a few I highly recommend:
This year I’ve grown Zinnia elegans SPRITE MIXED at my allotment and they are looking good – tall, healthy, robust, colourful and bee-friendly. I am very pleased with them, as the flowers themselves are a mixture of vibrant and subtle shades, and, as an added bonus, no signs of stem rot (fungi/bacteria more prevalent in warm, wetter summers that attack the stems).
I sowed the seed straight into the soil in two rows. Two or three weeks later, I thinned the seedlings and replanted those thinnings into a third row. So, they are tightly packed and they don’t seem to mind that and I don’t need to stake them. Flowering from July to October, this robust variety is perfect for displaying in gaps in borders or containers. And ideal for picking, although I don’t have the heart to do that yet!
Continue reading Plants of the Month: The annuals (September 2025)
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)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)If you wish to see the snowdrops now, I can highly recommend the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. The gardens are easy to reach via the District Line to Kew Station. The woodland garden (near the Princess Diana Conservatory) has meandering paths beneath the trees, where an array of snowdrops, aconites, hellebores and mauve-coloured crocuses (the shade of colour I’ve only ever seen at Kew) are displayed to a wonderful effect. Visiting on a beautiful sunny day makes the gardens appear even more delightful.
The magnificent sandstone rock garden nearby, which mimics mountainous regions, is an important feature of the gardens, and here and there, in mostly sunny locations, could be found very choice, small clumps of snowdrops which are labelled for the visitor. I would love to have any of these growing in my garden and I thought you might too.
Galanthus ‘John Gray’: This early-flowering snowdrop is regarded as very choice indeed, which was seemingly found in the Suffolk garden of the late John Gray. I was captivated by the shades of lime-green on the inner segments.
Continue reading Plant of the Month: Galanthus (February 2025)
Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 