After The Show
.jpg)
However, I don’t think the auricula are sad. By mid-May they enjoy the move to a shady cooler place, and it gives us the chance to do the satisfying job of returning everything to alphabetical order and filling in gaps.
Ah if only life were always that simple.
Looking back, what were the stars of the show this year?Well amazingly, the greens and the white edged. That’s right, the most difficult put on the best show.
Look at Teem, and Hetty Wolf and Bob Lancashire and Minley.
 |
| Hetty Wolf |
 |
| Minley |
 |
| Bob Lancashire |
It is an odd business but every year the show stoppers are different.
The spot light is regularly on gold centred alpines, Rodeo and Snooty Fox and Merridale are all so bright as to startle.
 |
| Merridale |
 |
| Rodeo |
In recent years some of the doubles have also been very popular.
Like Mary and Gwen Baker, Fred Booley and Excalibur. |
| Fred Booley |
 |
| Gwen Baker |
 |
| Mary |
 |
| Excaliber |
And then there are the Stripes and Fancies. Fancies are just those flowers no one can quite classify. Look at Lord Saye en Sele and Nantenan.
 |
| Lord Saye en Sele |
 |
| Nantenan |
Finally this year some of the old favourite Border varieties were just wonderful.I have never seen Old Irish Scented looking so well; Paradise Yellow flowered outstandingly for a month and Chamois and Bradmore Bluebell were beautiful enough to inspire poetry.
 |
| Old Irish Scented |
 |
| Paradise Yellow |
 |
| Bradmore Bluebell |
 |
| Chamois |
Finally we had one late flowering new Border, Cloudy Bay. Astonishing.
It brings to mind all of that imagery of New Zealand wine and scenery.
Looking forward now to our next holiday and next years Theatre.Margaret
2014 Catalogue - Now Online
So our daughter Cat and her partner Brad are on The Falkland
Islands…that is bringing back so many memories. Memories of the Camp, the
wildlife and the vivid gardens full of sun loving annuals.
The Falkland Islands were sunny, cool and windy too of
course but I remember many, many sunny days.
The new 2014 catalogue cover that Cat has done is great, showing three wonderful Falkland icons , Rockhopper Penguins, Islander planes and the Falkland island slipper plant Calceolaria fothergillii.
Our trips to New Zealand continue too, and so our love
affair with the southern hemisphere goes on.
Back here On Loch Ness it has been an extraordinary mild
winter. We have been spared much of the rain and storms that have plagued the
south of England and Wales. It will be very interesting to see how things grow
away, with so little check to their growth.
The February garden at Abriachan is a delight of snowdrops, snowflakes
and the Daphne bholua sends a long trail of intoxicating scent along the
pathways. The evergreens are slick and healthy and the flower buds on the
Rhododendrons and Camellias are fat and full of promise, the soil is heaving
with bulbs emerging as we move the leaf fall aside.
Spring is on the move.Margaret
View our 2014 Plant Catalogue Online
Download the 2014 Plant Catalogue
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
