Designing and Planting a Woodland Garden by Keith Wiley: A Review

When I first visited Keith Wiley’s garden, “Wildside” in Devon, I though the man must be a complete nutcase. At the time, the planting of the garden was almost complete with some area still under development. To me, it didn’t seem much like “development” when I walked it as there was still a large area …

Royal Horticultural Society: The Garden Anthology – edited by Ursula Buchan.

The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 with aims “to collect every information respecting the culture and treatment of all plants and trees” and to disseminate this information to it members. How this information was disseminated has changed but little over the course of the society’s history from “The Transactions of the Horticultural Society …

By Coincidence – Two Irish Plants go to Cornwall and Back.

Plants with variegation in their foliage give colour and interest at this time of year when flowers are rather scarce in the garden. Two presently catching my eye are both of Irish origin, Griselinia littoralis ‘Bantry Bay’ and Luma apiculata ‘Glanleam Gold’. Peculiarly, neither has showy flowers so it is a testimony to their attractiveness …

Burtown House is Opening Early – Special Events This Year!

The gardens at Burtown House will open earlier than usual this year as more and more people have expressed a wish to see the gardens at this time of year and especially to see the collection of snowdrops and wonderful display of winter aconites. Snowdrops and Early Bulbs There are many varieties of snowdrops and …

Remarkable Plants that Shape our World – Helen and William Bynum

I have a habit since childhood that I will finish reading a book once I have started it. At times I put this down to my background, that Irish Catholic upbringing of the fifties and sixties with its sense of duty and obligation, and at others to my stupidity and obsession to see matters through …