I recently celebrated (if that’s the right word) my 79th birthday. Instead of a birthday card my eldest son Ric sent me two photographs taken in the grounds of the Chelsea Royal Hospital where he is Grounds and Gardens manager. Ric is responsible for the maintenance and development of 60 acres of gardens and grounds surrounding the Christopher Wren designed hospital. Read more about Ric Glenn
First introduced to English gardens from Syria prior to 1596 the Rose of Sharon is actually a native of China and was more than likely brought to the Levant via the Silk Road. Whilst this Hibiscus is frost hardy down to minus 15C it flourishes through Australia’s torrid summer heat. Read more about Hibiscus syriacus ‘Elfin Rose’ (Rose of Sharon)
Waterlilies are best planted in 20 or 30cm pots to control their growth. Place a couple of sheets of newspaper into the bottom of the pot to stop soil leaching out. Holding the waterlily rhizome in the centre of the pot you should then three quarters fill the pot with heavy soil. Read more about Waterlily Cultivation
Time to sow tomato seed Half a century ago I knew this old Melbourne gardener who prided himself on his ability to grow and pick a decent crop of ripe tomatoes by Christmas. No mean feat in Melbourne. He didn’t have any fancy pants propagating systems. During late winter he sowed 2 or 3 tomato seeds 5mm deep in each of half a dozen 7.5cm well watered pots. Read more about Time to Sow Tomato Seed
“Why can’t I grow rhubarb like that?” This is a question we often hear when visitors see our rhubarb patch. From a dozen plants we can pick 6 or more bunches of rhubarb every week for most weeks in the year. So this is how we grow rhubarb at Lambley. Read more about Growing Rhubarb
Just before the Coronavirus restrictions came into force Criss and I drove down to Lorne, a town on the Great Ocean Road, to have a picnic on the foreshore. On the way back we visited Country Dahlias as we do most years during early autumn. Read more about The Country Dahlia Nursery
“Anthemis ‘E. C. Buxton’ is cool lemon-yellow, invaluable in the garden and for picking. This variety stands out as the most useful and admirable of all the (very few) light yellow summer-flowering plants, and a summer border without it is difficult to conceive.” G.S. Thomas: Perennial Garden Plants (1976) Read more about Anthemis ‘E. C. Buxton’
One of the best, if not the best, cool weather spinach I’ve grown is ‘Black Glove’. It’s quick to grow, easy to harvest and silky to eat. ‘Black Glove’ has been bred especially for mid to late autumn, winter and early spring sowing. Great as a baby leaf it is equally equally good when harvested as a full size bunching spinach. Read more about One of the best vegetables