Postcard from Chelsea: Thursday

Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty', a gorgeous specimen and in flower, too: my plant of the week, spotted on the Edulis stand (also my exhibit of the week - I'm so delighted they've made it to Chelsea at last, and though they're first-timers they've shown off an exceptional collection of edibles, many of which I'd never come across before).

I adore podophyllums - big, blowsy foliage plants and as this one shows, no slouch on the flowering front either. 'Spotty Dotty', a cross between P. delavayi and P. difforme, is one of the most colourful with its generous brown-spodged leaves.

I've always struggled to grow them a little in my old garden, bone-dry acid sand that it was: but I think I might have another go in this one as it has plenty of nice shady damp corners - right up Dotty's street. I was a little surprised to see it nestled among the other Edulis plants until I found out that though most parts of the plant are toxic, its ripe, yellowish or red fruit is known as the May apple (in this case, the Chinese May apple). About the size of a crabapple, it's said to taste a little inspid - but I'd really like to give it a try.

Postcard from Chelsea: Wednesday

Sorry - this simply doesn't do justice to the spectacular exhibit that is the HW Hyde & Son lily display in the Great Pavilion, winner not only of a Gold but also of the coveted award for the best exhibit in the show.

It's a walk-through stand - this is one of two paths around a central island. There are more walk-through displays than I've seen for a long time this year: Hardy's, both David Austin and Peter Beales' Roses, and Hyde's allow you to wander through the plants, immersing yourself in them and surrounding yourself with them.

Massive-flowered oriental lilies are almost impossible to place in a garden: they're just too big, too blowsy, too 'look at me'. I don't care: I love them anyway.

I have several in containers around the place: they get very little care, far less than they should have I expect, but they come back year after year. As long as I can defend them from the horrors of the lily beetle (can there be any larvae more disgusting than those of the lily beetle, I wonder?) they're incredibly easy, yet incredibly breathtaking when those long fat buds finally break.

Not one of them, though, is a patch on the sensational glamourpusses on Hyde's, though. Here are just a few.

 'Choco'

 'Big Brother'

'Nymph'

Malvern flowers

No... it's no good. I know we're a gnat's breath from plunging into the all-embracing tsunami of Chelsea, but I couldn't quite leave this year's Malvern Spring Gardening Show behind without paying homage to the beautiful, charming, extraordinary plants in the Floral Marquee.

Here, to feast your eyes on, are the true stars of the show.

Arisaema serratum var. mayebarae (Edrom Nurseries)

Primula fassettii (Kevock Garden Plants)

Geum 'McClure's Magic' (Proudplants)

Heuchera 'Southern Comfort'

Lilium 'Dimension' (Harts Nursery)

Ornithogalum saundersiae (Warmenhoven)

Paeonia peregrina (Tale Valley Nursery)

Tritelia ixioides 'Starlight' (Avon Bulbs)

Rheum palmatum 'Ace of Hearts' (Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants)

Iris 'Jewel Baby' (Broadleigh Nurseries)

Malvern 2011: The Flowers

I make no apology (well, maybe a half-hearted one then) for continuing to go on about Malvern even though everyone packed up and went home a couple of days ago.

But before all thoughts turn to Chelsea, I just wanted to take one last, lingering look back at all those spectacular, surprising, intriguing, delicate, spooky and downright wonderful plants I discovered in the Floral Marquee.

Enjoy.

Hampton Court 2010: The Floral Marquee

The show is over: but on my way out I had a little photo-frenzy snapping all the plants I've admired during the week on my many visits to the Floral Marquee - this year bigger, better and more conveniently-located than ever before. Enjoy.

Malvern flowers

Never mind the show gardens: at Malvern it was the Floral Pavilion which just blew me away.

Every bit as good as bigger shows like Chelsea and Hampton Court, I was like a kid let loose in a sweetshop: actually I was entirely paralysed when I first went in as I just wanted everything I saw.

To save the bank balance I contented myself with taking photos of my very, very favourites. Well, mostly: I will admit three more scented geraniums and a Gillenia trifoliata somehow found their way into my bag.

So here were the ones that got away:


Camassia leichtlinii 'Pink Selection'
(Avon Bulbs)

Euphorbia dulcis 'Chamaeleon'
(Claire Austin Hardy Plants)

Paris quadrifolia
(Mary Green at The Walled Garden, Lancs)

Hosta 'White Feather'
(actually, I didn't want this one, but I thought it was proof if proof were needed that breeders always push it that little bit too far)

Dicentra 'Bleeding Hearts'
(Cath's Garden Plants)

Epimedium 'Amber Queen'
(Edrom Nursery)

Trillium sulcatum
(Chris Cooke Plants)