#mhort

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Sunday 2 April 2023

The low growing evergreen Vinca difformis (intermediate periwinkle) by early spring is covered in white flowers. This is a vigorous plant and is ideal as groundcover for a shaded area or on a woodland garden.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 14 December 2022

A vigorous, deciduous climber Vitis coignetiae (crimson glory vine) provides a splendid display of autumn colour and develops stems of flaking bark.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Thursday 15 December 2022

Flowering from late autumn through to the spring Viburnum farreri (Farrer viburnum) fills the air with scent. This is a large, upright deciduous shrub which provides a display of autumn colour before the clusters of flowers open.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Sunday 10 July 2022

This display of carnivorous plants at the Royal Horticultural Society Hampton Court Flower Show included a great specimen of Drosera binata (forked sundew) and various species and cultivars of Sarracenia (pitcher plants, trumpet pitchers). These plants are adapted to derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals, normal insects.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Friday 21 October 2022

As a short-lived perennial Oenothera stricta 'Sulphurea' (evening primrose) may not survive the winter but is worth the effort for the scented, lemon-yellow flowers which open from red buds and mature to a soft orange. The plant may self-seed needing a sunny, sheltered location.

Jill Raggett






[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 21 September 2021

Another great display of local East of England Malus domestica cultivars (apples). The exhibit was provided by the ‘Orchards for All’ project which encourages and celebrates growing local varieties in community orchards.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 18 May 2021

In the centre of Cambridge, UK, a Wisteria sinensis (Chinese wisteria) has stems woven through the ironwork on the top of a wall and is producing a magnificent display of fragrant, pea-like flowers. This large deciduous climber has twining stems and the flowers are more visible because it flowers on bare stems or just emerging foliage. There are named cultivars in shades of mauve, pink and white.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Thursday 17 February 2022

A woodland plant from China, Japan and Korea Adonis amurensis (Amur adonis, pheasant's eye) flowers in the shelter of the cool glasshouse. The yellow flowers last for several weeks and the leaves emerge towards the end of flowering. By early summer, the plant will have died back and gone dormant.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Saturday 15 January 2022

Even in the short days of January the Rhodanthemum hosmariense (Moroccan daisy) is still flowering in the dry garden. This woody-based spreading perennial originates from Morocco and so loathes wet winter growing conditions.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 2 November 2021

The bigeneric hybrid × Amarine tubergenii is the result of crossing Amaryllis belladonna and Nerine bowdenii. This bulbous perennial has flowers that are smaller than Amaryllis, and more trumpet-like than Nerine. The flowers appear in autumn and are followed by strap-shaped leaves.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Saturday 14 August 2021

The annual Visnaga daucoides 'Green Mist' (bishop's weed, syn. Ammi visnaga) is flowering. This plant makes mounds of finely cut foliage topped with flattened flower heads that are initially lime green and become domes of greenish-white. These flowers make a great cut flower and contrast well with other flower shapes and colours.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Sunday 21 February 2021

The sunshine has opened the early flowering Crocus 'Snow Bunting', Crocus 'Jeanne d'Arc', Crocus tommasinianus ‘Whitewell Purple’ (woodland crocus), Crocus tommasinianus ‘Barr’s Purple’, Crocus sieberi 'Firefly' and Galanthus woronowii (green snowdrop). These flowers are already helping to feed the local bumblebee population and are the first to bloom in the annual cycle of this small meadow.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Thursday 22 April 2021

In my friend’s garden a planting of a few Fritillaria meleagris (snake's head fritillary) have seeded over the years to create this magical meadow display. This bulbous perennial has thin greyish-green leaves with bell-shaped purple or white flowers. The tepals have are a distinctive checkerboard pattern. This species has become naturalised in Britain, favouring the moist fertile soil of flood-plain meadows.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 12 January 2021

These trees were still covered in small crab apples that looked like forgotten festive decorations and had yet to be eaten by the birds. This small deciduous tree may have been Malus × zumi 'Golden Hornet' (crab apple) which is known to have fruit that persist during winter.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Sunday 25 April 2021

At Great Dixter Garden, East Sussex, UK, the tulips were providing pools of bright colour in the borders as the foliage of the herbaceous perennials emerge and in container displays. A member of the Fosteriana Group Tulipa 'Flaming Purissima' (tulip) has 'flames' of raspberry red that suffuse through the ivory petals as it matures and then deepen in colour.

Jill Raggett

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Monday 17 May 2021

Despite some colder weather a container of Tulipa ‘Sensual Touch’ (tulip) is flowering. This late double cultivar has flowers that resemble a peony with a crystalline fringe to the edges.

Jill Raggett