Events Past
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- Written by: Linda Hall
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Saturday, 14th March 2020
Dr Andrew Ward, Norwell Nurseries & Gardens (www.norwellnurseries.co.uk) spoke to our group on “Plants that Excite!” although he said the title should probably be “Plants that Excite Me!” The talk was educational and entertaining coupled with wonderful anecdotes and touching reminiscences. Andrew had helpfully handed out a list of plants he would be talking about, most of which are available through his nursery, so note-taking was a pleasure – the full list is below but here are some notes of just a few:-
Corydalis elata – coral stems with lime green foliage. It has a scent – like a freshly creosoted fence!
Codonopsis clematidea – A real beauty, take a look inside the flowers, like a kaleidoscope.
Meconopsis punicea – 4” red petals like crinkled silk. Six weeks of exquisiteness.
Ribes speciosum – arching canes of red flowers which came through the winter of 2010. No scent. Come September/October it loses its foliage but by November it is completely re-clothed.
Lobelia ‘Red Compliment’ - silvery hairy stems deter moluscs. Red flowered plants tend to be pollinated by birds.
Geum ‘Rubin’ - flowers double/triple those of ‘Mrs Bradshaw’.
Potentilla ‘William Rollinson’ - flamboyant, not often seen.
Hemorocallis ‘Frans Hals’ - suffered no-ill effects from standing in water during recent winter flooding.
Geranium aristatum – been 20 years in the same position in his garden. A bit flouncy, swept back petals. Regency colours. Andrew thinks it should be of the aristocracy.
Geranium renardii – textured, beautiful leaf. Front of sunny border. Parent of G. ‘Phillippe Vapelle’.
Geranium ‘Ann Folkard’ - result of 10 year breeding programme by Rev. Oliver Folkard and named after his wife. Grow in through Artemisia ‘Powys Castle’.
Corydalis ‘George Baker’ - great planted with Lysimachia ‘Fire Cracker’
Narcissus bulbocodium ‘Golden Bells’ - don’t bother with straight bulbocodium, go for named varieties.
Andrew concluded his talk by saying we ought to appreciate the stalwarts of our gardens. It is wonderful to go into the garden every day and notice new start, new hope and excitement.
He circulated a hand-out of plants he would be talking about, most of which are sold by his nursery:-
Delphinium Bell. “Volkerfrieden”
Salvia “Caradonna”
Veronica “Kapitan”
Corydalis flexuosa
Corydalis elata
Phlox “Chattahoochee”
Codonopsis clematidea
Meconopsis “Lingholm”
Meconopsis punicea
Embothiium cocc. “Norquinco”
Ribes speciosum
Loblia “Red Compliment”
Lobelia tupa
Achillea “Red Velvet”
Geum “Rubin”
Potentilla “Etna”
Potentilla thurberi “Monarchs Velvet”
Potentilla tonguei
Potentilla “William Rollinson”
Crocosmia “Lucifer”
Crocosmia “Jackanapes”
Iris sibirica “Blauweismotte”
Iris “Frans Hals”
Hemereocallis “Frans Hals”
Hemerocallis “Corky”
Hemerocallis “Catherine Woodberry”
Hemerocallis “Mauna Loa”
Hemerocallis “Night Beacon”
Geranium phaeum “Langhorns Blue”
Geranium phaeum album
Geranium phaeum “Rose Madder”
Geranium phaeum “Samobor”
Geranium aristatum
Geranium “Mrs Kendall Clarke”
Geranium pratense “Roseum”
Geranium renardii
Geranium “Phillippe Vapelle”
Geranium “Anne Folkard”
Geranium lambertii
Leucanthemum “Phyllis Smith”
Agapanthus “Margery Fish”
Dactylorhiza fuchsii
Dactylorhiza foliosa
Hedychium gardnerianum
Corydalis “George Baker”
Primula sibthorpii
Narcissus “Golden Bells”
Leucojum “Gravetye Giant”
Lathyrus vernus “Alboroseus”
Erythronium “White Beauty”
Erythronium revolutum
Erythronium “Pagoda”
Muscari paradoxum
Adenophora tashiroi
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- Written by: Ian Fearn
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Planting in a Drier Climate – Tom Hoblyn – 9th November 2019
Tom is a garden designer who trained at the RBG Kew whose keen interest in the natural environment has been a major influence on the gardens he creates. Tom explained that parts of the UK, notably south-east England and East Anglia, are heading towards a more Mediterranean climate. By 2050, southeast UK average temperatures are expected to be 1.5oC to 3oC warmer. Frequency of warm days and warm nights will increase whilst frequency of cold days and nights will decrease. The duration and intensity of warm spells and heat waves will increase. Precipitation will increase in frequency and intensity, leaching nitrates from the soil. Even now Cambridge with an average 563mm of rainfall per annum is the driest city north of the Pyrenees. Gardeners will need to adapt to the changing conditions. In East Anglia for example, you may need to have an alternative to grass lawn. Achilleas are great lawn alternatives, with the added advantage that they are allelopathic which means they release biochemicals which inhibit the germination of weed seeds.
Tom said that one of the benefits of a Mediterranean climate is that 10% of the world’s flora grow in Mediterranean zones, so there is a huge range of plants for the gardener to explore, eg large shrubs such as Myrtus, Pistacia and Phillyerea.
Tom’s talk was very thought-provoking and shows how gardeners will increasingly need to think like ecologists, thinking about the conditions and what plants have adapted to exist in those conditions.
- Indoor Meeting: Talk by Guy Barker "Snowdrops and Winter Garden Treasures"
- Indoor Meeting: Talk by Joe Whitehead "Plants of the Moment"
- Garden Visit: By The Crossways, Saxmundham, 13th September
- Garden Visit: Tudor Lodgings, Castle Acre, 10th August
- Garden Visit: Elm House, Saxlingham Nethergate, 13th July
- HPS Summer Social, Jan & Mark Oakley's Garden, Beccles, 6th July
- Garden Visit: Sundown, Roydon, Diss
- Garden Visit: Holm House, Drinkstone, Suffolk
- HPS Holiday to Worcestershire
- Garden Visit: The Laburnhams, South Elmham, Halesworth