What a well behaved spring we’re enjoying; cool temperatures with some sunny days bursting through allowing enough time to get on with seasonal work – unlike warm springs where watering becomes the name of the game. Our volunteers from home and abroad are having a positive effect as additional pairs of hands help in getting … Continue reading
Back in December I was absolutely convinced that my wintersweet (Chimonanthus), a shrub renowned for both its headily-scented winter flowers, and taking its own sweet time to getting around to flowering, was finally about to do the business this year. I tweeted: “After a careful search and google I can confirm there seems to be … Continue reading
June was a wonderful month for a garden visit to West Dean and July looks set to be the same. Plenty of sun filled days after the relentless winter rain have put a skip into the visitors step as they come along to enjoy all aspects of the gardens and there is certainly plenty here … Continue reading
As the dog days of August approach and other flowering shrubs give up the ghost those stalwarts of the late summer border, the hydrangeas, come into their own. The common hydrangea, H. macrophylla, has spawned a huge range of varieties that divide neatly into two main types, the lacecaps and the Hortensias, or more descriptively … Continue reading
Last winter’s rain has acted like rocket fuel to the gardens, there is fabulous growth on trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials everywhere. As a result the early season wild flower display was floriferous in the extreme – always a glorious sight. Shortly it will be mown down (before it falls down!), however there will be … Continue reading
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