PUSHING THE BORDERS

I adore Kew, having been many times. The problem I have is its vastness. During my last visit I spent an entire day there, saw virtually none of the huge outdoor landscapes and didn’t even manage to find time for the temperate house. It is an assault on the senses which is hard to take in.
Today was my first visit to the Botanic Gardens at Oxford, England’s oldest, though I’ve been to Oxford many times. I spent 1 1/2 hours there and probably needed double to see it more effectively but it is much more accessible in terms of size. I was very impressed. Many of the plants were, of course, unfamiliar to me and I’ve taken a few photos of some of the plants I enjoyed.
I grew and loved Berberis valdiviana in my last garden and it grew to a decent size before I had to leave it behind but the one here must have looked amazing in flower earlier in the year:



I love Mahonia and this specimen of lomariifolia was magnificent:





This Itea, also a favourite in my last garden, was stunning:



Some general shots:

















Fascinating greenhouses:










The Agave was the biggest I have seen, not able to be demonstrated on the image.

























I’ve never seen such a floriferous Pelargonium!










Obviously with many thousands of plant species, I could have taken hundreds of photos but with the 2 for 1 entry using the GW magazine offer it represents great value for money at less than £4 each for an afternoon of pleasure. If people haven’t been, I can thoroughly recommend it.

Of course, just across the road you have some of the stunning university buildings, such as Magdalen and the amazing High Street:

Mark Brent was curator there for a period - he was the guy that made Lamorran House what it is today. He moved to Walmer Castle in Kent then on to here. I've not been in touch with him for some years and imagine he might have retired by now.

That Mahonia lomariifolia is stunning!

And to think I dug up my specimen because I got fed up with the fallen leaves and getting them impaled in my knees when weeding.

:oops:

Paul S wrote: ↑Tue Jul 22, 2025 6:44 am Mark Brent was curator there for a period - he was the guy that made Lamorran House what it is today. He moved to Walmer Castle in Kent then on to here. I've not been in touch with him for some years and imagine he might have retired by now.

I was chatting to Timothy Walker earlier this year and asked after Mark, he has apparently left for Edinburgh Botanic, doing what I dont know!

Mark Brent is now head gardener at Arduaine Garden.

Chad

Good lord, migrating further and further north!

Paul, if the summers continue to get any hotter, I think I may be wanting to head north!

Martin, looks like a fabulous place. The conservatory collections look well maintained and very established (monster cacti!). I remember fondly traipsing around the conservatories of The Bronx and Brooklyn Botanical Gardens as a kid. It would a relentlessly cold day in February, and entering even the vestibule of the conservatory was a god-send - then entering the inner sanctum was like going into paradise...

I was impressed Tom. I think the place has offerings to suit every taste … even you and Scott were catered for!

LostInJapan wrote: ↑Mon Jul 28, 2025 9:44 pm Paul, if the summers continue to get any hotter, I think I may be wanting to head north!

I read a book, forget the title, set in a globally warmed near future where the southern USA states became uninhabitable and there was a migration north. Canada, with it's vast uninhabited spaces started to look appealing and the US govt. made moves to invade, re-igniting the idea of 'manifest destiny'. Some folks I know in Canada fear this is more reality than fiction.

Been looking through my many pics. Can anyone ID this plant. It was in one of the greenhouses.





Appeals to me but I know it won’t to many!

And one for Charlie. Is this (also at OUBC) Mandevilla laxa? I assume it it. I’ve never grown it but here it is outside. I know that it gets wall protection but if it grows in Oxford it may grow here and it appears to have grown massive!



Apologies for image quality. It was zoomed in on my phone and quite far away.