Plants and news 2026

[charlie]

Liz and I are back in the UK now and its sounds as if we dodged a couple of wet weeks! I think the picture sums up our stay on La Palma nicely two weeks of fine sunny weather!

20260209_152406 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[charlie]

Yikes, just back and sitting in the "In Tray" was the details for our first plant sale of the season On May 8th in South Molton , Devon so not long now until all hell beaks loose once again!

Full list of where we hope to be this year here https://www.roselandhouse.co.uk/events.htm

[MartinNicklin]

I was hoping to be at Dorothy Clive for those 3 plants I wanted from you but that’s looking unlikely now! I think it might have to be mail order later in the year.

[charlie]

22nd of February and the first time we have had a day with meaningful sunshine - of course that means I went mad trying to catch up on garden work and now feel as if I have been 15 rounds with a heavy weight boxer!!

[flounder]

Charlie, it says you're at great Dixter but the dates don't match up with their website.
The Borde Hill one I'll pop my head in an say hello though, as I normally do my kid in a sweet shop impression and spend my Birthday money!

[charlie]

Be good to see you, I think the Great Dixter date confusion is because they haven't updated their web site from 2025. 11th and 12th April are the correct dates for this year

[charlie]

Its that time of year again when Hardenbergia violacea does its thing, this years display being partially marred by some of the flowers going all Botrytis due to the dank conditions

Hardenbergia violacea 005 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[charlie]

Suddenly it feels like spring! The Apricot has literally burst into flower, I have had to play bee as so far not seen any bumble bees around . out in the fruit cage the Plumcot is also suddenly in flower (Best buy ever, they are delicious!)

Apricot by charliepridham, on Flickr

Whats in a name? I went through a phase of buying shrubs with yunnanensis after their names as they were bound to be good/interesting however as Osmanthus yunnanensi shows not all of them are! leaves are somewhat matt, flowers small and scent slight however my preferred Osmanthus decora is dead and yunnanensis at least its still alive!

ozmanthus yunanensis 2 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[charlie]

A couple of years or more ago I bought from J. Parker some Freesia corms, I had been rather disappointed by the number of flowers and the lack of scent, having lost interest in them the pots were kind of abandoned and I dont remember seeing them do anything last year indeed I had meant to chuck them out but didnt get around to it. So to my surprise on going in to the conservatory to give it a bit of a spruce up and being met with a wall of scent was pleasantly unexpected.

DSC_0004 by charliepridham, on Flickr

DSC_0003 by charliepridham, on Flickr

DSC_0002 by charliepridham, on Flickr

DSC_0001 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[charlie]

First winter in a long while that the Pandoea Golden Rain that are planted out haven't been frosted back to ground - maybe some flowers later in the spring. Under unheated glass its already well in flower, sadly not scented like the ordinary white Pandorea pandorana.

Pandorea Golden Rain by charliepridham, on Flickr