Latest Fact Sheets

Streptocarpus are easy to grow houseplants that can flower over long periods and suffer few pests and diseases. They can be long-lived, are not difficult to propagate by leaf cuttings. They represent good value for money and can be seen as environmentally friendly in comparison with cut flowers. Furthermore, they may even be used as summer bedding plants as demonstrated by John Massey MBE VMH in his garden at Ashwood Nurseries.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden first built a winter garden in 1979 and since it has undergone many improvements and has had new plants added. I reproduce here their plant list, fully attributing their work and copyright. Do please visit their website for much more including a video with Michael Perry originally show on Steph's Pack Lunch.

Streptocarpus have become very popular houseplants, modern breeding has seen better cultivars that are easy to grow and make great houseplants lasting years.

This Fact Sheet is to support Howard's presentation The Modern Dry or Resilient Garden, it is Howard's personal choice based on many years of gardening and observations of gardens and their plants over many years, especially in the the South East of the country, which seems to be leading the trend to drier periods and lower rainfall most of the year. It is by no means exhaustive and will be regularly revised.

Phytophthora pluvialis, is a fungus-like pathogen known to affect a variety of trees including western hemlock, tanoak, pine (Pinus radiata, Pinus patula and Pinus strobus) and Douglas-fir.

The last couple of years has seen many new variegated Aeoniums emerge onto the market, here is a list of cultivars and possible suppliers.

Ground cover plants can enhance your garden in many ways, while also saving you time in the garden. There are some good plants that work well as ground cover, there are others which can turn out to be absolute horrors.

The changing climate and certain garden situations can leave gardeners with damp, shady areas in our gardens. The following is my list based on experience rather than searching books of plants that will thrive in damp shade.

This list details plants which will thrive in dry shade. My list is borne out of my  observations of successful plantings, there may well be other subjects that should be included, and this list will grow as I see other impressive plantings.

Each year many millions of Polyanthus and Primroses are sold in Britain, here's how to get the best from your plants.