We visited the famous Dibley's streptocarpus nursery last week. Firstly Rex Dibley walked us round his Eight acre garden, describing it as his hobby, developed over the last twenty years it was essentially an arboretum with collections of various trees planted together. Still being developed as a pond area had been created over the last two years with banks planted with hydrangea varieties, a stream and oaks grown from acorns from the seven oaks from which the town in Kent gets its name. Here there was also a beautiful Cunninghamia lanceolata, several Eucalyptus too. In the spring there is a rhododendron dell as the PH is 6 - 6.5.
We were taken into the glasshouse to see the stock plants, an amazing variety of colours and, much to my surprise the favourite in our group seemed to be 'Harlequin Blue', I think nearly everyone came away with one (me being the exception). Dibley's breeding programme has produced some exceptional varieties, but I still prefer the plain dark coloured streptocarpus and S.'Masson's white'
Definitely a worthwhile visit to this out of the way nursery, the coach driver was a little fazed when we turned into the single track lane and were confronted with roadworks, jcbs and mini-diggers!
