Chelsea Flower Show 2016

[ian mcdonald]

The bbc had a strange incarnation of a Monty Python character on last night, complete with handbag. I was late watching it and didn,t get the joke. Montys comment about Rhododendrons and neutral soil was puzzling. A pity the R. sino-grande was not in flower. That is one Rhododendron I wish I had room for. Inverewe Gardens is perhaps the best place in the UK for this family of plants.

[Maggi Young]

Ian - Invereww is glorious, but the well-named gardens in the "Glorious Gardens of Argyll " group are all pretty amazing. For instance, the garden of those wonderful SRGC folks, Sue and Mike Thornley, of Glenarn. That garden is featured with a visit from Carole Baxter in this week's programme, which can be seen in the UK on Sunday morning on BBC2 or  on the BBC i-player later.
The programme notes say.... THIS WEEK... In the Beechgrove Garden, Jim is dealing with hardy veg in the veg plot.

Brian Cunningham, Head Gardener of Scone Palace is back at Beechgrove to finish the new alpine garden planting.

Carole also visits Mike and Sue Thornley at Glenarn Gardens in Rhu, near Helensburgh. This garden dates back to the 1920s and 30s and is best known for its stunning collection of tender rhododendrons that are planted in a sheltered Himalayan glen.
 Programme FactSheet : http://www.beechgrove.co.uk/module_uploads/2/Factsheet_2016_-_prog_9.pdf