Wisley January 2012

[Graham Catlow]

Hi, I visited Wisley a couple of days ago. The weather was bright and clear. Wrong time of year for most of the garden but the Alpine house and the main glasshouse were worth a visit. Here are a few photos for you to enjoy.

1&2 Just inside the entrance is this bed of Heleborus 'Walbertons Rosemary'. I have never seen a mass planting of one variety of Heleborus before and thought this was quite stunning.
3. The bog garden. Some of the pitchers were browned but others still looked good.
4. Sarracenia x farnhamii.
5. Unknown.
6. Prunus incisa 'Praecox'
7. Daphne bholua 'Limpsfield' The scent from this was amazing.
8. Daphne 'Spring Herald'

More to follow

[Graham Catlow]

Second batch.

1. Alpine House Southern side
2. Alpine House Northern side
3. Arum creticum
4. Asarum subglobosum
5. Crocus korolkowii 'Kiss of Spring'
6. Crocus - I couldnt see the name and didn't want to touch the flowers just to get it.
7. Cyclamen coum
8. Daubenya marginata
9. Fritillaria striata

More.....

[Graham Catlow]

Third set

1. Lachenalia bulbifera
2. Narcissus bulbocodium subsp. praecox var. paucinervis
3. Narcissus cantabricus subsp. cantabricus
4. Narcissus romieuxii 'Trebel Chance'
5. Narcissus (couldn't see the name)
6. Oxalis luteola 'Glauca'
7. Oxalis versicolor
8. Sempervivum arachnoideum subs. tomentosum var. glabrescens
9. Whiteheadia bifolia
10. Narcissus papyraceus - outside on the south facing side.

[Graham Catlow]

The glasshouse.

1. Cymbidium 1
2. Cymbidium 2
3. Cymbidium 3
4. Cymbidium 4
5. Orchid 1
6. Orchid 2
7. Orchid 3
8. Orchid 4

More....

[Graham Catlow]

Final few.

1. Enchephalartos villosus
2. Plectranthus 'Cape Angels pink'
3&4. Hippeastrum 'Grand Diva'
5. Echeveria
6. The crevice bed - I can't make up my mind if I like these constructions. I haven't seen a mature one (other than in photos), so I will remain undecided until I have. The construction is really impressive. There are a lot of plants in the crevices and whilst they must be named it is, at this point, with immature plants rather overpowering with both the permenent black labels and the temporary white labels being very obvious.

[David Nicholson]

Thanks for posting Graham, always something to see at Wisley no matter what time of year.

[Tim Ingram]

I wonder what visitors to Wisley reckon to the new crevice garden? Those of us hooked on alpines will know the great success this has in growing all sorts of choice plants but I imagine many gardeners may look at it askance and can't think of having such a 'garden' in their garden. As the plants grow and become more dominant it may begin to impress more what a clever way of growing plants this is, even on a much smaller scale, as in troughs. Another subject for those TV programmes we all hope for, perhaps showing some of those amazing gardens in the Czech Republic and in North America...

[angie]

Thanks for posting Graham, always something to see at Wisley no matter what time of year.

Yep Wisley always has something worth seeing. Lovely pictures Graham, would have been funny if we had bumped into each other. Was at Harrogate yesterday ( Harlow Carr ) on my way home now. Hope everything in the garden hasn't blown away.

Angie 

[Maggi Young]

Graham, you have provided a super mid-winter treat - thank you so much. What a great range of plants for us to enjoy, courtesy of the Wisley gardeners and your efforts 

[Richard Green]

Given that most British crevice beds are newly constructed, has anyone worked out how to remove the long taproots of Dandelion (Taraxacum) plants once they become established?  They will inevitably enjoy these conditions.

I find that seedlings are quite difficult to remove from crevices in my miniature fishbox crevice gardens without damange to the structure.  Any suggestions other than weedkiller when they grow in the middle of prized saxifrage clumps?

[mark smyth]

has anyone worked out how to remove the long taproots of Dandelion (Taraxacum) plants once they become established?  I find that seedlings are quite difficult to remove from crevices in my miniature fishbox crevice gardens without damange to the structure. 

Tumble Weed Gel works well for me

[kindredspiritkevin]

Enjoyed those pics.

[Graham Catlow]

I'm pleased you are enjoying the colour from Wisley.

Maggi I see you have added a link in the Wisley feedback thread.

Angie - we would only have met up if you were on a train from London on Friday night. One that was nearly an hour delayed due to faulty signals at Petrerborough. Didn't get home until 1.30am on the Saturday mornng.

[PeterT]

has anyone worked out how to remove the long taproots of Dandelion (Taraxacum) plants once they become established?  I find that seedlings are quite difficult to remove from crevices in my miniature fishbox crevice gardens without damange to the structure. 

Tumble Weed Gel works well for me

I believe, for those who have a source and are carefull enough with chemicals, sulfuric acid touched on the broken top of the root will kill Taraxacum completley, without harming the choice cusion plants they so like to grow in.

[Natalia]

Graham, thanks for magnificent photos!
And at all of us in snow...