Monthly Archives: January 2013

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  Viburnum opulus ‘Notcutt’s Variety’

  Posted on January 31, 2013 by stephenryan in Collector Plants, Deciduous, Edible, Shrubs

  Viburnums must be one of the most useful groups of garden shrubs, some offer scent, some autumn foliage,some bold evergreenness, some structural form and some fabulous berries. My selection in this blog has probably my favourite for berries and at least in my garden the birds leave them alone so that I get to enjoy […]

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  Puya alpestris

  Posted on January 26, 2013 by stephenryan in Collector Plants, drought tolerant, evergreen, Foliage plants

  This Genus of cold hardy plants in the pineapple family  from South America are plants that I have become attached to, in more ways than one! They are tough as guts drought tolerant bold foliage plants ideal in tubs or a centre piece for a rock garden that will let you put your hand in […]

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  Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’

  Posted on January 16, 2013 by stephenryan in Collector Plants, Deciduous, Foliage plants, Shrubs, winter interest

  Bronze and purple foliage plants are so useful in the garden that I find it hard to stop and unless you are a gardening Goth you do need to hold back. After all they are great with hot colours and will tone them down and they are equally at home with soft pinks and other […]

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  Callicarpa bodinieri var.giraldii

  Posted on January 11, 2013 by stephenryan in Collector Plants, Deciduous, Shrubs, winter interest

  There are masses of plants with red, yellow or orange berries and i love them all but isn’t it fun to have something completely different? The plant in question Callicarpa ( which translates as Beauty berry which doubles as its common name) is one such. It is a deciduous shrub to 2metres or so with […]

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  Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda

  Posted on January 8, 2013 by stephenryan in Collector Plants, Edible, evergreen, Foliage plants

  This is the Chinese walking stick bamboo and is also sometimes seen listed as Qiongzhuea tumidinoda which is a wonderful name although I’m not sure how one should pronounce it! It only found its way into Western horticulture in 1987 but had long been used in China to make said walking sticks. Be warned it […]

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  Malus ‘Pioneer Rose’

  Posted on January 5, 2013 by stephenryan in Collector Plants, Deciduous, Edible, Trees

  There can’t be a more useful group of small deciduous trees than the Crabapples. They will happily grow in almost any soil (not water logged) in a very wide range of climates coping well with summer heat and drought as well as winter frosts and cold. Many can be grown as specimen trees or as […]

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  Rubus phoenicolasius

  Posted on January 2, 2013 by stephenryan in Collector Plants, Deciduous, Edible, Shrubs, winter interest

  The Japanese wine berry is a close relative to the ubiquitous Blackberry and as the common name would suggest is Asian. It makes a suckering clump with arching stems to 2metres or so long, which when the plant is bare in winter are covered with masses of tiny bright red bristles. For me this is […]

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