STEPHEN'S BLOG
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Fessia grielhuberi
Until just a few moments ago when I was about to blog this plant I would have done so under the name Scilla greilhuberi but such is the flux in plant nomenclature that it doesn’t pay to assume anything! What ever this rarely grown Iranian Blue Bells botanical name is it is a great garden plant.
Stephen Ryan
Pachyphragma macrophyllum
This woodland perennial has become one of my favourites. In late winter and spring its newly erupting leaves surround the clusters of pristine white flowers and as it builds into sizable drifts via self-seeding it is very telling in the deciduous tree shade afforded it in my garden. The rounded wrinkly foliage gets larger during
Stephen Ryan
Oemleria cerasiformis
This attractive shrub has never found itself in the limelight here in Australia and in my humble opinion unfairly so. It is hardy, coping with sun and cold well and not fussy about soil types. Its habit is upright to about 3metres and it will make a suckering clump which makes it ideal as a
Stephen Ryan
Quercus dentata
Oaks have for some years now proved their worth in our southern Australian climate. Almost without exception they have dealt with years of drought with aplomb, wet summers as well, have proven to be fire retardant and in most cases have virtually no weed potential so what more could you want? I hear many of
Stephen Ryan
Rhus pulvinata ‘Autumn Lace Group’
This amazing plant has a lot of bad press to get over so I see it as my job to do so! For a start it isn’t going to give you a rash, the species that people are allergic to is now not even a Rhus but appropriately called Toxicodendron. It does however sucker strongly
Stephen Ryan
Geissorhiza inaequalis
We are all familiar with such South African bulbs as Gladiolus, Babiana and Freesia even though most of us have no idea of the diversity within these three Genera but how many of you have heard of the Genus Geissorhiza? They can be charming and easy going small bulbs ideal for pots or the sunny
Stephen Ryan
Erythronium multiscapoideum
These stunning North American bulbs are called Trout Lilies amongst other common names due to the lovely mottled leaves. The only European species E. dens-canis is known as a Dog toothed Violet due to its bulbs looking somewhat like a dogs canine tooth(they however look nothing like a violet to me!) all the species of
Stephen Ryan
Agathis moorei
The Kauri trees of the Southern Hemisphere aren’t usually the first things that come to mind when looking for interesting plants for the garden after all they are usually very tall growing trees. Although they are conifers their large leaves would suggest that they are something else. So why bother? Well many of the species
Stephen Ryan
Euonymus europeus
The European Spindle berry, so called because its hard wood was used to make spindles for spinning wheels and it apparently was also used for rolling pins as well, how useful! It is however for its hardiness and ornamental values that I plant and recommend this small tree. It is a deciduous plant to 4metres
Stephen Ryan
Ranunculus ficaria ‘Brazen Hussey’
This form of lesser Celandine was discovered by Christopher Lloyd and his head gardener of the time in a nearby wood and what a find it was! This varies from the wild form in that its heart shaped ground hugging leaves are a rich deep brown almost black which in early spring set off the
Stephen Ryan