STEPHEN'S BLOG
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BROWSE CATEGORIES
Araucaria araucana
The Monkey puzzle tree is one of the worlds most easily spotted trees with its dark prickly foliage and very symetrical form. It was well loved as a new novelty in Victorian times and seems to have recently come back into fashion. I put it down to the discovery of the Wollemi Pine which made
Stephen Ryan
Chloranthus fortunei
This amazing woodland perennial from China came into my collection via an importation I did years ago from Crug farm in Wales and what a great plant it is. It comes up in spring with almost black stems and leaves and as the foliage matures it turns green whilst the stems stay black. It grows
Stephen Ryan
Lamium orvala
Most of us are familiar with the slightly weedy ground cover Lamiums and their close relatives and may well know them as Aluminium Plant. This species however makes neat clumps to about 30cms of rich green heavily veined leaves in the axils of which it produces Salvia like dusty deep mauve-pink flowers in spring. It
Stephen Ryan
Epimedium ogisui
No garden can do without these stunning woodland plants with their beautiful leaves and sprays of tiny spurred flowers at this time of the year. Most are fairly hardy and make lovely clumps under any deciduous tree or shrub. I keep collecting different species and forms and this one I originally imported from England and
Stephen Ryan
Asarum magnificum
The wild gingers as they are called are fabulous clumping or ground cover plants and in the case of this one it has large glossy evergreen leaves often well marked with white. Under the leaves it produces stranger black and white flowers well worth looking for in late winter and spring. This one makes a
Stephen Ryan
Jasminum nudiflorum
This indestructible plant will grow in sun or shade cope with drought and the roots of the most vicious kinds and can be grown as a sprawling shrub, a trailing wall cover, a climber or a standard. It is particularly good thrown up through the lower branches of an uninteresting tree trunk. It produces its bright
Stephen Ryan
Agapetes serpens
This Himalayan shrub can be used in so many ways. It will make a great pot or hanging basket subject and is almost impossible to root bound it due to its small epiphytic root system. Its weeping arching habit makes it ideal as a weeping standard. If left untrained it will grow to about 1.5 metres.
Stephen Ryan
Mespilus germanica
The Medlar is a favourite small deciduous tree which has heaps going for it. Its spring blossom is stunning and usually later to come than most fruit trees. The fruit stays on the tree for a good long time and always creates interest with those that don’t know it. If the fruit is allowed to
Stephen Ryan
Clematis montana ‘Marjorie’
This is a rarely grown form of one of the most loved hardy deciduous clematis species. It varies from the wild form in being a little more restrained in habit making it ideal over arches and such like, its new foliage is quite bronzed and the flowers area lovely mix of white and soft salmon
Stephen Ryan
Cupressus cashmeriana
One of the worlds most elegant conifers with a conical habit and soft grey weeping foliage. It will quickly grow to 10metres in any well drained sunny site that is sheltered from strong prevailing winds as these tend to make to tree one sided. It is a botanical oddity as since it was first discribed
Stephen Ryan