Plant Profiles – Herbidacious

Myrtle spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites)
throughout the year

August 4, 2020August 4, 2020 by Keir Watson

In this post I look at the amazing design potential of this wonderful perennial which has a very long season of interest from January until December… Some plants have the ability to just keep giving throughout the season with never …

Four Artemisia varieties for Silver planting schemes

August 2, 2020August 1, 2020 by Keir Watson

Artemisia abrotanum (top-left) Artemisia alba ‘Canescens’ (top-right) Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (bottom-left) Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Silver Mound’ (bottom-right) The Wormwood family (Artemisia species) include some very garden-worthy plants which provide some of the best silver and grey foliage for the garden. These …

Fairy Thimble Bellflower

July 28, 2020July 27, 2020 by Keir Watson

This pretty little alpine plant is Campanula cochlearifolia ‘Elizabeth Oliver’ also known as Fairy thimble bellflower, which is at its peak right now in my garden in late July. I planted two little pots of it in the spring in …

White Lavandin
Lavandula × intermedia ‘Edelweiss’

July 19, 2020July 19, 2020 by Keir Watson

White Lavandin ‘Edelweiss’ is a beautiful summer flowering shrub that provides a long season of fragrant blooms later in the year than most lavenders. Lavandin is a cross between English lavender (L. anguvstifolia) and Portugese lavender (L. latifolia) leading to …

Incredible buds of Agapanthus africanus

July 4, 2020June 21, 2020 by Keir Watson

One of the joys of garden photography is that it makes you look more carefully, not only when seeking out a good shot, but also afterwards: Once the photos are uploaded to the computer, details become evident that we’re previously …

Aquilegia ‘Blue Star’

June 15, 2020June 15, 2020 by Keir Watson

Aquilegia ‘Blue Star’ 18in (45cm) 14in (35cm) mauve / blue / white May-June Sun / Part-Shade This Aquilegia is one of the prettiest and most photogenic columbines I have grown. This year, ten years after planting, it provided me with …

Give Green a Chance
The importance of foliage in planting design

June 18, 2020June 8, 2020 by Keir Watson

Designing a planting scheme on a foliage-first basis is a sure-fire way to a classy garden. In this post I will show you how I have created beautiful designs that are stylish and dramatic despite being almost entirely green. … …

Libertia grandiflora

July 31, 2020June 2, 2020 by Keir Watson

Libertia grandiflora (Syn. Libertia chilensis) is, I believe, a little-known and undervalued plant which has some great design potential given the right situation: Evergreen, architectural, easy care, free-flowering… what’s not to like?

Four fantastic hardy perennial salvias

July 16, 2020June 1, 2020 by Keir Watson

#1 Salvia nemorosa May Night #2 Salvia nemorosa Caradonna Flowering stems of Salvia Caradonna, backlit by the evening sun, take on a magisterial dark-purple glow #3 Salvia Snow Hill #4 Salvia Rose Marvel A dwarf pink perennial sagejust 1ft x …

Early pastel colours for the dry garden

May 24, 2020May 23, 2020 by Keir Watson

#rockgarden #mediterraneangarden #drygarden #gravelgarden #pastelshades Here are four less common perennials currently in flower in my new Pond Garden. They are highly floriferous, easy-care and flower for weeks from late April right through May and into June. Amazingly, all four …