A friend and I spent a happy day yesterday wandering around the late
Alan Bloom's domain in the sunshine. What a wonderful display of
perennials! It would be good to be able to go every couple of weeks to
see it all changing through the year - they do season tickets, so p'raps
an addition to the Christmas pressie list for next year.

Things that particularly caught our eye were Roscoeas in several
different forms. 'Kew Beauty' was a striking pale lemon one, and others
in lilac and purple. Are they really hardy, and could I grow them in my
light soil?

Then there was a wonderful pink Dictamnus var. caucasicus, and a lovely
blue Galega with sturdy stems, and a purple leaved heuchera with wine
coloured undersides to ruffled leaves, which from a distance with the
sun
shining through glowed -such- a vibrant ruby red.

After several hours I came away with a modest ahem list of things I
really shouldn't be obliged to live without (and did cross off the
fairground carousel, so I think I've been reasonable) but of course none
of the plants were available in the garden centre next door. Just as
well, perhaps, because I'd only need a bigger garden to fit it all in
anyway and The Other Half still unreasonably refuses to have any more of
his boring old grass dug up.

However, I did manage to find a rather nice little Astelia "Westland"
which I've been wanting for some time, and on the way home there were
several interesting roadside plant stands to investigate for bargains,
so all in all, it was a very good day. :-)

--
Sue