Flowers from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 17 June 2013. |
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Plant Name |
Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin' |
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Common Name |
Christmas Berry |
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Soil |
Chalk, Loam, Sand |
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Sun Aspect |
Full Sun, Part Shade |
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Soil Moisture |
Moist and Well-drained |
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Plant Type |
Broadleaf Evergreen Shrub |
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Height x Spread in inches (cms) |
108 x 108 (270 x 270) |
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Foliage |
During the growing season all new flushes of growth are brilliant red, turning to bronze by late spring then to Dark Green leathery leaves as shown below |
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Flower Shape, Natural Arrangement, Number of Petals and Flower Colour in Month(s). Seed |
Rounded heads of Ivory-White, 5 Petal flowers in April-May |
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Comment |
"The Christmas Berry is a spectacular evergreen, growing 5-8ft, the perfect height for a stunning hedging plant. Photinias are hardy and tolerant of most soil types but prefer a partially shaded position in moist, well drained soil. With glossy, dark green, leathery leaves, it provides a beautiful display especially in the spring. During the growing season all new flushes of growth are brilliant red, turning to bronze by late spring then to green." from Hedge Nursery.
"A splendid tree with green leaves that turn a rich copper in autumn. As a tree with its parrot-red, glossy young foliage, and large, rounded heads of ivory flowers, this versatile evergreen shrub is deservedly popular. It colours up best in full sun, and will usually only flower in sunny conditions, although it makes a handsome background evergreen shrub in partial shade, too. It can cope with hard pruning, so can be trimmed to form an informal hedge or clipped into strong shapes. The flowers appear in mid and late spring, and are sometimes followed by spherical red fruit. In frost-prone areas, train as a wall shrub against a south or west-facing wall. " from Crocus.
"Winter hardy to USDA Zone 7 (Zone 6 with protection) where it is easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerates full shade, but with less flowering and more susceptibility to leaf spot disease. Somewhat drought tolerant once established. Propagate by cuttings. Avoid wet soils. Water root zones (avoid getting water on the leaves). Site plants in areas with good air circulation. Prune in winter to thin (better air circulation). Prune in spring after red growth begins to fade in order to encourage additional red new growth. Shrubs grown in USDA Zone 6 should be sited in protected areas such as the southern or western sides of buildings. Photinia x fraseri is a large, hybrid (P. glabra and P. serrulata), evergreen shrub that typically grows to 10-15' tall and as wide. It is often commonly called red tip or red top (particularly in the deep South where it has been frequently planted) in celebration of the bronze red to bright red new leaves that emerge at the twig tips each spring. This hybrid was originally discovered at Fraser Nursery in Birmingham, Alabama around 1940, and was subsequently introduced into commerce in 1955 as Photina x fraseri 'Birmingham' ('Birmingham' was later dropped). 'Red Robin' is a slightly more compact cultivar that was bred in New Zealand. It has brighter red color on new foliage. Leathery, oval, dark green leaves (to 3-4" long) with finely serrated margins are evergreen. New growth in spring emerges bright red in a showy display lasting about 2-3 weeks. Red leaves gradually change to glossy dark green. Additional pruning may encourage new flushes of red leaves in late spring and summer. Small, 5-petaled, white flowers (1/3" across) of this rose family shrub bloom in late April in wide, corymbose panicles (to 5-6" long). Flowers have a very unpleasant aroma, somewhat reminiscent of hawthorns. Flowers may be eliminated by spring pruning geared to stimulate new red leaf growth. Fruit is a red pome that persists throughout winter to spring. Photinia x fraseri is susceptible to a significant, in some cases defoliating, leaf spot disease (Entomosporium maculatum) which is particularly troublesome in areas of the deep South where high humidity and moist conditions are prevalent. Heavy use of this hybrid in the deep South is now declining because of this disease. Plants further north (as those in USDA Zone 7) are typically not affected. 'Red Robin' reportedly has better resistance to this leaf spot disease. Fireblight and powdery mildew may also occur." from Missouri Botanical Garden.
Cultivation notes from the RHS. Youtube video.
Available from Most of the plants we offer aren't sold in garden centres in tube sizes so we feel (and we've been told) we provide a great service to people who don't want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on plants and who don't mind watching their investment grow. This is particularly true for people who are buying hedging and screening plants like Murraya plants, Japanese Buxus, Viburnum plants and Lilly Pilly plants, or who live on large blocks and acreage where mass planting is required. We are committed to 2 things, high quality nursery plants and a high level of customer service. We propagate all our own tube stock plants, so they're created with care, not just purchased from a supplier and resold. Being the propagators, we have an intimate knowledge of all the plants we sell. We are a customer focused business and will often bend over backwards to ensure a great online purchasing experience.". Seed available from |
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Companions |
"Evergreen shrub with glossy leaves and robin-red new shoots that top every stem by spring - the best background for small blue bulbs Val Bourne - Garden Writer" |
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Flowers from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 17 June 2013. |
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Foliage from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 17 June 2013. |
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Early Spring Form from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 4 March 2013. |
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Mid-Spring Form from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 27 April 2013. |
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Late Spring Form with Flower Buds from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 15 May 2013. |
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Flower Buds from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 15 May 2013. |
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Late Autumn Form from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 20 November 2013. |
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Plant Label from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 17 June 2013. |
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Number of Flower Petals |
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Flower Shape - Simple |
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Flower Shape - Simple |
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Flower Shape - Elabor-ated |
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Flower Shape - Elabor-ated |
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Natural Arrange-ments |
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MIXED BORDER DESIGN GALLERY PAGES
FLOWER COLOUR RANGE IN 71 PARTS OF MIXED BORDER DURING |
7 Flower Colours per Month in Colour Wheel below in the MIXED BORDERS DESIGN Gallery. Click on Black or White box in Colour of Month. |
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It is worth remembering that the links to external sites were valid on the day that I created that link, but may no longer be valid as Father Time moves on! |
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MIXED BORDER OTHER PLANTS GALLERY PAGES Site Map of pages with content (o) Introduction - |
Other Permanent Plants Height from Text Border for the |
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Blue = 0-24 inches |
Green = 24-72 inches |
Red = 72+ inches |
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Bedding Plants Soil Moisture from Text Background |
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Wet Soil |
Moist Soil |
Dry Soil |
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Click on thumbnail to add the Plant Description Page of the Bedding Plants named in the Text box below that photo. |
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MIXED BORDER OTHER PLANT INDEX |
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Other Plant Name with link to its Description Page |
Flower Colour with link to Design of East Border or |
Flowering Months with link to Mixed Borders Flower Colour per Month Pages |
Flower Thumbnail |
Height x Spread in inches (cms) |
Foliage Colour with link to Mixed Borders Foliage Colour Page |
Foliage Thumbnail |
Comment |
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Bamboo |
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Bulb |
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60 x 24 |
5 other Agapanthus in Herbaceous Perennial Gallery |
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24 x 8 |
74 other Allium in Allium and Anemone Gallery |
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Green, then Purple and ages Reddish-Purple |
24 x 3 |
Strap-like, Mid-Green |
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Red and green petals spotted with black |
Aug-Sep |
40 x 18 |
Light Green |
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Opening Orange fades to Pink |
August, September, October |
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35 x 23 |
Erect, narrow, sword-shaped and Dark Green |
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100 Crocosmia at Trecanna Nursery |
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36 x 18 |
Upright, pleated, wide, lance-shaped, mid Green leaves |
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should be named Ornithogalum candicans |
48 x 16 |
Strap-shaped and Mid-Green |
Other Southern African Orni-thogalum species that originate in southern Africa |
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Climber |
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Clematis See Description Page also in Clematis Climber Gallery |
120 x 72 |
Grey-Green |
See 70 other Clematis climbers in Clematis Climber Gallery and further data on Clematis |
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Clematis |
120-180 x 36 |
Dark Green |
321 Clematis at Haw-thornes Nursery |
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60 x 20 |
Dark Green |
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Blue, Violet, Lilac, Lavender |
100 x 40 |
Lance-shaped Dark Green |
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Clematis 'Elvan' |
"All Clematis fall into one of 3 distinct pruning groups: No Prune (Group 1), Light Prune (Group 2), and Hard Prune (Group 3). Group 1: Early Flowering. Typically blooming in winter and spring, these varieties flower on the previous year's growth only, so if you need to remove damaged stems or control the size of the plant, the best time would be as soon as they have finished flowering. Included in this group are Alpina, Macropetala, Montana, and Evergreen varieties. Group 2: Large Flowers. Typically larger flowers grow out on new shoots from last year's growth in late spring and summer. Some of these will occasionally display a second bloom at the tips of the current year's growth in late summer and autumn. These varieties should be pruned in spring, right back to where there are strong and healthy buds, before they start their active growth period. New flowering stems will be produced from this architecture of previous growth. Group 3: Late Flowering. Group 3 Clematis only flower on current year's growth. These blooms tend to display from summer through to late autumn. These varieties are arguably the easiest to prune, as you basically cut it right down to about 20cm (8ins) above ground level in spring before they begin their active growth period, removing all of the previous year's growth." from Primrose who have produced a new method of raising "Kids in our planters". |
If this climber flowered after May 2013, then I could not identify it or see its Plant Label. See Clematis 'Elvan' Des-cription Page in Clematis Climbers Gallery |
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Clematis |
If this climber flowered after April 2013, then I could not identify it or see its Plant Label. See Clematis 'Etoile Violette' Des-cription Page in Clematis Climbers Gallery |
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Purple fades to Blue |
60 x 60 |
Dark Green |
Where is the American Clematis Society? |
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See Description Page also in Clematis Climber Gallery |
168 x 36 |
Pale to Mid-Green |
Clem-atis.com focuses on Clematis varieties which are available and suitable for the North American garden including this variety |
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White with Pink tinge |
72 x 36 |
Dark Green |
British Clematis Society awarded 'Com-mended Certificate' to this Clematis |
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Clematis 'Kermesina' |
Unable to locate plant label to take photos of its foliage or flowers after 4 March 2013 |
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Clematis 'Madame Julia Correvon' See Description Page also in Clematis Climber Gallery |
96-120 x 36 |
Dark Green |
Sag-amihara Green Association for Clematis in Japan |
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Clematis 'Pink Ice' |
Unable to locate plant label to take photos of its foliage or flowers after 15 May 2013 |
Fact Sheet on Clematis from Gardening in Australia |
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Clematis 'Purpurea Plena Elegans' |
Unable to locate plant label to take photos of its foliage or flowers after 13 April 2013 Chelone glabra black plant label on left and Clematis 'Purpurea Plena Elegans' black plant label on right |
Clematis Nomen-clatural Standards List from the Inter-national Clematis Society |
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Clematis Rosemoor 'Evipo002' |
Unable to locate plant label to take photos of its foliage or flowers after 13 April 2013 Hemerocallis lilio-asphodelus black plant label on right and Clematis Rosemoor 'Evipo002' black plant label in middle |
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180 x 60 |
Mid-Green |
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Clematis 'Ruutel' |
Unable to locate plant label to take photos of its foliage or flowers after 4 March 2013. Since its Birch Branch Support structure has not been replaced, It may be that this climber position was not going to be there in 2013 summer season. |
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Violet Blue ages to Purple |
120 x 60 |
Dark Green |
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Clematis x aromatica |
Unable to locate plant label to take photos of its foliage or flowers after 15 May 2013 |
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80 x 40 |
Pale Green |
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80 x 36 |
Grey-Green |
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Conifer |
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Dediduous Shrub |
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60 x 60 |
Grey-Green |
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Unable to locate plant label to take photos of its foliage or flowers after 15 May 2013. |
The Trials Report of 2008-2010 on Buddleja davidii and its close hybrids of the RHS provides useful data including the require-ment for hard pruning. The Panel co-opted three genus special-ists, who are all national collection holders of Buddleja. They were; Peter Moore (Long-stock Gardens), Anita Allen (Shap-cott Barton Estate) and Andrew Bullock (The Lavender Garden). |
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Buddleja davidii 'Nanho White Monite' |
Unable to locate plant label to take photos of its foliage or flowers after 15 May 2013. |
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Buddleja davidii 'Peacock' |
Pink to Purple-Pink |
60 x 60 |
Medium Green |
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120 x 120 |
Large crisp Golden-Yellow leaves in spring. |
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Cornus alba 'Elegantissima' |
Small, Creamy-White, in flat heads. Unable to see its flowers in May-June or even later in the year. The 3 cornus at the back of the bed are starting to create their spring foliage on 15 May 2013 |
Spring pruning at Beech-grove Garden helps you to create what you want to see from a plant. |
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The 3 cornus at the back of the bed are now over 6 feet high on 29 August 2013. The plants in front obstruct the view of the cornus behind and thus no photos of the flowers of this cornus were taken in 2013. As a backdrop of variegated green/yellow it may be fine, but in that case why not replace that section of hedge behind it instead. |
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200 x 200 |
Dark Red-Purple oval leaves and, when the temperature drops, the leaves develop a bright-pink margin before becoming scarlet. |
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Scarlet Sepals and Purple Petals |
44 x 44 |
Slender deep Green |
Hardy Fuchsia List for the Showbench from the Fuchsia Societies in the UK |
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Scarlet Sepals and Purple Petals |
80 x 120 |
Bronze-tinted Dark Green Spring Foliage becomes Dark Green Foliage in the Summer |
There is the American Fuchsia Society , the Australian Fuchsia Society Inc the National Fuchsia Society of New Zealand and there was the Greater Victoria Geranium and Fuchsia Society in Canada |
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White with Red base |
96 x 60 |
Lobed Dark Green |
Inter-national Hibiscus Society list of registered and non-registered cultivars |
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52 x 60 |
Dark Green |
American Hyd-rangea Society with the story of the big Hydrangea that wouldn't bloom. |
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200 x 100 |
Toothed Mid to Dark Green |
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Burgundy, Pink and White |
100 x 80 |
Dark Green |
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Without the 50 x optical zoom on my current camera, I was unable to take photos of the flowers which were on this shrub on 15 May 2013. This shrub is too far back to enjoy its flowers with the naked eye. |
The Peony Society has further details on peonies. |
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White often tinged with Pink |
60 x 60 |
Golden Yellow |
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96 x 96 |
Dark Purple ages to Green |
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Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla 'Guincho Purple' |
Pink and White The Plant Label in the middle of this photo of January 2013 is unreadable. The Plant Label has been expanded below. |
The photo taken on the bottom right on 15 May 2013 shows that the Sambucus plant label is facing the front. The Yellowish-Green juvenile foliage on the bottom right belongs to Cornus alba 'Aurea' - you can see from its page that it grows quite high and hides the side view of this Sam-bucus Plant Label when that plant is in flower. Since the plant label is difficult to read from the front lawn, this indicates no identity of this plant took place when it was in flower. |
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Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla 'Gerda' |
When you look at the panorama photos in East Border Part 19 you will note - by 19 September 2013 - that purple flowers could be seen on the Sambucus but its plant label could not, because of the yellow foliage of the Cornus in front of it. |
This photo taken on 15 May 2013 shows the plant label for this burgundy-leaved Sam-bucus in the middle and facing the lawn between the 2 Mixed Borders. The orange juvenile foliage on the left is from Cornus alba 'Aurea'. |
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Deciduous Tree |
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Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea' |
Since no flowers were seen, then no photos of its flowers could be taken in Wisley. |
This photo from Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden on 15 June shows no flower bud formation for flowering in July. |
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This photo on 21 August 2013 from East Border Part 25 shows no indication of flowers during July or August. The panorama photos in that page do not indicate any evidence of flowers during 2013 |
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Paulownia tomentosa |
Photo from 4 March 2013 followed by photo of 1 July 2013 with no flowers seen before or afterwards. |
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Evergreen Perennial |
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20 x 40 |
Narrow, upright Dark Green |
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Grape-Purple with Golden-Yellow throat |
30 x 24 |
Narrow, strap-like, Dark Green Evergreen Perennial |
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Unable to get clear photos of flowers in 2013 |
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18 x 12 |
Jet black-maroon Evergreen Perennial |
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Pale Pink Unable to get clear photos of flowers in 2013 |
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26 x 20 |
Marbled, Plum-Purple |
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Evergreen Shrub |
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White flushed mauve-pink |
120 x 300 |
Dark Green |
Semi-Evergreen Shrub |
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Artemesia See further details in East Border Part 14 about lack of record keeping leading to this plant being overgrown - linkstakes in front of the Pennisetum would have provided a temporary solution from May 2013 onwards. |
Yellow Although these plants were in front of the bed next to the path and in front of Pennisetum orientale 'Shogun'; the Pennisetum overgrew them. |
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Ligustrum quihoui This image is part of the unreduced original photo taken on 24 July 2013. These plants were at the back of a 240 inch (600 cms) deep bed and the flowers were too small. |
Without the 50 x optical zoom on my current camera, I was unable to take close-up photos of the flowers which were on these shrubs on 24 July 2013. These shrubs are too far back to enjoy their flowers with the naked eye. |
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108 x 108 |
During the growing season all new flushes of growth are brilliant red, turning to bronze by late spring then to Dark Green |
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Evergreen Tree |
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Fern |
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Grass |
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September |
Very rarely flowers in Britain |
240 x 160 |
Grey-Green |
See other Grass-Base - The Online World Grass Flora from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England. |
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Silvery-grey with Pinkish-Purple tints becomes Golden-Brown |
60 x 36 |
Grey-Green |
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120 x 60 |
Deep Green with razor sharp edges and midrib |
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60 x 48 |
Dark Green with razor sharp edges and midrib |
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60 x 40 |
Dark Green |
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52 x 48 |
Dark Green with White stripe down the leaf centre |
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Pink ripens to Silver. |
August, September, October, November, December |
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100 x 60 |
Dark Green |
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Rosy-Pink |
July, August, September, October |
Note that the Pink Spikelets were visible on the panorama of West Border Part 68 of 19 Sep-tember but its label was hidden by the plants in front |
100 x 40 |
Dark Green with White Midribs |
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Grey/ Silver and Pale Pink |
September, October, November |
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40 x 36 |
Dark Green with White midribs and edges |
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Pink turning to pure White Unable to locate plant label to take photos of its foliage or flowers after 15 May 2013 |
August, September |
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56 x 40 |
Dark green |
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Missed taking photos of its Pink Inflore-scences |
August, September |
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48 x 18 |
Horizontal Cream bands on Dark Green arching foliage |
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Pale Pink |
48 x 32 |
Flat, linear, Blue-Green leaves, turning Yellow-Brown in autumn |
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Pale Green ages to light buff |
30 x 18 |
Dark Green |
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Purple ripens to Gold |
100 x 48 |
Slender Grey-Green |
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Stipa gigantea Plant removed after 20 January 2013 |
Straw Yellow |
Photo taken on 20 January 2013 in West Border Part 63 |
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Hedge |
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Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam) |
Green as background hedge to all 71 Parts of Mixed Borders |
May |
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480 x 320 |
Mid-Green with Brown Autumn and Winter dead foliage |
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Herb |
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Odds and Sods |
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Biennial - Onopordum acanthium |
In the late 19th century, it was introduced to temperate regions of North America, South America, and Australia as an ornamental plant, and is now considered a major agricultural and wildland noxious weed. I would not recommend growing it in your garden, orchard or fields. |
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Sub-Shrub - Having such a small area of plant, I was unable to find its flowers from 29 August to 30 December 2013. |
September, October Photo taken by H. Kavanagh on 21 August 2013 with the Artemesia being the wide area of green foliage next to the path. |
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Rhododendron/ Azalea/ Camellia |
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Rose |
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Retail name in UK should be |
36 x 44 |
Glossy, Mid-Green |
See WISLEY WISLEY Rose Classification System Page for details on this Rosa Retail Name 'Trade Name' RHS naming system. |
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Rosa glauca 'Carmenetta' and Page in RHS Wisley Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden Roses |
78 x 78 |
Green with Grey reverse |
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Soft Fruit |
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Top Fruit |
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Vegetable |
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Wildflower |
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Pincushions - The pincushions of plants such as scabious (Scabiosa columbaria from BritishFlora) are in reality compound flowerheads, with a dome of central florets surrounded by larger florets. |
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Site design and content copyright ©January 2014. Added Camera Photos of Plant Supports Gallery Link June 2019. Chris Garnons-Williams. I am attempting the same free link to mail-order nurseries for the people of Europe, Latvia, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and China.
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