SPRING SENSATIONS
Six gorgeous gardens from formal MAPPERTON to eclectic HUNTING BROOK
SUMMER POTS
RHS Chelsea WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR AT THIS YEAR’S SHOW
Wow-factor container displays
Plus
Greenhouse exotics
Brilliant alpines
Geranium ‘Rozanne’ Furniture for summer Fragrant honeysuckles
Keeping it NATURAL
PHOTOGRAPHS
The gardens at Dalemain House were shaped by generations of inspirational female gardeners. Now the current owners are building on their work, ensuring the planting and design continue to reflect the beauty of the natural world
WORDS &
JOE WAINWRIGHT
The neat box hedges of Dalemain’s Knot Garden are complemented by tumbling blue forget-me-nots.
Midsummer MAGIC
There is so much rich planting and glorious colour to explore in the garden at Midsummer House in Oxfordshire, which was created by Penny Spink and her late husband Anthony, with the help of a host of enthusiastic family, friends and neighbours
WORDS JAMES ALEXANDER-SINCLAIR PHOTOGRAPHS MIMI CONNOLLY
This image An idyllic summerhouse sits beside the stream, on the banks of which grow flag irises and hardy pink geraniums. Opposite The sun sets on box topiary and beds of saxifrage, ox-eye daisies and aquilegias.
In Full FLOW
In the capable hands of Sophie and Daniel Busk, the magnificent heritage orchards, walled garden and rose arbour at Houghton Lodge, beside the River Test in Hampshire, are being given a new lease of life
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS CAROLE DRAKE
This image The red Japanese Nikko Bridge over the burn-like stream is bordered by a profusion of irises. Opposite Many of the box hedges in the Peacock Garden are being replaced with yew.
NEW OR UNUSUAL PLANTS
1David Beckham is well known to enjoy gardening, so when his daughter Harper approached David Austin Roses about a variety to mark his 50th birthday, the rose breeder could only oblige. A cupped semi-double, ‘Sir David Beckham’ opens with a subtle flush of pink yielding to a soft blush and yellow with a starburst of golden stamens. From each rose sale, £2.50 will be donated to The King’s Foundation, the charity for which he is an ambassador. davidaustinroses.co.uk
2
Five new roses are in the o ng from Harkness Roses, including ‘Parkinson’s Resilience’, which will feature prominently in the Parkinson’s UK garden. Scent is often an important part of rose development, but to reflect the fact the Parkinson’s su erers often lose their sense of smell, this one has little scent. Look out, too, for ‘Stems for Hope’, which has been developed with DKMS, the blood cancer charity, to raise awareness of the value of stem cell donation in fighting this disease. roses.co.uk
3
From Guernsey breeders and RHS Chelsea stalwarts, Raymond Evison, look out for three new clematis varieties. Clematis ‘Queen’s Nurses’™ raises awareness of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing, which also benefits from NGS funding. Clematis ‘Ithemba’™ has been named to support The Children’s Hospital Trust, a Cape Town non-profit. And a pale-blue repeat-flowering clematis, Eliza™, is ideal for containers. raymondevisonclematis.com
4
If you love peonies, Primrose Hall Peonies is the stand to visit. A regular at RHS Chelsea, grower Alec White holds the National Collection of Intersectional or Itoh varieties, but he also carries a wide range of herbaceous, tree and patio peonies. Alec’s advice for enjoying a long display is to grow a sequence of varieties, from early-flowering ‘Claire de Lune’ to mid-flowering ‘Buckeye Belle’ to late-flowering varieties like ‘Coral Charm’. primrosehallpeonies.co.uk
5
Started in 1978, Plant Heritage is the UK’s leading conservation charity for garden plants, and this year it has a strong presence at the show. In addition to its show garden, you’ll fi nd the charity in the Great Pavilion. Other National Collection holders
will be profi led in the tent too, including British Cosmos, which under Jonathan Sheppard holds the National Collection of Cosmos bipinnatus. plantheritage.org.uk; britishcosmos.com
6
Based near Dartmouth, Strete Gate Camellias, run by Jeremy Wilson, will be at RHS Chelsea for the third time this year. The grower has some 300 types of camellias in the collection, including hybrids, C. japonica and C. x williamsii, including varieties such as ‘In the Pink’. If you’ve ever fancied growing your own tea however, Jeremy can supply you with Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, which is hardy and prefers acidic to neutral soil. stretegatecamellias.co.uk
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David and Gail Sheals own Summerdale Garden Nursery in Cumbria. Both retired doctors, they began Summerdale as a general nursery but now focus exclusively on eminently collectable auriculas. The collection is extensive, from farinaceous ‘Helen Ruane’ to palest pink ‘Powder Pu ’. summerdalegardennursery.co.uk
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Three tiers of salvias delivering waves of colour will be a highlight of the Middleton Nurseries stand. The Sta ordshire nursery was established in 1975 and is no stranger to the show. Alongside established favourites such as ‘Amistad’ and ‘Nachtvlinder’ look out for newer varieties like sky-blue Salvia guaranitica ‘Argentina Skies’ and magenta ‘Hadspen’. middletonnurseries.co.uk
9
This year, Miles Japanese Maples celebrates its tenth birthday and will be at RHS Chelsea for the fourth time. The family-run West Sussex nursery was started by Miles Hayward and this year his exhibit will show what it takes to grow a tree from seed. Along with showing popular Acer palmatum, he will highlight less common species such as Acer campestre and Acer buergerianum milesjapanesemaples.co.uk
10
In 2025 Sienna Hosta had two plants shortlisted for the RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year Award: Hosta ‘Party Popper’ and H. ‘Silly String’. The growers, who supply HM The King at Highgrove, have around 1,400 hostas in their collection. With five consecutive gold medals under their belts, they are hoping to achieve a sixth. siennahosta.co.uk
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Apricotta’
Camellia sinensis
Hosta ‘Silly String’
Clematis ‘Ithemba’™
Paeonia ‘Buckeye Belle’
Sir David Beckham with HRH the King
Salvia guaranitica ‘Argentina Skies’ Rosa ‘Parkinson’s Resilience’
Dining
Outdoor LIVING
