My Garden

Well, the snow put paid to the judging of winter foliage of bergenias at Wisley this week. Here they are, entirely covered with snow! There's over three hundred bergenias, in over a hundred species and varieties there, but not much to assess at the moment The judges will be back to look them over... Read more..

The icy and snowy weather earlier this month revealed one way in which the Wisley trials are so useful. One of the most valuable features of bergenias is their winter foliage colour and the recent weather has put them to the test - some retained their foliage and were revealed in glorious colour when... Read more..

Looking over the Wisley bergenia trial two or three times recently, an unfortunate conundrum emerges. If the flowers stand up well above the foliage so they show themselves off to the full, with a chance to really enliven the spring garden - they get frosted. If they open on shorter stems, down amongst... Read more..

I've mentioned the bergenia trial a few times here, it's been one of the most interesting perennial trials of recent years. And at a recent assessment session plantsman and retired nurseryman Chris Sanders suggested that however good its flowers might be, no bergenia should be given an Award... Read more..