There are few better things to bring joy for me than a bag full of plants after a nice day out.
This little bag of joy came after an afternoon at Coton Manor Gardens. Coton Manor is about thirty minutes from where I live and I have been visiting there for longer than I care to remember. The nursery is too tempting and the gardens are a masterclass in planting. I have been to many of their courses that they run from their Garden School and I always love visiting.
The weather was very changeable, it was sunny and it poured with rain. The borders were looking stunning.
Simply stunning. We spent some time looking at them and how they are constructed. There are big blocks of plants and large structural plants holding the borders together. It is simple and effective and works brilliantly. We were looking at how the plants are staked and trained. If you visit Coton, peer closely at how the roses have been pruned, it's really interesting and my Alan Titchmarsh rose in particular will feel a new pruning routine later this year.
There are also many plants in pots. This Sinninga tubiflora demanded my attention and insisted that it is put on the list of plants to acquire. It was futile to resist.
I also had Magnolia-envy and wall-envy.
But what is in the bag I hear you say?
Salvia jamensis 'Senorita Leah', if you visit Coton you will see they use salvias a lot, in pots and in the borders.
She is a very pretty senorita. She's not completely hardy in a harsh winter so I have taken contingency cuttings to make sure I do not lose her.
This is Salvia oxyphora, she is quite tender and definitely not trustworthy enough to put in the ground. She is now in a larger pot so she can spread her roots and hopefully provide some of her fuzzy pink flowers before the cold sets in.
and finally
Heliotrope Lord Roberts, well the label says Lord Roberts but I think it is a bit pale?
Anyhoo, s/he smells of vanilla custard and that is good enough for me.
I do so love a bag full of plants.
