What is a dahlia tuber? Let’s start by clarifying the slightly misleading headline to this post and, in the process, clear up some important questions about dahlia tubers and bulbs. First, there is no difference between what people commonly call dahlia tubers and dahlia bulbs. The important point here is that the weird potato-like structures …
Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum Last year I moved back to the UK after spending over ten years in Australia, in the sub-tropical climate of Sydney. So, I’m currently enjoying my first Northern Hemisphere spring in all that time and my first spring ever living in Scotland. I’ve been delighting in the wonderful the variety of …
Aucuba japonica ‘Crotonifolia’Common name : Spotted LaurelFamily : Garryaceae (formerly Cornaceae) Aucuba japonica ‘Crotonifolia’ is a rounded evergreen shrub to 3m x 3m. ‘Crotonifolia’ is a female cultivar. Its leaves are ovate, glossy and variegated, up to 20cm long. It is unusual in that the variegation takes the forms of yellow splashes and speckles, almost …
Hedera helix Common name : English Ivy Family : Aralicaeae Hedera helix is a vigorous self clinging climber or ground cover with 3-5 lobed triangular, glossy leaves 4-6cm long. There a hundreds of cultivars, with almost infinite variations in leaf colour and shape but most with some form of variegation. H. helix may be contrasted …
Narcissus spp. Common name : Daffodil Family : Amaryllidaceae A bulbous soft wooded perennial with around 50 species and countless cultivars, the Narcissus is the archetypal spring flower in cool climate gardens. With a sheath of mid-green strap shaped or cylindrical leaves, these plants are most notable for their distinctive flowers. These have 6 flattened …
