Journal
Thoughts from the potting shed, seasonal observations, planting journal, kitchen garden recipes, hints, tips, suggestions, discoveries and general ramblings from a Devon garden.
BBC Radio Devon – Richard in conversation with Toby Buckland
As part of Radio Devon’s Gardening Gurus series and ahead of the first NGS Open Garden weekend on the 26/27/28 May, listen to Richard in conversation with top gardener and Radio host, Toby Buckland. Talking about his gardening inspirations, opening Lewis Cottage in support of the NGS and giving some some top tips for gardening on heavy clay....
read moreScabious “Eileen’s Pink” 2018
SCABIOUS “EILEEN’S PINK” I first noticed this charming Scabious growing in my Mother’s garden a few years ago and was struck by how tall they were. Not as tall as Cephelaria gigantea, but not far off. They were certainly 4ft tall and thriving in Mother’s Northamptonshire front garden. I couldn’t find any pink Scabious that grew that tall so she kindly gathered seed and let me have a handful. I put them away in my seed tin and promptly forgot about them until sorting through the tin in the Spring of 2017. By then my Mother...
read morePowderham Castle Garden Festival April 27-28 2018
We are delighted to announce that we will be exhibiting at the Powderham Castle Garden Festival again this year.The Garden Festival takes place on April 27/28 and is now celebrating its 5th anniversary. Now established as one of the “go to” garden festivals in the country, be sure to book your tickets early. You can do this by clicking on the link here http://tobygardenfest.co.uk. Lewis Cottage Plants will be there offering our range of woodland and architectural plants most of which are grown from seed or cuttings from the...
read moreBBC Radio Devon – “On grief and gardening” Interview with Richard Orton
Following the unexpected death of his Mother late last year, Richard talks to Vic Morgan of Radio Devon on how a shared love of gardening has helped him comes to terms with his loss.
read moreExciting new plants for 2016
A quick turn around the greenhouses this weekend confirmed that Spring is certainly here. There’s an explosion of growth from the cuttings we took late last summer, slumbering perennials are beginning to show willing and the first seeds sown a couple of weeks ago are already through. This all means that we have been able to launch our new plants for 2016 on the Lewis Cottage Plants website almost a month earlier than expected. From traditional cottage plants, unusual varieties of established favourites to the down right rare and...
read moreIn praise of Yewtopia
Faced with the prospect of felling four mature Lime treesthis year, Ben and his team from Yewtopia suggested that we try Pollarding them first as an experiment and then at the end of the season take a view. Pollarding encourages new growth and maintains trees in a partially juvenile state. The Limes, as beautiful as they are, were casting a large area of shade late across the lawn on a Summer’s day that it was almost as if night had arrived early. As you can see, the Pollarded trees now afford a clear view across the lawn whilst also...
read moreThe Petasites
The Petasites Okay, so let’s be honest, these plants are not for the faint hearted, they are big, and we’re talking really big. Not in the Gunnera definition of the word, but big nonetheless and comparably prehistoric too! Not suitable for the small garden, they are however, extremely impressive when contained and nurtured properly, perfect for a waste piece of ground where nothing else will grow, even thick solid clay can’t contain their strong spreading rhizomatous roots. From the fairly innocuous P.fragrans which at 12” tall is the baby...
read moreThe Symphytums (Comfreys)
The Comfreys; sounds rather like the name of a country manor from an Agatha Christie novel doesn’t it? However, these invaluable but sometimes invasive groundcover plants are often overlooked for more showier ground coverers. Suitable for any shady position and thriving on moister clay soils they’re worth their collective weight in gold covering ground that other plants would turn their noses at and providing a long season of delicate flowers ranging from pure white, through gentle blue to pink and yellow. Although many varieties are...
read more“Open all flowers” West country Weather article
Last July, we were delighted to welcome the crew from ITV West Country weather to the garden to film a short documentary about opening for the National Gardens Scheme (NGS).Not only were the crew a wonderful couple of chaps, there was also no doubt that following the airing of the piece on TV, the number of visitors that came to the garden that weekend increased substantially. It just goes to show that all publicity is good publicity, particularly when it means that charitable organisations like the NGS and the charities it supports such as...
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