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The Garden
May 2003

RHS News

RHS trials
Annual poppies set to dazzle

A spectacular display of annual poppies is expected on the Trials Field at RHS Garden Wisley this summer. Included in the trial of annual Papaveraceae are yellow and orange Eschscholzia californica (Californian poppies), bright red and pastel Papaver rhoeas (corn poppy, pictured), large-flowered, bold-coloured P. nudicaule (Iceland poppy) and more than 30 cultivars of P. somniferum (opium poppy). White-flowered prickly poppy Argemone and Glaucium flavum (horned poppy) are grown for their glaucous-grey foliage as well as their flowers. Plants in the trial were directly sown.
Image: Martin Page

Aquilegia and hardy geranium trials will be flowering at the same time.

Magnolia gift to Oxford garden

A collection of unusual cultivars of Magnolia x loebneri, donated by the RHS Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Group, were planted in March at the Harcourt Arboretum, near Oxford.

The collection includes ‘Star Bright’, which was raised by the Tom Dodd Nursery in Alabama in 1965, and has large white, multi-tepalled flowers, and ‘Wildcat’, a seedling of M. kobus var. borealis, whose soft pink flowers are composed of more than 52 tepals. Others cultivars include ‘Donna’, ‘Ballerina’,‘Merill’, ‘Powder Puff’, ‘Raspberry Fun’ and ‘Spring Snow’.

Maurice Foster, Chairman of the RHS Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Group, said, ‘The arboretum provides a perfect setting for the flowers and we are certain that visitors will enjoy them.’

Piers Newth, Arboretum Supervisor at Harcourt, said, ‘We are delighted that Harcourt has been chosen for this new collection. We are always looking to expand our range of plants.’

The Harcourt Aboretum is part of the Oxford Botanic Garden. For more details, tel: 01865 343501 or visit the website: www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk

RHS Gardens

Hyde Hall

Work has just concluded on replanting the Modern Rose Garden. Working to a design by former RHS Council member and Chelsea Flower Show gold medallist Robin Williams, the garden was originally redesigned and planted in winter 1999/spring 2000 with a formal outline of box and yew hedges and 12 impressive steel obelisks to support climbing roses.

The roses were selected from a range of new introductions but, as some proved unsatisfactory or failed, the beds were cleared and the soil dug out and replaced with soil reworked from a nearby field to reduce the risk of rose replant disease. A new planting scheme, designed by Curator Matthew Wilson and Michael Marriot, Technical Manager of David Austin Roses, has been implemented using a range of Austin’s English shrub roses. The scheme includes coppery Rosa Pat Austin (‘Ausmum’), rose pink Corvedale (‘Ausnetting’) and disease-resistant The Mayflower (‘Austilly’).
Image: Janet Uttley

Rosemoor

A network of traditional Devon hedgebanks define major areas of Rosemoor, and last year several stretches were left to grow before being laid in winter, while plants were dormant, to help them regenerate in the traditional manner. Early stages of regeneration are now evident with blackthorn and hawthorn breaking bud.
Image: Stephen Record

Harlow Carr

The Delphinium Society’s Yorkshire & Lincolnshire Group is sponsoring the planting of seven Delphinium elatum hybrids at Harlow Carr. Seven plants of each of the Delphinium cultivars ‘Bruce’, ‘Cherub’, ‘Conspicuous’, ‘Lord Butler’ (left), ‘Michael Ayres’, ‘Pericles’ and ‘Silver Jubilee’ will be distributed throughout the herbaceous borders and used in plant associations to show how these distinctive plants can blend with and enhance their neighbours. The delphiniums will come to full bloom in June 2004.
Image: Tim Sandall

Wisley

The first part of a new cherry collection (left) has been planted on the south side of the orchard, comprising more than 20 mainly modern cultivars ideal for garden cultivation. Grown on a new dwarfing rootstock ‘Gisela 5’, these include Prunus avium ‘Penny’, ‘Summer Sun’ and ‘Sweetheart’. Polythene crop covers may be used to protect ripening fruit from rain to reduce fruit split.
Image: Tim Sandall

Gardening competition
Personal advice

A one-to-one consultation from an RHS Curator was won by four entrants to a RHS/Daily Telegraph Gardening Competition held last December.

Matthew Wilson of RHS Garden Hyde Hall is visiting Mrs G Emery in Hertfordshire; Chris Bailes of Rosemoor is consulting Mrs R Ford in Wiltshire; Jim Gardiner of Wisley is seeing Peter Buckle in Wiltshire; and Andrew Hart of Harlow Carr is visiting John Kipling in South Yorkshire.

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