Readings

The many meanings of roses

by Colour Your Life

The rose is deeply embedded in folklore and its association with romance and love is core to western traditions, as anyone who has tried to buy roses around Valentines day knows all too well!  In England it has strong connections with nationhood as Henry VII created the Tudor rose from the old symbols of the Houses of York and Lancaster to engender a sense of unity within the country following decades of fighting. 

Perennials

by Colour Your Life

Perennials are the wonderful leafy plants that put on gorgeous displays of flowers and foliage. Their enormous variety of colours, shapes and characteristics offer an incredibly wide range of combinations and potential applications. Plus some perennials have added benefits too such as lovely fragrance, or they attract butterflies or are suitable for use in cookery or as a cut flower. In short, with perennials in the garden it’s a celebration all year round!

Colour your life in April

Preparing for a new season
by CYL

As the sun strengthens and more and more plants are flowering, it’s delightful to watch the garden coming back to life. Its now that you start to see the fruits of your earlier efforts. 

Garden Plant of the Month of March: Wallflowers

Aubrieta and Saxifraga are early flowering garden plants
by TJOP

Our Garden Plant of the Month for March is actually a small group of plants descriptively known as the ‘wallflowers’ – a well known name with a completely non garden-related meaning! The term ‘wallflower’ is often used to describe an introverted person that likes a party but prefers to blend in rather than be the centre of attention. However, this is most certainly not the case when we are looking at the garden plants of the same name. Our March plant choices, Aubrieta and Saxifraga like to put themselves very much in the spotlight. These early flowering garden plants provide welcome colour in the March garden. Their compact and hanging shape make them ideal for planting along walls or raised borders.

Ornamental grasses and bamboo

Tranquillity and natural movement
by Colour your Life

Ornamental grasses work very well in a border. They bring a sense of tranquillity and at the same time lend natural movement to the overall look.  They also work well because of their colour and fine structure. Grasses are decorative almost all year round. There are a host of varieties and shapes to choose from.