The Gardens at Barnsley House

A great afternoon, on Saturday, spent mooching around friend Julie Dolphin's Miserden Nursery. She's obviously been hard at work with vineries cleared out  and healthy stock now holding court on the benches. It was also really nice to see and catch up with Ed' Alderman, who Julie has enlisted. Ed' worked at Barnsley House and then got a scholarship to work at Great Dixter, he's been back in Gloucestershire for a couple of years now and is a passionate plantsman and propagator. Julie is keen on her Pelargoniums and Ed is particularly fond of Salvias, Julie generously gave me some (quite a lot actually) cutting material of Salvia x involucrata 'Bethellii', a beautiful plant with bright felt tip pink blooms. Ed' proudly showed me a new propagating unit for cuttings which works on the 'dew point' principle, it's throbbing polar light signifying it's presence in the dark recesses of the potting shed like a scene from Professor Quatermass.

Clematis viticella 'Mary Rose' growing at Miserden...stunning!