greentapestry : Malvern Blue

Sunday 9 May 2010

Malvern Blue



Back home after a most enjoyable day at the Malvern Show where it was great to meet so many fellow garden bloggers and put faces to so many names. Many, many thanks to Veg Plotting and Patient Gardener for all the organisation, attention to detail, love and thoughtfulness that went into making this blogger's get together such a memorable occasion. You did us most proud.

Not many photos from me with this post. Firstly I took fewer than usual as my hands were so cold, that I nearly resorted to buying some gardening gloves in the morning just to feel them again. Secondly I followed himself's advice and took my fairly new to me camera with me, rather than its reliable predecessor. Having seen the results I obviously need more practise at using this piece of technology as many of my photos were sadly quite blurry.

However here are a couple of photos of the plants that I really fell for in a big way. I am suffering from the same "You can't always get what you want" syndrome as Patient Gardener. Like her I was besotted by magnolia laevifolia ‘Mini Mouse’ which featured in a magnificent display staged by The Hardy Plant Society ~



I spent some time last night unsuccessfully trying to track this plant down on the internet and then read Patient Gardener's post today. Apparently this magnolia is only currently available from one nursery which happens to be at the other end of the country!

I was equally smitten by melanoselinum decipiens which grabbed my attention as I looked at Jekka McVicar's stand. This umbifeller is also known as black cow parsley and I think that I may have found a source of seeds but will not rest until they come through the letter box ~



So those were the plants that I did not bring home with me. The ones I did were lemon verbena (which I find hard to find locally every year), actaea 'Brunette', actaea 'Hillside Black Beauty' both of which I have been looking for) and lastly my only impulse buy ~ athyrium niponicum 'Applecourt. Photos of all will no doubt follow in due course. I resisted all temptation to come home with another hosta. Several packets of seeds also found their way into my paws - parsley peas, various salad leaf mixtures as well as some clematis.

If any of you who met me on Saturday thought that I had a discrete little blue tattoo on my left hand, I have to confess that I was still sporting the remnants of a most effective pass out stamp, having left the showground briefly for lunch. I woke up on Sunday and realised to my horror that despite several hand washes in the interim I was still branded. The scrubbing brush came out last night and this memento has now been permanently eradicated but it will be a long time before my memories of the weekend fade.

18 comments:

  1. I will email you details of the nursery for the Magnolia when I find my piece of paper with it written on. I have the Black Cow Parsley, grew it from CGS seed last year, just planted it out so hopefully it will flower soon

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like you had a successful visit and how nice to meet up with other garden bloggers.
    Any plans for meeting up at Hamptn Court Show?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Anna,

    Lovely photos, I do love that Magnolia too... So very nice, and well, cute! :D

    Shame it was so cold though! Today has been much nicer up here with sun for the majority - typical isn't it??!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. How fun that you got to meet up with so many bloggers at the show. Sorry it was so cold though.
    I love that Heuchera display, they are always so tempting.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It sounds like you had a wonderful day, how lovely to meet up with fellow bloggers. I find it hard not to impulse buy at shows, so you did well.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'd love to know where you can get melanoselinum decipiens seeds as I thought they looked fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anna - lovely to see you again! I have a red/green/blue combo tattoo from 3 days worth of pass out stamps!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Anna - I look after the Heucheraholics web site - they were so busy with the show they didn't take any photos of their stand - I wonder, would you be so kind as to allow your shot to be used by Heucheraholics just for posts about the 2010 show?
    I'll make sure your blog gets and mention.
    PS. Arabella of Sock suggested I ask
    Cheers
    Richard

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wasn't it fun? Great to meet you, and I love the magnolia too!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sounds like you all had a lot of fun. I was so sorry I couldn't be there, too. (I've always wanted a tattoo. Well, I haven't really.)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh, it is so not fair that the Magnolia's available at only one nursery! Especially when it's so cute. I have Actaea 'Hillside Black Beauty,' but not 'Brunette.' I'll be interested to see how they compare in your garden.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anna:

    Sounds like you had a wonderful time! Did you get to see Three Men Went to Mow? [They were supposed to be there were they not?]

    The Magnolia is wonderful. Typical that you'd have to traverse the entire country to find one. Welcome to my world! You will love all of the selections that you brought home. The two Actaea and the Applecourt Athyrium are all wonderful selections that will garner much attention in coming years! Hoping the tat isn't permanent!

    ReplyDelete
  13. It was lovely to meet you at Malvern. I really enjoyed the show. It would have been nice if the sun had stayed out for longer!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I fell in love with the Magnolia from Helen's post! What a beauty... your finds sound lovely too! What a great gathering you all had... cannot wait to see a group shot! Funny how your tattoo would not easily go away. Your meeting virtual friends face to face with hugs and laughs will linger a lifetime! Lucky!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I opted for a wrist band (attached it to my camera bag) so as to avoid the 'brand'.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Good to hear you enjoyed the show Anna, despite the cold. You came home with some great buys, well done for being so restrained on the Hosta front!

    Jeanne
    x

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks for all your comments :) Sorry that you could not all join in the fun at Malvern.

    Good to meet up with you again Patient Gardener and VP and thanks for making Malvern such a special occasion ((((()))))

    Enjoyed the chance to meet up with you Elizabeth and Easygardener- perhaps we can do it again in the future.

    Have emailed you Photomacro and hope that it reached you. You are welcome to use the photo - I have two or three others of the Heucheraholics stand if you are interested. You can email me at thegreentapestry@googlemail.com

    Welcome Frankie - I will contact you with details of seed stockist. If not successful I will be asking Patient Gardenerif she has any seed later this year :)

    Hello Wild Somerset Child - nice to meet you at Malvern. The wrist band would have been my preferred option had I known it existed :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I seem to remember a Twitter conversation about preparing one's hands for Malvern.

    Esther

    ReplyDelete

All your comments are much appreciated and treasured. I wil try to reply to everyone who leaves a comment, but it may take me a few days, especially when I start spending more time in the garden and at the lottie. I know that you will understand :) I am sure that I will also visit your blog if I have not already done so. If you have any specific questions I will either reply to them here or you can email me at : thegreentapestry@gmail.com

Namasté

- Anna.