As I sit and write this, warm and cozy indoors watching the birds at the bird feeder I contemplate what this spring will hold for us... 2016 ended on a sad note and begins on one also, with the death of my father just before Christmas and subsequent funeral this week, his sudden fight with Cancer during the summer caught us all by surprise and left us reeling in the speed in which it took him and none more so than the plant collection he left behind!
He was a keen nurseryman who specialised in Cacti & Succulents, his collection of plants far surpassed any others I've seen and although not all were beautifully tended specimens such as those seen at Wisley the varieties on offer, some I've not seen or found anywhere else were from years of collecting. My knowledge and love of plants is thanks to him and I now have the daunting task of keeping some (I don't have a greenhouse big enough for the full collection) of the rarer & more interesting specimens that he grew, plans are afoot in creating an area open on the nursery so others can appreciate their beauty but otherwise we have to resign ourselves to our mail order catalogue which lists an ever increasing range of Succulents.
Last Autumns catalogue we added several new varieties such as Corpuscula Lehmanii (below) & Aptenia Cardifolia.
This year we have Delosperma Cooperi
and on special offer the Aeonium Leuconeura.
Succulents are so perfect, requiring very little maintenance, yet will reward you with stunning architectural growth and flowers that are bright and colourful. They make interesting planters and can be grown outside during the summer/warmer weather, children love them and it is a great starter plant to get their interest in growing as some will grow happily on a windowsill without getting too big and won't mind if they forget to care for them.
New catalogue will be out Mid January but you can request your free copy here. Our website is also currently being updated with all the new varieties we are listing this season so please check back or contact us if you are looking for something in particular and can't find it online or in our brochures.
Thanks for reading.