From peeking over hedgerows to see flowers from a different viewpoint and scrumping apples on a horse, leading nursery expert Rosemary Hardy’s love of plants and gardening blossomed from a very young age. Rosemary chats to Peter Brown and Chris Day about the development of the nursery from a walled garden just down the road to their current beautifully nurtured 13-acre Hampshire Nursery in Freefolk.

Painting with plants is Rosemary’s mantra and we find out about the fascinating perennial flower scene as well discovering the philosophy of right plants, right place. Rosemary shares her wealth of plant knowledge and tells us about when things don’t quite go to plan at the flower shows.

We learn about the best size of plants to plant in the garden, tips to get your cottage garden plants established and find out more about the process of creating those Gold winning displays at the famous Royal Horticultural Society’s shows.

First time gardener perennials: Go for strong plants such as Alchemilla, Centranthus, Coreopsis, hardy Geranium, Geum, Lamium, Leucanthemum, Nepeta such as ‘Six Hills Giant’, Persicaria and Rudbeckia.

Light shade perennials include Aquilegia, Bergenia, Veronica and Veronicastrum.

Perennials with roses: Asters (Michealmas daisies), Astrantia, Gaura (now called Oenothera) and Campanula, especially the carpeting types.

Best plants to get young gardeners going: Sweet peas (watching the tendrils twine, quick growing and wonderful scent), consider fast growing annual seeds like Cornflowers and Nasturtium, members of the daisy family and for growing involvement Geum rivale, which is easily propagated.

You Tube video most asked question – Will this grow in a pot!

Rosemary’s favourites include Cirsium, Oenothera lindheimeri Rosyjane (PBR), Anemone ‘Frilly Knickers’, Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ (PBR) and Geum ‘Scarlet Tempest’ (Macgeu001’PBR)

Desert Island plant: Fagus sylvatica, a beautiful native green beech which changes beautifully through the seasons.

Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants, Priory Lane, Freefolk, Whitchurch, Hampshire RG28 7FA Tel: 01256 896533.

Website: https://www.hardysplants.co.uk

Rosemary Hardy Gardening YouTube Channel

Hardy’s show dates and events

We stock a wide range of herbaceous perennials at the Garden Centre and through our website

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

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