Talking Dirty

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is one of the greatest flower shows on earth and a highlight of the horticultural calendar. Here on Talking Dirty we get just as excited about it as everybody else and - as you'd expect - we've been lapping up all the plants and combinations! 

So, fresh from Main Avenue and the Great Pavilion, Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis are here to share their favourites from across the show. And, as you can see from the plant list, there was plenty to catch their eyes!

#rhschelsea #chelseaflowershow #gardendesign

PLANT LIST

x Semponium 'Destiny'

Aeonium 'Sunburst'

Aeonium 'Kiwi'

Aeonium 'Schwarzkopf'

x Semponium 'Sienna'

Agave univittata 'Quadricolor'

Agave victoriae-reginae

Aeonium 'Green Tea'

Aeonium tabuliforme

Clivia miniata 'Steve's Pastel Green Throat'

Clivia miniata 'Hirao'

Petunia exserta

Begonia sutherlandii 'Saunder's Legacy'

Begonia 'Regal Minuet'

Begonia 'Namur' 

Begonia 'Helter Skelter'

Streptocarpus saxorum

Nasturtium 'Baby Rose'

Hosta 'Wheee!'Hosta 'Empress Wu'

Hedera helix 'Pink 'n' Curly'

Delphinium elatum 'Ruby Wedding'

Primula japonica 'Miller's Crimson'

Adiantum aleuticum 'Imbricatum' 

Iris 'Mrs Alan Gray' 

Selaginella kraussiana

Soleirolia soleirolii

Blechnum chilense

Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty'

Anemone leveillei

Cercis siliquastrum

Lamium orvala

Digitalis 'Glory of Roundway'

Acer davidii 

Lychnis fos-cuculi ‘Alba’

Rosa glauca

Baptisia ‘Twilight’

Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’

Baptisia ‘Dutch Chocolate’

Leucanthemum vulgare

Euphorbia palustris

Smyrnium perfoliatum

Nicotiana langsdorffii

Campanula patula

Verbena 'Bampton'

Acaena microphylla

Stipa gigantea

Eschscholzia californica 'Ivory Castle'

Salvia 'Violette De Loire'

Salvia 'Royal Bumble'

Eschscholzia californica 'Thai Silk' Series

Papaver somniferum 'Lauren's Grape'

Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus

Echium ‘Red Feather’

Bupleurum longifolium 'Aureum'

Centranthus ruber var. coccineus

Centaurea 'Jordy'

Rose 'Dusky Maiden'

Rosa 'Jacqueline du Pré'

Anchusa 'Loddon Royalist'

Geum 'Mai Tai'

Iris 'Blue Rhythm'

Salvia nemorosa ‘Crystal Blue’

Salvia nemorosa 'Blue Hills'

Aquilegia 'Ruby Port'

Briza media

Briza media 'Limouzi'

Peony 'Dark Eyes'

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Rubenza'

Verbascum 'Petra'

Camassia leichtlinii 'Alba'

Luzula nivea

Amsonia tabernaemontana 'Storm Cloud'

Galactites tomentosa

Galactites tomentosa 'Alba'

Parrotia persica

Centaurea 'Purple Heart'

Lupinus 'Masterpiece'

Gladiolus colvillei 'The Bride'

Prunus lusitanica 

Time for more wonderful plants with our Get Gardening co-conspirator Ian Roofe. He's Alan's right-hand man at East Ruston Old Vicarage and, at home, gardens a small plot in Norfolk (alongside stashing quite a lot of plants at his parents garden!)

This week we've got a wonderful mix from shrubs to bulbs to Roses...

PLANT LIST

Deutzia gracilis 'Nikko'

Camassia quamash

Camassia leichtlinii subsp. leichtlinii

Haloragis erecta 'Wellington Bronze'

Hardenbergia violacea

Acanthus sennii

Lonicera x 'Clavey's Dwarf'

Clematis viticella

Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Mariesii'

Cornus 'Eddie's White Wonder'

Cornus kousa 'Venus'

Cornus kousa 'China Girl'

Rosa 'Climbing Pompon de Paris'

Clematis tangutica

Dianthus 'Chomley Farran'

Trochodendron aralioides

Schefflera taiwaniana

Rhaphithamnus spinosus

Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'

Rosa moyesii 'Geranium'

Euphorbia characias

Aconitum 'Bressingham Spire'

Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens'

Rosa Mundi

Trachycarpus fortunei

Ferula communis

He's back! Our original Get Gardening co-conspirator and Alan Gray's right-hand man at East Ruston Old Vicarage, Ian Roofe, returns to Talking Dirty. As ever he's brought his floral A-Game so expect plenty of seasonal inspiration from climbers to bulbs to perennials. Next week Camassias, Cornus and super shrubs!

PLANT LIST

Holboellia latifolia

Crataegus prunifolia

Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon'

Wisteria floribunda 'Macrobotrys'

Wisteria floribunda 'Lipstick'

Hyacinthoides non-scripta 'Bracteata'

Tulipa 'Amber Glow'

Tulipa 'Continental'

Tulipa 'Doll's Minuet'

Smyrnium perfoliatum

Helleborus foetidus 'Yellow Wilgenbroek'

Lunaria annua 'Somerset Marble'

Lunaria annua 'Chedglow'

Lunaria annua 'Corfu Blue'

Lunaria rediviva

Erysimum 'Apricot Twist'

Erysimum 'Red Jep'

Erysimum 'Ruston Coppernob'

Erysimum cheiri 'Harpur Crewe'

Erysimum 'Lady Roborough'

Erysimum 'Bowles's Mauve'

Erysimum 'Ruston Royal'

Centaurea 'Jordy'

Centaurea montana 'Purple Heart'

Centaurea montana

Salvia 'Royal Bumble'

This week we continue our chat with Tom Attwood of Abi and Tom's Garden Plants. From the oddities being grown 'round the back' to the exotic plant Tom is deserate to have success with, it's a foray into a wonderful range of plants, from Tulips to Wallflowers to Abutilons.

PLANT LIST

Veronica gentianoides Dark Form 

Papaver commutatum

Tulipa 'Gudoshnik'

Tulipa 'Valdivia'

Tulipa sprengeri

Cardiocrinum giganteum

Erysimum 'Ruston Coppernob'

Erysimum 'Ruston Royal'

Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty'

Colocasia esculenta

Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic'

Canna 'Durban'

Manihot grahamii

Abutilon vitifolium

Clianthus puniceus

Corynabutilon × suntense 'Jermyns'

Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii

This week on Talking Dirty we're getting to know Tom Attwood of Abi and Tom's Garden Plants (and Gardens Illustrated etc. From a childhood gardening with his Mum, to time at Kew and the creation of the Plant Centre and Nursery he runs with his wife, he shares his horticultural passion. Plus some of his favourite plants. Next week we talk Tulips and FLOMO*

*FLOMO = FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out

PLANT LIST

Yakushima rhododendron

Pelargonium 'Babylon'

Cordyline indivisa

Cordyline australis

Viburnum betulifolia

Time for Part Two of our chat with Garden Designer Annie Guilfoyle. We continue her appreciation of interesting shrubs for all gardens, but also take a meander through some interesting bulbs and a naughty climber!

PLANT LIST

Gomphostigma virgatum

Rosa 'Madge'

Exochorda × macrantha 'The Bride'

Epimedium × warleyense 'Orangekönigin'

Narcissus 'Petrel'

Narcissus 'Thalia'

Narcissus 'Silver Chimes'

Narcissus 'Hawera'

Narcissus 'Rataplan'

Hyacinthoides non-scripta 'Bracteata'

Gladiolus tristis

Gladiolus dalenii

Holboellia latifolia

Hesperantha coccinea

Primula vulgaris 'Avondale'

Primula 'Wanda Hose-in-hose'

Primula 'Wanda'

Eremurus 'White Beauty Favourite'

Here on The Talking Dirty Podcast we are unashamedly plant-mad! Alan Gray has filled 32 acres at East Ruston Old Vicarage with interesting varieties and combinations (and Thordis dreams of doing the same!)

In our pursuit of the beautiful and unique, certain groups of plants can get overlooked and we suspect some shrubs have been in that category. Well, no more! Because Garden Designer Annie Guilfoyle is a champion of using interesting shrubs in your garden, and practises what she preaches by growing many in her own tiny plot. This first part of her Talking Dirty appearance feature some she would recommend the highest.

In Part Two we'll cover Narcissi, a slightly naughty climber and FLOMO* of course.

*FLoral or plant-based fear Of Missing Out

PLANT LIST

Arum italicum 'Pictum'

Narcissus 'Golden Ducat'

Narcissus 'Silver Chimes'

Correa 'Marian's Marvel'

Correa backhouseana

Correa reflexa x alba 'Lemon Twist'

Olearia ilicifolia

Olearia × mollis 'Zennorensis'

Olearia macrodonta

Viburnum × burkwoodii

It's a long overdue return for Matthew Pottage on The Talking Dirty Podcast this week. Matt joins Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis to chat about his new book, 'How to Garden when you Rent' and share some Show and Tell from his office at RHS Garden Wisley. He's sure to leave us all with FLOMO*!

*FLoral or plant-based fear Of Missing Out

PLANT LIST

Luma apiculata

Leptinella

Lobelia pedunculata (Syn. Pratia pedunculata)

Tradescantia fluminensis ‘Nanouk’

Tradescantia fluminensis 'Maiden's Blush'

Fallopia baldschuanica

Pinus coulteri

Sansevieria trifasciata 'Bantel's Sensation'

Aloe erinacea

Schlumbergera 'Norris Variegated'

Phlebodium aureum 'Davana'

Opuntia cantabrigiensis

Opuntia microdasys

Lycopodium squarrosum

Blechnum chilense

Pyrrosia sheareri

Cordyline australis 'Charlie Boy'

Lapageria rosea

You know Alan Gray and Thordis adore an underloved plant on Talking Dirty - and this week's guest is the same. Dan Cooper is shining the spotlight on Hyacinths this week, plus Tulips, Narcissi and lots of other seasonal lovelies.

And, as his new business Dan Cooper Garden launches, we're keen to hear about what he's got in store for us, from tools and bulbs to some great articles packed with advice. In fact Alan is so taken with one item from the Dan Cooper range that he forgets the flowers when it comes to his FLOMO*, though don't worry we still managed to pack in lots of plants (as that plant list testifies!)

*FLoral or plant-based fear Of Missing Out

PLANT LIST

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Gipsy Queen'

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Anastasia'

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Woodstock'

Hyacinthus 'Dark Dimension'

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Miss Saigon'

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Jan Bos'

Hyacinthus orientalis 'City of Haarlem'

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Carnegie'

Tulip 'Attila Graffiti'

Iris latifolia

Gladiolus cardinalis

Tulipa 'Purissima'

Tulipa 'Queen of Night'

Tulipa 'Negrita'

Tulipa 'Triple A'

Tulipa 'Exotic Emperor'

Tulipa 'Muscadet'

Spiraea 'Arguta'

Fritillaria imperialis

Tropaeolum brachyceras

Tropaeolum tricolor

Tropaeolum pentaphyllum

Narcissus 'Barrett Browning'

Narcissus 'Mrs Langtry'

Narcissus 'Insulinde'

Narcissus 'Van Sion' 

Jacobinia pauciflora

Correa reflexa x alba 'Lemon Twist'

Rhododendron 'Christmas Cheer'

When we prepared to launch our Newsletter and asked what Talking Dirty listeners wanted from it, there was a big call for Show and Tell from Alan Gray and Thordis. So, in a pause between our usual guest-focussed podcasts, they're talking about some of their favourites in the garden at the moment, including selections for Thordis' new raised shade bed.

From Corydalis to Ficaria, Primulas, Pulmonarias and Narcissi, there's planty inspiration a-plenty.

To read our Newsletter and subscribe, head here: https://www.getgardeningnow.co.uk/newsletter

PLANT LIST

Begonia listada

Begonia 'Little Brother Montgomery' 

Begonia 'Black Knight'

Cyathea brownii

Pulmonaria 'Blue Pearl'

Geranium phaeum 'Brundall Gold'

Milium effusum 'Aureum'

Eragrostis curvula 'Totnes Burgundy'

Ficaria verna 'Crimson Damson'

Ficaria verna 'Coppernob'

Ficaria verna 'Lambrook Variegated'

Cyclamen coum

Heptacodium miconioides

Ranunculus ficaria 'Blueberries and Cream'

Corydalis solida 'Beth Evans'

Anemone blanda 'White Splendour'

Corydalis 'Tory MP' 

Corydalis calycosa

Chrysosplenium macrophyllum

Primula vulgaris 'Taigetos'

Primula 'Francisca'

Primula 'Barnhaven Blues'

Primula 'Tomato Red'

Narcissus cyclamineus

Narcissus bulbocodium

Narcissus bulbocodium 'Arctic Bells'

Anemone nemorosa 'Robinsoniana'

Anemone nemorosa 'Vestal'

Salix gracilistyla 'Mount Aso' 

Narcissus 'Beryl' 

Narcissus 'Cantabile'

Lamium orvala

Hosta 'War Paint'

Primula 'Guinevere' or 'Garryard Guinivere'

Lunaria 'Somerset Marble'

Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow'

Primula auricula 'Marie Crousse'

Primula vulgaris subsp. sibthorpii

Primula 'Tie Dye'  

Primula auricula 'Blue Denim'

Primula 'Jack-in-the-Green group'

Tulipa sprengeri

Impatiens flanaganiae