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'Green Dream' - looks a bit like a hellebore but taller.Nipponanthemum nipponicum - this last I chose because the name amused me but also because it is really late flowering. It has leathery leaves and pretty white flowers in October.Sadly, things have

wildfire garden".Now, 26 years later, the gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show are awash not just with wildflowers, but with green roofs, ponds, streams and insect habitats. Indeed, these are such great gardens for wildlife, that on Sunday morning a

Purple-striped green beetles, 8mm long, congregate among the leaves, which they feed on. The beetles lay elongated eggs beneath the leaves from September and continue to do so on warm days right through winter. These hatch after a couple of weeks

Magnesium is needed to give leaves their green colour, so when there's a deficiency, yellow breaks through between the veins and around the leaf edges instead. Other colours, such as purple, brown or red, might also appear. Older leaves suffer first

My snowdrops are at the point where it is possible to start spotting them among the long grass. Not much longer to wait and they will be in full flower: tiny, green-spotted delights to lift the sombre mood of both recession and late-January. When we

Everything, it seems, has gone green. I’m not just talking about the gorgeous shoots and leaves that are beginning to unfurl. No, I refer to the green film of algae coating steps, paths, stepping stones, flower pots, planters, benches, tables

. There may be a climax with 10 or 20 open at one time. Against a green background, the effect is retina-searing.Though other oriental poppies can make substantial flower stems, 'Beauty of Livermere' is the colossus. We use it in our 'hot beds' at Glebe

the flowers, but they need to be at their best for the Chelsea Flower Show. For that reason I don't want them to use their energy producing flowers at the expense of lush green leaves. And finally I tackled Eric, the name we give the South African wild

ball sized flowers of A. 'Purple Sensation', the drumsticks of A. sphaerocephalon or the starry heads of A. christophii), I’m particularly fond of the greater subtlety of nectaroscordum.The fresh green leaves start appearing in late February - earlier

Buying a camellia in flower lets you choose exactly the colour you want for your patio show-stopper. This single plant will give you delightful spring colour and its glossy, deep green foliage looks impressive all year round, even when its