Plant Inspirations – The Contemplative Gardener

Rhododendrons & Azaleas

Kerry Dickson September 17, 2019 Inspiration, Plant Inspirations

Beautiful flowering shrubs: If you’ve ever read Daphne du Maurier’s novel “Rebecca” you’ll remember the recurring references to the azaleas that grew at Manderley and which were used in a perfume for its late mistress. The author describes a fragrance that captures the imagination, but leaves many gardeners scratching their heads. Many of our most familiar evergreen azaleas have little to no scent. If you want fragrance, you may have to sacrifice year-round foliage. Though azaleas are a type ofRead more

Air Plants

Kerry Dickson September 13, 2019September 13, 2019 Inspiration, Plant Inspirations

Strange and beautiful tropicals: “Tillandsia” plants are among the strange and beautiful things we find on our planet. More commonly known as “air plants,” this peculiar species do not like to have their roots in soil, but instead are able to gather nutrients from the air. The job of the roots is simply to anchor the plant. You may have seen these plants cleverly displayed and growing in glass globes suspended from a ceiling, in terrariums, or mounted on walls.Read more

Wisteria

Kerry Dickson August 5, 2019September 13, 2019 Inspiration, Plant Inspirations, Plant Profiles

A gorgeous climber: I’ve always had a soft spot for wisteria. While it is in bloom it is simply one of the most beautiful plants in the world. It climbs, it cascades, it makes everything around it beautiful. This vigorous vine produces fragrant blooms of purple or white in the spring. And as part of the legume family, it shares the characteristic of being nitrogen-fixing, which is beneficial to other plants growing nearby. Be prepared for size, weight andRead more

David Austin Roses

Kerry Dickson July 20, 2019September 13, 2019 Inspiration, Plant Inspirations

The Famous Breeder of Roses: David Austin, famous English breeder of roses, died in 2018, after a lifetime of breeding the most beautiful roses imaginable. The establishment bearing his name continues to be family-run and follows the same vision. The David Austin website tells us this about the man and the business: In the early 1950s David Austin set out to create a more beautiful rose. Sixty years on, this simple objective remains. From a hobby breeder as a youngRead more