Monday, April 28, 2014

Beeches in the Spring

Every spring, almost like a tradition we head down to Beeches Nursery to check their beautiful plants on offer. And year in and year  out they never disappoint.


This sign of theirs along the pathway towards the entrance made me grin from ear to ear. Any gardener of precious plants would understand!
A glimpse of their display planting by the entrance
On our previous features (2011 and 2012, I didn't manage to blog about our 2013 visit) we have mentioned how pristine and well presented this nursery and I'm glad to say it has remained as such. The plants are grouped together by type and alphabetically arranged for ease of browsing.








Podophyllums and Peltoboykinias
Trilliums
Tiarellas, Tricyrtis, and Thalictrums
More Veratrums you can shake a stick at
Asarums galore!
Their stocking levels are high and the variety of plants they sell are impressive. But what impresses us the most, being the plants people that we are is how many rare and unusual plants they actually have. These plants don't scream out as such (nor would they point out to you which ones are), you'll need to have a clue beforehand of what is still obscure. Armed with some knowledge look thoroughly and closely and in and amongst the easily recognisable plants and there they are too, the obscure treasures.

Ohh what's this???
New from them this year, Eryngium agavifolium Giant Form. Supposedly grows fifty percent bigger than the usual form. Compare the growth rate between the usual form on the left and giant form on the right, same age. Very promising!
Schefflera rhododendrifolia
Different forms of the hardy Impatiens omeiana
Alstroemeria 'Rhubarb and Custard'
What's this exotic looking spiky thing? A form of English Holly! Ilex aquifolium 'Crassifolia'
Astelia 'Silver Shadow'
The colour of this tree is very bright and striking, great for winter interest in the garden. Fought it difficult to capture on camera the intensity of the colour though - Tilia cordata 'Winter Orange'
Beschorneria albiflora
Fatsia polycarpa 'Tregye Form' (synonymous with Edward Needham Form and Needham's Lace)
Polygonatum x hybridum 'Welsh Gold'
Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Wilsonii'
We spent a good couple of hours browsing and picking out plants that we like and would want to take home with us. It's one of those nurseries that's easy to get carried and although I have planned already that we won't buy much, at the back of our minds that was very unlikely to happen knowing how many treasures they have for sale at any one point.

So we came home with a bootful, with the back of our car looking more like we came back from a week in Cornwall rather than just a couple of hours on the opposite side of it.



Some of our purchases were as follows:


Tetrastigma obtectum
Aristolochia manshuriensis - one of the few hardy Dutchman's Pipe
Eryngium agavifolium Giant Form - I just got to have them! They were joking that we ought to put them back as they were no longer for sale but too late...
Actinidia deliciosa 'Tomura'
Actinidia kolomikta
Paulownia kawakamii - which I personally refer to as the Sticky leaf Foxglove Tree
Asarums, a Thalictrum, a nice spreading fern whose name escapes me, and a Peltoboykinia which I didn't realise Gaz bought until I saw it and had to remind him it now self seeds in our garden (despite that I still can't get enough of them so that's okay!)
Tetradium austrosinense
All along I though we bought too much but as soon as we started planting some of our purchases I was already thinking that we ought to go back there soon again. I could do with picking one of two more of the ones we bought already and I did miss out on leaving behind one or two more.

A summer trip is looming!

Mark :-)

37 comments :

  1. Some beauties there! I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets home and feels like I must go back almost immediately because there are spots left to fill and I should have picked up that one or two or three that I was unsure about. :)

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    1. Indeed Alan, especially once I've had the chance to look back and sort out the new purchases and realise I shouldn't have hesitated whilst there :)

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  2. Oh why do you show us wonderful nurseries so far away from me:( Looks like you have had a wonderful time.

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    1. Well worth visiting if ever you find yourself in that area Libby. And they do mail order too!

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  3. Oh, I am green with envy that you have such easy access to such a great nursery! I love where I live, but I do miss good plant shopping, nothing quite beats being able to browse, preferably through well kept ranks of tempting loveliness. I think I'd blow whatever budget I walked in with in a place like that! Love that Aristolochia manshuriensis. Actually, as usual, I loved lots...

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    1. Indeed Janet, nothing beats the thrill of browsing nurseries in person. But you do live in a gorgeous part of the world :))

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    2. And I wouldn't swap where I live for the ultimate collection of nurseries, I can cope with ordering online ;-)

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  4. It looks extremely well stocked and I'd be spoilt for choice. Good haul!

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  5. That looks like a great nursery! Such an interesting selection of plants. I could definitely get lost there and end up spending a lot of money.

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    1. Indeed Alison :) our visit there have also reminded us of your recent nursery trips!

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  6. Such a sense of discovery to have the common and the exotic mingling together like that. I am very curious about the giant form of that Eryngium agavifolium, please do keep us updated on how it performs.

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    1. It did cross my mind that the giant form of Eryngium agavifolium will especially catch your attention Loree :)

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  7. Love the sign! Looks like a wonderful nursery. I've only been to two so far this spring (I know, so far behind) and they were both still a little bare from winter.

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    1. I think the sign's funny Evan :) We haven't visited many nurseries yet either as it still feels early in the year (plants are likely to be dormant and leafless). As the season progress I can imagine you'll be visiting more.

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  8. Oh, another special nursery! You got some great plants and showed us even more. So much fun! thanks for another fun trip!

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  9. Now that looks like a well run and well stocked nursery. What a place to while away some time. I've read about Beeches but sadly have not had the chance to visit. I think that I will have to start saving up. I like the way you wrote "some of our purchases" :)

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    1. They are so reasonably priced too Anna, you'll find your budget will go a longer way there if ever you get to visit :) I distributed our purchases all over the garden as soon as we arrived so didn't get a group shot to help me make a full list. I've highlighted the more unusual though.

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  10. One of my favourite little nurseries and I was only down there myself last week. Always plenty of interesting stuff and I never fail to bring something away. I managed a nice little hoad myself but could of bought more!!!

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    1. Perhaps we can time it next time that we could be there at the same time and meet up Jon! It's so easy to get carried in this nursery :)

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  11. Wonderful!! I need a nursery like this one in Madrid!!! it is urgent, hehehe. So much fun!!

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    1. You so need a nursery visiting and buying trip here soon Lisa!

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  12. Hello Mark and Gaz,

    What treasures you have brought home with you. There is such joy in discovering wonderful plants in a nursery where they are chosen and grown with care. And then, to bring them home is rather like the adventurers of the past bringing back new plants from other continents.

    May they all thrive with you and, summer will soon arrive for your next foray!

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    1. Thank you Jane and Lance! There's that special feeling indeed discovering nice new plants and being able to take home.

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  13. It would be a real treat to visit a nursery with you guys - we'd be like children in a sweet shop!! I found myself smiling as I read through your post - Eryngium agavifolium, Actinidia kolomikta (pink leaves to look forward to!), Paulownia and, my personal favourite, Astelia. I'm really not at all surprised that you came home with a bootful. Now can't wait to see all these lovelies planted up! C x :)

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    1. We ought to meet up and visit a garden nursery soon Caro :) I never did get one of those Astelias which looked so good in person, chunky plant with strong silvery colour. One of the reasons why we ought to go back soon! So far so good and more than half the purchases have been planted out.

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  14. That would be an amazing place to visit - it would be very dangerous to let me lose in there. Such a well looked after nursery too ... I had to laugh at that sign - we could do with one of those at work.

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  15. Such a huge choice of plants. I surely would spent fortune on some of them. It is like a child in a candy shop:))

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  16. Nice to see you enjoying the up side of losing plants. Those are some exciting purchases.

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    1. Indeed Ricki :) not that we'd want to lose more though!

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  17. We visited yesterday at short notice so we had no list with us but still ended up spending £60 odd including the Fatsia you showed above.The greenhouse was more seriously cordoned off so couldn't have a nose in there which is a shame as we got a nice Cautleya robusta last year which like your Eryngium was not really for sale.
    We try and get to Beeches every year as it really does surprise you with what they have.Next nursery we'll visit is West Acre in Norfolk(or the Creake plant fair) and also hopefully a trip to Beth Chatto's os on the cards.
    Oh and nice haul lads!
    Barry.

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    1. That's great to hear Barry, sounds like you went home with a really good haul including the Fatsia. West Acre is a new one for us, have taken note, and we also ought to visit Beth. Chatto Nursery and garden soon.

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  18. You made some wonderful selections! You only spent two hours? I would have been there till closing. The lust of gardening is never-ending; there is always the desire for MORE. My garden absorbs new purchases, and then I realize that I need something else to go with the new acquisitions.

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  19. Thanks again guys - you have done us proud yet again with your very comprehensive review of your recent visit - I think we should appoint you as our PR agents!1 Great pictures yet again. Totally amazed how you have managed to turn your 'patch' into such a wonderful 'urban' jungle. Thanks too for all the other great comments from your fellow bloggers- it makes all the hard work well worthwhile. If you spot tempting goodies in the 'no go' areas when you next visit do ask and we may well let you have access if you smile ever so nicely. Mark & Gaz have well perfected this technique :). Alan, Kevin & Phil at Beeches

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