Shire Plants Blog

True Primrose

6th Feb 2020

I potted up these primroses (Primula vulgaris) late in the autumn and they are just beginning to flower now. Although you can buy hybrid primulas of every colour under the sun these days, these true B … read more

Winter Euphorbia

24th Jan 2020

I don't tend to think of Euphorbia as a winter plant, but this evergreen Euphorbia amagdaloides 'Purpurea' is looking spectacular right now. It's even more striking as most of the plants around it hav … read more

Viola 'Dick 'o the Hills'

21st Jan 2020

This is Viola odorata 'Dick o' the Hills', a sweet violet which has just started flowering and should be flowering strongly through to late spring. I like to think it was named after a wizened old she … read more

January Newsletter Out Now

11th Jan 2020

Our latest monthly newsletter has just been sent out to our subscribers. This month we feature some useful ground cover plants. You can view it here. … read more

Common Names

20th Nov 2019

I find the 'common' names of plants fascinating. Some of our wildflowers have been loved (or sometimes hated!) for centuries and the wide range of different local names for the same plant always inter … read more

Frost

19th Nov 2019

First proper frost of autumn today. I love the way the ice gives the plants a whole new dimension, really changing the appearance of the flower beds.  … read more

2020 Plant Fairs

11th Nov 2019

We have just confirmed that we will be attending two Rare Plant Fairs in 2020. These are wonderful opportunities to visit a wonderful garden and browse the offerings of a dozen or so specialist plant … read more

Happy Michaelmas!

30th Sep 2019

The 29th September, is Michaelmas, a Christian festival also known as the Feast of Saint Michael. St Michael is one of the principal angelic warriors, protector against the dark of the night and the A … read more

Aster 'Little Carlow'

28th Sep 2019

The Michaelmas Daisies are starting to come into their own and brightening up tired borders. This is one of my favourites - Aster 'Little Carlow' (https://shireplants.co.uk/aster-cordifolius-little-ca … read more

Looking to cut down on sugar?

9th Sep 2019

This is Stevia rebaudiana, otherwise known as The Sugar Plant or Candy Leaf. It is said that the leaf has 300 times the sweetness of sugar and it is now used in the food industry in some areas of … read more

An Unusual Monkey Flower

3rd Sep 2019

This unusual monkey flower, Mimulus naianadanus, is not often offered in the UK which is a shame as it's most striking. Large white, cream and purple flowers, with purple spotted tongues adorn the pla … read more

Dianthus 'Messines Pink'

28th Aug 2019

This is Dianthus 'Messines Pink', one of the Mule Pinks, dating from before 1933. There is a story told of this 'pink' which is that a soldier, wounded in the Messines Ridge area, was found holding a … read more

A workhouse 'pink'

10th Aug 2019

Danthus 'Brympton Red' is a beautiful pink and one that we can trace back to its humble origins, growing in a workhouse garden. It was spotted in the Beaminster workhouse garden by Lady Lilian Digby o … read more

500 plants and counting

19th Jul 2019

We've just listed our 500'th plant on the website. Our range continues to expand and we are grateful to our wonderful friends and customers who continue to gift us heritage and hard-to-find varieties … read more

Dianthus 'Hope'

16th Jul 2019

This is Dianthus 'Hope' - an Old Fashioned Pink dating from 1946 and its name probably reflected the feelings of hope following the end of the war. Now very rare, like a lot of the old pinks, but … read more

Woad

3rd Jul 2019

These Woad (Isatis tinctoria) seeds have been collected today. The leaves of the woad plant were used to produce a blue dye that the ancient Britons used as body paint when going into battle … read more

Royal Horticultural Society Plant Order

20th Jun 2019

We were honoured to fulfil an order for the Royal Horticultural Society's Hyde Hall Garden this week.Among the plants heading to RHS Garden Hyde Hall is Berkheya purpurea 'Zulu Warrior' (pictured), a … read more

Employee of the Month

6th Jun 2019

Meet our employee of the month! Freddy Frog is one of many frogs who help keep the slugs at bay. This is just one reason why we don't use nasty chemicals :-)

Article on Old Fashioned Pinks

26th May 2019

We were pleased to be asked to write an article on Heritage Pinks for the Rare Plant Fair website and newsletter this month. Available to read now! Read more... … read more

Sowing Mistletoe

18th May 2019

So excited that after several years of 'sowing' mistletoe berries on our apple trees, I finally have one that has taken (shown in the photo).Mistletoe is semi-parasitic, meaning that it can produce it … read more