After Eight Chocolate mint, anyone? "The savor or smell of the Mint rejoyceth the heart of man, for which cause they use it to strew in chambers and places of recreation, pleasure and repose, an ...
Viola sororia 'Freckles'(Post)Love this violet. It does just what it says on the tin. This one is in the pollytunnel so it's flowering early but the sororia violets usually flower after our native dog/wood violets, so they a ...
Visit from a Goldcrest(Post)We had a friendly Goldcrest visit us in the potting shed today. The Goldcrest is the UKs smallest bird and we usually only see them flitting in and out of the hedges so this was a treat. We think it ...
New Plants(Post)Pleased to have added two new plants to our list today. Matthiola incana 'Pillow Talk' has the strongest scented flowers I know. They are a delicious clove-like scent, not unlike Pinks. Plant ne ...
Viola 'Dick 'o the Hills'(Post)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 sh ...
Beautiful Camassias (Post)We really love these Wild Hyacinth which are in flower now. This hardy plant comes back year after year and will gently spread. Bees love the flowers and they're largely untroubled by slugs and ...
Night-Scented Phlox(Post)This Night-Scented Phlox is looking stunning at the moment. They are fantastic patio plants, either in the border or in a container, because the flowers release a beautiful fragrance in the evening, ...
Cardoon(Post)The Cardoon is a large, spectacular ornamental plant and quite a talking point when established.An architectural plant, with large, spiky, deeply cut, silver leaves with stout stems bearing 4" thistl ...
Home grown mistletoe (Post)So excited to have our first ever mistletoe berry in the orchard. I sowed berries (from left over sprigs after Christmas), on our apple trees 5 or 6 years ago and these slow-growing, parasitic plants ...
Primroses(Post)Primroses are a quintessential sign of spring and the word means 'prime rose', or the first rose of spring. The flower has long been linked to faeries and it was believed that growing both red and ...
Autumn Planting(Post)We are often asked if it is ok to put our plants in the ground in autumn. It is! Traditionally, autumn was the main time for planting hardy perennials, because they would be bare-rooted. The adven ...
Hollyhocks(Post)Hollyhocks have adorned country gardens for centuries and no traditional cottage garden would be complete without them. These days they also have a useful role to play in adding vertical interest to ...
Harry Potter Herbology(Post)Fans of Harry potter may recall that Harry and his classmates were required to wear earmuffs while repotting mandrake plants in their herbology lesson. This, like much of Rowling's fiction, is based ...
Autumn Planting(Post)One sign of a serious gardener is that they haven't yet put away their trowel and are eagerly planting hardy perennials, shrubs and trees in the knowledge that they will see the benefit next year.Aut ...
Perennial Wallflowers(Post)Now is a good time to plant perennial Wallflowers (Erysimum) for a good display of flowers this year and for several years to come. Mention perennial Wallflower and most people think of the ubiquitou ...
Perennial Wallflowers(Post)Now is a good time to plant perennial wallflowers (Erysimum) for a good display of flowers this year and for several years to come. There is a lot of history associated with these plants. In th ...
Sowing Mistletoe(Post)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 i ...
Spotlight on: Perennial Wallflowers (Erysimum)(Post)Mention Perennial Wallflower and most people think of the ubiquitous 'Bowles Mauve' but there are many other varieties available, offering a wide range of colours and sizes.In the 12th century, Troub ...
Hollyhocks and Faeries(Post)Hollyhocks are the archetypal English (and wider UK!) cottage garden plant which has been loved for centuries. Gerard’s Herbal (1597) notes: “These Hollihockes are sowne in gardens, almost every wher ...
About Us(Page)More: VISIT US | RARE PLANT FAIRS | PLANTS WANTED | ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY | WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY Shire Plants is a traditional plant nursery set in the rural Buckinghamshire countrysid ...