Yunnan in Western China is probably the epicentre of rose species – and many of them, such as members of the Synstylae group, have huge vigour, which they seem to pass on to their various hybrids. The best known is probably Rosa filipes, of which the remarkable ‘Kiftsgate’ is a form or hybrid. The typeContinue reading “Four super-performing tree-climbing roses at WHF”
Category Archives: Plants
Summer colour at White House Farm: the Hydrangea reappraised
by Clare Foster, Chair of the Board of Trustees, WHFAF On Wednesday July 10th we will hold an afternoon Garden Masterclass tour of White House Farm with Maurice Foster, Caroline Jackson, Jack Aldridge and Annie Guilefoyle, exploring White House Farm’s collection of Japanese serrata cultivars and Maurice’s own serrata hybrids. A few places are stillContinue reading “Summer colour at White House Farm: the Hydrangea reappraised”
Cherry-picking for bark
WHF Trustee Chris Lane, who holds the national collection of prunus at his Witch Hazel nursery suggests some Prunus worth growing for their beautiful trunks alone, with flowers the icing on the cake (or cherry on top….) Reproduced with the kind permission of the RHS Plant Review (March 2024). Upcoming events at White House FarmContinue reading “Cherry-picking for bark”
Jack Aldridge, for whom Cornus is not the only genus
by Clare L. E. Foster, WHF Trustee Jack Aldridge, WHF Trustee and Horticulturalist at RHS Wisley, gave a Thursday Garden Chat for Garden Masterclass about his work on Oakwood at Wisley; other recent talks range from ‘Woody Plants that Should be Better Known and Grown’ for Plant Heritage, and an overview of Camellia sasanqua forContinue reading “Jack Aldridge, for whom Cornus is not the only genus”
Elegant and resilient: some new garden-worthy Camellia species
…a continuously expanding new range of plants which are beginning to prove their value in gardens, and for hybridising, too.
Two rare Philadelphus re-located
by WHF Trustee Chris Sanders, VMH As a result of the successful Philadelphus study day held at WHF on Saturday 17th June, two rare Lemoine Philadelphus cultivars believed to have been lost to cultivation have come to light. Philadelphus ‘Oeil de Pourpre’ (Purpureomaculatus Group) Trustee Jack Aldridge, who is based at Wisley, brought a handsome specimenContinue reading “Two rare Philadelphus re-located”
Magnolia Study Day 2023
On Saturday April 8th students and faculty from Wisley, Great Dixter and Kew gathered round a table of vases of magnolias in current bloom, selected from the WHF collection of around 250 species and cultivars from Magnolia, Michelia and Mangleitia. These students were joined by WHF Friends and Volunteers from a variety of backgrounds, fromContinue reading “Magnolia Study Day 2023”
Owan Hayman reports on the Hydrangea aspera study day at White House Farm
This is a repost of Owan Hayman’s blog ‘Hydrangea aspera: in love with lacecaps at White House Farm’ as part of his monthly blog series ‘In From The Garden’ for garden designers Bestall & Co (first published on September 8th, 2022). In mid-August, I joined a trip to visit a little-known treasure trove of aContinue reading “Owan Hayman reports on the Hydrangea aspera study day at White House Farm”
‘Planting an Idea’: Maurice Foster asks should more be done to reconcile good taxonomic practice with the needs of gardeners?
This article first appeared in The Plant Review (previously The Plantsman), the RHS publication devoted to the diversity of cultivated plants rhs.org.uk/theplantreview
A good year for hellebores
In the dark days of winter when snowdrops and hamamelis are the only spots of colour a range of different hellebores can offer an eye-catching unexpected pastel patchwork. Hardy perennials that provide good colour in the winter garden Their pastel colour range when grown nearby each other is itself attractive Briefly upstaged by far moreContinue reading “A good year for hellebores”
White House Farm Garden and Arboretum 