A visit to Special Plants

Karen - An Artist's Garden — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:44:44 +0000

(For slide-show please click on the picture at the bottom of this post)

This time last week – rather than sitting in front of my computer in a very damp and soggy welsh wales

I was sitting with 12 other gardeners in the home of Derry Watkins on the second day of a course.

I have been buying seeds from Derry for a few years now -

It seemed to be one of the best ways to fill this garden with the more unusual varieties that I like to grow.

As more of my customers are showing an interest in buying plants from me -

I thought that one of her courses would give me some insight into “Growing Plants to Sell”

Which is why 13 of us were sitting around her table for two glorious days in October.

Derry is an enthusiastic and generous teacher and I loved every minute of the two days.

The other “students” had a variety of horticultural knowledge and skills and were delightful company.

The nursery was lovely – Derry’s teaching was fun and informative

AND

I was totally and utterly besotted with the garden!

My “gardening student” hat went out of the window as soon as I stepped into her garden.

I didn’t care what the plants were.

I forgot to make notes of stunning planting combinations.

But immersed myself in the colour, texture and form of Derry’s October Garden.

The Artist came out to play and also came home with three Salvias!

Which might well be my next plant love affair.

(Hmmm - Saliva’s + wet wales, possibly an unlikely combination!

Although we do have glorious Autumns – so if I can just get them through our wet summers -

Watch this space!)

When I got home Shedman asked what I had learnt.

“I don’t know” was my reply because I was so full of information and ideas that I needed time for it to all percolate down,

Which it has done over the past few days.

I know that I don’t have the right location to open a nursery here.

I know that I am about 20 years to old to start schlepping around with a van load of plants -

But thanks to Derry I have some new ideas about how to expand my plant selling, as well as a much better idea of what to do when.

I would enjoy going on another course at Special Plants.

I will certainly visit her garden and nursery again – it was a very special two days.

James has taken a beautiful image of the hedges and “shapes in the landscape” that Derry’s architect husband Peter created.

I have made a small slide show of the plants that caught my eye.

Please click the image below and the slide-show will open in a new window.

An Artist's Garden » slide show