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From its iconic Dry Garden to exciting new features, our Essex garden goes from strength to strength. From its iconic Dry Garden to exciting new features, our Essex garden goes from strength to strength.
Yes, you could say I am obsessed by plants. But where's the harm in that?!
Editor-in-Chief of the RHS Encyclopedia of Perennials; writer for a wide range of newspapers and magazines including The Garden and The Plant Review; member of the RHS Herbaceous Plant Committee and Floral Trials Committee; author of many books on plants and gardens. See more of Graham's work at Graham's Garden. ** Please note the contents of this blog reflect the views of its author and are not necessarily those of the RHS **
Graham Rice
All-white on the night: award-winning perennial finally available
A new philadelphus for fantastic fragrance all summer
Five years after we first glimpsed this elegant new, ice-white border perennial – we can
The first long-season philadelphus for flowers and fragrance all summer
A dramatic dark-leaved drought-lover wins the 2022 RHS Plant of the Year competition
Ten new rose varieties have been created to be as appealing to bees as they are to us
A new series of British-bred pansies brings us frilly flowers in five colours – guarantee
Dramatic foliage and flowers from drought-loving treasures
Dramatic variegated foliage follows early flowers to keep this forsythia yellow all summer
This hardy, dual-purpose veronica makes a fine border perennial and a valuable cut flower
This fragrant British-bred evergreen broadens the range of these neat, easy-to-grow shrubs
Historically, miscanthus were grown as tall autumn-flowering plants for the back of the border.
Fresh and tough evergreens for tidy topiary
The exciting developments in mahonia breeding continue with a brand new colour
New kale has the look of an ornamental and the flavour of an edible
The fig tree in my garden is taller than the house – this new baby is quite the opposite
This new sweet pea from New Zealand is probably the closest to yellow that we have
This compact trailing rose for patio containers is unique in being totally thorn free
A colourful new hybrid succulent was launched at this autumn’s show
From the world’s leading breeder, this new shrub features foliage in many fiery shades &n
This new allium from America brings us prolific flowering, compact growth and impressive resili
For containers or for sunny borders, the ghostly flowers of this neat patio performer keep comi
The same petunia breakthrough – from opposite sides of the world – gives two new dr
This sunny new variegated perennial never reverts to green and has mauve flowers too
The first bicoloured pastel aubrieta brings new style to an old-fashioned plant
These brand new sunflowers for cutting have no petals at all!
From an overlooked seed company gene bank, a bronze flowered tobacco plant emerges
The first genuinely dwarf pampas grass can even be grown in containers
The best hostas from across the Atlantic are arriving in the UK
Good foliage trees for smaller spaces are always in demand, and this new birch has all the best
From France comes an enhanced form of super-scented Trachelospermum that adds a new se
We all know the dazzling spring colour of evergreen azaleas, but these varieties from Louisiana
Sweet peas featuring three colours in every flower are very rare, but this British-bred newcome
Ornamental sweet potatoes that thrive in our climate and reliably produce tasty tubers –
This dramatic variegated miscanthus makes a superb specimen – in the right place
A colourful heuchera in a brand new style was found in a nurseryman’s own garden &
Bronze foliage, white flowers and extra hardiness make this neat shrub a valuable option for co
A new hybrid catmint is derived from a rare species and an old favourite
We’ve seen a number of blue and white summer anemones since 'Wild Swan' won Chels
Despite a big botanical bust-up about their name, a rush of new succulents has appeared recentl
This French variety of our native hornbeam comes with new features and new uses
This new shrubby salvia, developed by a leading British expert, is special in both its looks in
A variegated sedum in a new style rides the wave created by last year’s Chelsea award win
This award-wining sun-loving African daisy brings a new colour combination to summer patios
With 3,500 new additions to the 81,000 entries in the 2020 Plant Finder, the new edition remain
The first variegated form of a very rarely seen perennial stole the show at last year's Che
This new marguerite has flowers that change colour harmoniously as they mature
A new multi-purpose ipomoea has pretty purple foliage and bi-coloured flowers
This delicate pastel pink form of a much-loved spring perennial looks set to become an instant
Variegated foliage adds a new dimension to a colourful aromatic perennial
The shortest golden clematis yet is perfect for patios and pots
A familiar perennial spawns a fine, bee-friendly improvement
This disease-resistant hybrid is the best option to take the place of the lost English elm
Combining black and white in one plant is often a genetic impossibility – not this time
A new pulmonaria involving three different species brings attractively ruffled flowers in a vib
A Chinese rowan features blushed berries and neat growth
The latest in a run of attractive new cosmos from Thompson & Morgan comes in a lovely paste
The first sempervivum with golden foliage gives four seasons of bright, drought tolerant rosett
An expanding new series of eryngiums is now arriving in British nurseries and garden centres
This guaranteed 100% hardy dwarf penstemon combines richly coloured foliage with prolific flowe
A hardy, neat and multicoloured evergreen agapanthus has been capturing hearts everywhere
Weigela has been updated to suit today’s smaller gardens.
Top breeder launches the first large flowered clematis that's neat enough for troughs and p
The latest edition of the RHS Plant Finder includes more plants, is easier to use and has some
Breeding developments create easy to grow new salvias for small spaces
Three plants top the list new entries in the latest edition of the RHS Plant Finder
National Plant Collection holder creates a unique new bi-coloured butterfly bush
Purple foliage and tasty fruits make ‘Red ‘n’ Black’ the first dual-pur
New varieties may not always be what they seem
An award-winning new rose that is as good in the vase as it is in the garden
Brilliantly coloured and well behaved, this new bugle brings vibrant hues to shady spots
The culmination of over one hundred years of breeding, this new dwarf forsythia looks set to be
Variegation brings all-year foliage colour in this exciting new British-bred hebe
This uniquely coloured new sedge adds orange glows to autumn and winter gardens
New British-bred ranunculus look set to kick start interest in this under-used group of plants,
This is one of those valuable plants that brings together two trends in one rather special vari
A chance seedling brings us a sparkling new kind of dicentra
New Russian sage combines many small improvements into a major step forward
Sunflowers: you grow them from seed, right? Not any more...
Bicoloured shrubby salvia ‘Hot Lips’ has become a firm favourite among gardeners
The fourth in the Wishes Series of salvias brings as a softer pastel shade.
A chance eryngium hybrid found on a Yorkshire nursery is runner up in the Chelsea Plant of the
This new non-invasive bamboo makes impressive ground cover
One of the loveliest autumn-flowering shrubs now features golden spring foliage colour
Dwarf but elegant, these new buddleias from America never get too large yet always look gracefu
Almost twenty years since its discovery, this unique variegated polemonium finds its time to sh
New British breeding brings us a step forward in patio and garden penstemons
New heuchera challenges for the title of blackest foliage of all
This year’s most popular new Plant Finder entry is a lovely ornamental grass
Bring a hint of the tropics to your garden with this new, hardy, white-flowered Passiflora<
The most dramatic variegated barberry yet is ideal as a specimen or a hedge
Densely double flowers mark out the latest of these prolific British-bred summer shrubs
The bell-shaped flowers of a well-known tobacco plant now come in white for the first time
Huge flowers and pretty picotee markings make this new poppy stand out
Eleven new jewel-like cranesbills for the front of sunny borders
A new bicoloured baptisia, whose flowers change colour as they mature, arrives from Michigan
Colourful and compact, this new crab apple was crowned Best in Show at the National Plant Show
A dreamy Californian cosmos - decades in the making - is finally available to home gardeners
Bijou eucalyptus crosses the channel to make a splash in British gardens
A charming old calendula is refreshed and revived
Two new varieties from America mark an advance in the development of sedums
Exciting new iris from America's top breeders make it to Britain
With good manners and unusually rich red flowers, this new grass is a small garden special
'Mars Landing' is the latest in a series of new irises for pots, raised beds and rock g
A new inky-blue, dwarf agapanthus has been launched by a Plant Heritage National Collection hol
The first hibiscus for patio containers is placed third in the Chelsea Plant of the Year award
A new colour in perennial salvias was runner-up for the 2017 Chelsea Plant of the Year award
A patio mulberry developed in Japan has won the Chelsea Plant of the Year award for 2017
A new pelargonium hybrid brings yellow flowers to this old favourite
Salvia 'Blue Marvel', winner of Best In Show at the 2016 New Plant Awards, is now avail
A retired chemist from Yorkshire has discovered an elegant new weeping crab apple
They've been in demand from the florist; now we can grow these amazing new cutflower clemat
This new seed-raised coneflower combines toughness, reliability and value with a tempting colou
From America comes an exciting new shade-loving hybrid between a rarity and an old favourite
One of the rarest of all primula species, and one of the most common, have come together to cre
Penstemon ‘Twizzle Scarlet’ is a prolific new first-year flowering perennial
Pretty in pink: a fashionable, fragrant favourite, star jasmine has an exciting colour break
Coleus Campfire wins the RHS People's Choice award at Wisley
Try these three new British-bred kales that both look good and taste good
A new series of seed-raised stellar geraniums (zonal pelargoniums) is launched for 2017
This new bushy honeysuckle grows well in a pot and has a fabulous fragrance
The first-ever double-flowered green clematis raises the bar
Five red-flowered sweet peas make up a long flowering, fragrant blend to raise money for the Ro
A new British-bred cosmos was the star of this year's display of more than 80 varieties on
Three interesting plants that didn't quite make the Chelsea Plant Of The Year shortlist
Perennial and annual daisies have been crossed to produce a colourful, floral fusion that bloom
Super-scented 'Unique' is the first hybrid of the weeping buddleia
Compact, good in pots and easy to grow; the first-ever pale blue catmint is sure to be a winner
'Scarlet Tempest' looks set to whip up a storm with its large, vibrant blooms and long
A unique new form of a favourite primula was launched at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Sho
This year's Chelsea Plant of The Year winners - and where to buy them
Garden writer Graham Rice would be lost without his latest edition
David Austin Roses launch a new climbing English Rose with good looks and an amazing scent
Unwins launch a lush, golden-leaved basket fuchsia with bright pink-red flowers
Suttons and Dobies introduce new rain-resistant marigolds from India that will keep on going in
Hillier Nurseries launch a fiery, golden-leaved maple
A British-bred choisya - small and colourful - is set to delight gardeners
A long-awaited breakthrough means that exciting new varieties of this much-loved plant are now
Three new fragrant begonias from British breeder David Kerley are released
Three new columbines to add to our bedding repertoire with unique new features
Glorious new cultivar changes colour with the seasons
A new series of colourful perennial wallflowers for containers and borders
Two new long-flowering foxglove hybrids from The Netherlands are launched
Three new shades for a fiery old favourite; perfect for patios and hanging baskets
The first variegated hibiscus with prolific flowers is introduced
Beautiful new Sweet Williams with all the traditional characteristics we know and love
News of a prolific new yellow-flowered cosmos, which is a huge improvement on existing varietie
Sweet pea cultivars developed by a top New Zealand breeder are now available
Clematis ‘Venosa Violacea’ has been improved after more than a hundred and
A shining example of a shrubby sage with unique colouring reaches market
With its spicy scent and peachy pink flowers, a new introduction can warm up your late summer b
News of an impressive black and white astilbe filters in
Four colourful new drought-tolerant agastache hybrids are now available
New and unusual snapdragon and dianthus from this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Colourful French irises and a new upright fuchsia make a splash at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
News of four varied and popular new entries in the 2015 RHS Plant Finder
News of two of the most popular new additions to the 2015 edition of the RHS Plant Finder
The prolific bellflower Iridescent Bells is the new introduction listed by the largest number o
Colourful and very hardy, 'Black Truffle' knocks the socks off older lobelia cultivars
The 2015 RHS Plant Finder is out, these are the ten new plants available from the most differen
Two new foliage begonias from Thompson & Morgan are hardier than almost all other begonias
Astra Nova is a dramatic, easy-to-grow new clematis with heavenly purple blooms
Begonia 'Majestic Sunburst' is a dazzling new award winning begonia for summer containe
Now available - a sparkling new bicoloured form of Siberian bugloss with reversed colouration
A sparkling new bicoloured form of Siberian bugloss is now available
The first double-flowered Christmas rose that will flower reliably at Christmas is now availabl
Coblands Nurseries introduce the first ever golden-leaved pyracantha, which is proving as heave
A new heavenly bamboo with brightly-coloured leaves over an unusually long season
Suttons introduce what is claimed to be the first completely blight-resistant tomato
Thompson & Morgan and Plants Of Distinction introduce 'Alumia Vanilla Cream', the f
The first thornless dwarf patio raspberry: new from Thompson & Morgan
New peonies, suitable for growing in pots, are now available
The Starline apples have slender, upright growth combined with disease resistance and a fine fl
RHS committee member Victoria Wakefield has bred a new sunflower that will grow 17ft (5m+) tall
Three new fragrant and disease-resistant roses for 2015 introduced by David Austin
Newly introduced Ligularia 'Dragon Wings' is valuable for both its foliage and its flow
'Avondale' is the latest of the hardy and prolific Kennedy Irish Primroses.
New nerines from Hayloft Plants
Trollius 'Dancing Flame' is a new, long-flowering, self-supporting, moisture-l
The Sweet Spot Calypso rose is a new, long-flowering multicoloured variety created using a rare
Three new lavenders come from a collaboration involving two award-winning Kentish nurseries
Thompson & Morgan introduce an alstroemeria with the largest flowers yet
Coprosmas are best known as foliage evergreens from New Zealand; recently more and more attract
It's that time again – time to pick up your copy of
Of all hundreds of new entries in the 2014 edition of the RHS Plant Finder two stand out, fine
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