I spent a lot of last week either on the phone or in the car trying to find what I mistakenly thought should be easy herbaceous perennials – plants that die down in winter then (usually) come back in spring full of vigour and raring to go. I now am quickly realising that the UK’s nursery industry is collectively wringing it hands at the number of ‘no shows’ in nature’s magic show after the cold winter.
The problem is that ‘the world’s greatest flower show’ as Alan Titchmarsh likes to introduce it (no pressure then) likes the gardens to look as if they have been there for 5 years instead of 10 days which means getting plants that fill much larger pots than we usually see when we visit the local garden centre.
Anyway, the good news is last week’s effort has paid off and I have now found most of the plants. As I write these are being delivered from various parts, to a nursery well used to nurturing plants to a state of perfection regardless of the weather. The bad news? they are all in Norfolk!
