The first in our series of Autumn Talks drew a large number of members and guests to listen to the popular plantsman Bob Brown of Cotswold Garden Flowers based in Evesham , Worcestershire.

In his nursery Bob has grown over 17,000 plants, currently over 8,000 in stock. Good old fashioned ones, newly introduced ones bred for colour and form but for vigour as well.

Many of which were on sale which caused a stampede as members started buying before the talk even started!

His talk concentrated on ‘Plants for Autumn’ illustrated by a beautiful and colourful slide show, accompanied by his amusing ,colourful and forthright views on some plants he does not like! Red Hot pokers to name but a few!

He praised the Hertfordshire plantswoman Judy Barker who took it upon herself to convince the very elderly committee of gentleman in the Chrysanthemum Society that many chrysanthemums were hardy and can flower in winter months.

Many of the slides were shot in the last few days to show a range of plants still blooming in full colour and will be doing so for the next few months.

Asters are a particular favourite. However in the USA they are known as symphyotrichums and cannot be bred with the European varieties more commonly known as michaelmas daisies so called because of their late flowering around Michaelmas day , September 29.

The slides covered a whole range of plants giving good Autumn colour from anemones , cyclamens, euphorbias, alliums (only some are hardy), saxifrage, phlox, nerines (Bob conducted a recent trial) and some varieties of golden rod!

The audience were taken aback by Bob’s insistence that wasps were good for the garden as they devoured caterpillars and aphids.  Also ivy was good for climbing up your house as it sealed up cracks and added an extra layer of warmth in winter!

Not everyone agreed!

For further information go to the website: cgf.net or telephone 01386 833849 to book one of Bob’s monthly talks at his nursery, cost £7.00 including home made cake!

PLANTS FOR AUTUMN

EXCLUDE FLOWERS THAT STARTED TO PERFORM IN OTHER SEASONS AND CARRY ON INTO AUTUMN.
Include:

HEPTACODIUM, KNIPHOFIAS, ALLIUM, SOLIDAGO,

SAXIFRAGA FORTUNEI, FERNS, SCHIZOSTYLIS, GRASSES, HEDERA, CYCLAMEN, (CORONILLA, GREVILLEA, CORREA), ACONITUM CARMICHAELII, ZAUSCHNERIA, PHLOX LATE, ARUM ITALICUM, CERATOSTIGMA,

 

CHRYSANTHEMUM ‘RUBY MOUND’

CHRYSANTHEMUM ‘RUBY RAYNOR’

CHRYSANTHEMUM ‘CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN’

CHRYSANTHEMUM ‘ROSETTA’

CHRYSANTHEMUM ‘BRETFORTAN ROAD’

ASTER TRIFOLIATUS subsp.AGERATOIDES ‘EZO MURASAKI’

SYMPHYOTRICHUM NOVAE-ANGLIAE ‘LACHSGLUT’

SYMPHYOTRICHUM ‘LITTLE CARLOW’

SYMPHYOTRICHUM ERICOIDES ‘VIMMER’S DELIGHT’

SYMPHYOTRICHUM COLESBOURNE 2008/A

ANEMONE x HYBRIDA ‘LORELEY’

ANEMONE x HYBRIDA ‘ANDREA ATKINSON’

ANEMONE x HYBRIDA ‘MARGARETE’

ANEMONE HUPEHENSIS ‘ROTKÄPPCHEN’

CYCLAMEN HEDERIFOLIUM

CYCLAMEN HEDERIFOLIUM  f.ALBIFLORUM

GOOD CYCLAMEN FOLIAGE GROWS AFTER FLOWERING AND PERSISTYS TILL JUNE
CYCLAMEN HEDERIFOLIUM f.HEDERIFOLIUM ‘SILVER CLOUD’

CERATOSTIGMA PLUMBAGINOIDES

HEDERA HELIX ‘FARLOW’

HEDERA HELIX

CUTTINGS OF IVY GROWTH TRULY MAKE A BUSH

HEDERA COLCHICA ‘ARBORESCENS’

HEDERA HELIX arboreal ‘CAVENDISHII LATINA’

HEDERA HELIX f.POETARUM ‘POETICA ARBOREA’

EUPHORBIA GRIFFITHII ‘DIXTER’

EUPHORBIA PALUSTRIS ‘WOODCHIPPINGS’

EUPHORBIA CYPARISSIAS

CHLOROPHYTUM KROOKIANUM

CHLOROPHYTUM KROOKIANUM

ALLIUM THUNBERGII ‘OZAWA’

ALLIUM ‘JUDITH’

ALLIUM ‘JUDITH’S FINDLING’

HEPTACODIUM MICONIOIDES

HEPTACODIUM MICONIOIDES

GREVILLEA ‘POORINDA CONSTANCE’

ACONITUM CARMICHAELII ‘RIVER NENE’

PHLOX PANICULATA ‘HERBSTWALZER’

PHLOX x ARENDSII ‘AUTUMN’S PINK EXPLOSION’

SCHIZOSTYLIS COCCINEA ‘MAJOR’

SAXIFRAGA FORTUNEI ‘SHIRAGIKU’

 SAXIFRAGA
‘SILVER VELVET’

SAXIFRAGA FORTUNEI ‘BLACK RUBY’

KNIPHOFIA ROOPERI

KNIPHOFIA ‘FRANCES VICTORIA’

KNIPHOFIA ‘YELLOW CHEER’

OPHIOPOGON JABURAN ‘VITTATUS’

COLCHICUM ‘WATERLILY’

SOLIDAGO RUGOSA

SOLIDAGO ‘HIDDIGEIGEI’

NERINE BOWDENII

NERINE BOWDENII ‘ALBA’

NERINE ‘KINN McINTOSH’ (DEC-JAN)

Quote from the RHS website 25/7/2017:
Nerine bowdenii
Bowden lily

© RHS 1990
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Other common names Bowden lily
FamilyAmaryllidaceae
Genus Nerine are summer-dormant, perennial bulbs with erect leafless stems each bearing a terminal umbel of funnel-shaped flowers in autumn, and strap-shaped or linear leaves appearing after the flowers
Details N. bowdenii is a bulbous perennial to 50cm, with strap-shaped rich green leaves preceded by erect stems bearing umbels of lily-like pink flowers 6-8cm in width, with wavy, recurved segments
Plant range South Africa

The Telegraph

Alun Rees
12:01AM GMT 12 Nov 2013
How to grow: Nerine bowdenii

Nerine bowdenii is a breathtaking plant, especially on a dull autumn day.
With its tall scapes, terminated by a loose umbel of five to 10 trumpet-shaped, shocking-pink flowers, it must surely be the most exotic autumn-flowering bulb. Each flower has six narrow perianths with flamboyant wavy edges, which in certain lights appear to have been sprinkled with gold. And their faint musky scent carries on the autumn breeze.
Grown as a block or a thick row, Nerine bowdenii is a lively addition to an autumn border.
It flowers outdoors from September to early November, depending on temperature and site, with stems 30cm-50cm (12in-20in) tall. The flowers are long-lasting in the garden and keep going when cut for indoor decoration. The strap-like leaves emerge after flowering and survive the winter undamaged.

…….  Bulbs should be planted in autumn or early winter, spaced 7-10cm apart. Give them a good mulch to protect from frost in the first year until they are fully established.