Inspiration!

One of my favourite, online nurseries is Proctors Nursery. I’ve been buying from this nursery for some time and I loved watching Barry Proctor on ‘Gardeners’ World’, a couple of months ago, when he was preparing for ‘The Chelsea Flower Show.’ I felt so inspired listening to him! And I was even more inspired when I saw the exhibit.

Barry is an ex dairy farmer, who set up his family run business, in 1999, with an aim to ‘put Stoke on Trent on the map’. His display in ‘The Great Pavilion’, at Chelsea, featured a ‘Potteries Tea Hut’ and his wonderful, colourful display, drew many people to the exhibit. He also created the tea hut from his daughter’s wendy house. The Gold-winning floral display included lupins, delphiniums, citronella, poppies and foxgloves. 

Barry and his nursery had been successful at other RHS shows but he entered Chelsea in order to raise the profile of his website sales in the south of England.

Proctors Nursery specialises in herbaceous perennials, shrubs and hedging together with new and unusual perennials. 

I’ve never been disappointed with the plants from Proctors and when I received an email at the weekend to say that it was FREE POSTAGE until Tuesday evening….well it was a ‘no brainer’, as they say. The normal postage cost is the cost of a plant, in effect! I jumped at the chance as I needed plants for another area that we were clearing. 

It didn’t take me too long to select the plants and this is what I chose:

Origanum 'Rosenkuppel'; Phlox paniculata 'Famous Pink'; Rudbeckia 'Summerdaisy Choco Sun'; Sidalcea 'Elsie Heugh'

Helenium 'Peach Sundae': Salvia microphylla 'Angel Wings'; Phlox paniculata Famous 'Light Purple'; Astrantia 'Claret'

Helianthemum 'Lawrenson's Pink'; Lamium maculatum 'Golden Anniversary'

You can find Proctors Nursery here

Meanwhile, I’ve been busy planting.

Finally, whilst we are on the subject of all things that inspire, if there is one thing that truly inspires me, it’s my set of these little books:

I was reminded of these, this week, when my son, who is moving house, was having a good clear out for the charity shops and that included these books, that I’d given to him few years ago! These were my ‘spares’, I hasten to add, But I grabbed them back anyway! I listed them on eBay…and sold eight, immediately; the proceeds going to his ‘new house fund’!

Great designs for 1953, I think!