Talking Dirty

Last week he wowed us with Anemones! Now Ben Preston shows us some of the other treasures he's stocking up at Cliff Bank Nursery, from Luzula to Euphorbia to Paris. PLANT LIST Delphinium requienii Luzula pilosa 'Igel' Primula vulgaris subsp. sibthorpii Hakonechloa macra Viola hederacea Viola 'Molly Sanderson' Euphorbia rigida 'Sardis' Euphorbia myrsinites Euphorbia epithymoides Crocus tommasinianus 'Yalta' Phlox subulata 'Fort Hill' Papaver rupifragum Lunaria annua 'Somerset Marble' Syneilesis aconitifolia Chionochloa rubra Datisca cannabina Paris polyphylla Paris incompleta Paris quadrifolia Epimedium 'Winter's End' Baptisia australis Baptisia 'Dark Chocolate' Baptisia 'Dutch Chocolate' Miscanthus 'Lady in Red' Miscanthus sinensis 'Silver Charm' Miscanthus sinensis 'Dreadlocks' Hebe x fairfieldensis syn fairfieldii Arum italicum 'Chui'

He's back! The last time we caught up with Ben Preston he was departing York Gate Garden (where he was Head Gardener) and heading for his own nursery. Now Cliff Bank is up and running and selling a crop of exquisite plants! This week we take a look at the Anemones he's been building a collection of. Next week more planty treats in part two! PLANT LIST Agrostemma githago Anemone ranunculoides 'Kai' Anemone ranuculoides 'Prinz Eugen' Anemone flaccida Anemone ranuculoides 'Golden Dream' Anemone nemorosa 'Explosion' Anemone ranunculoides ‘Sirje’ Anemone ranuculoides 'Kreet' Anemone ranuculoides 'Dagerōt' Anemone ranuculoides 'Leida’ Anemone nemorosa 'Salt and Pepper' Anemone nemorosa 'Thekla' Anemone nemorosa 'Vestal' Anemone nemorosa 'Flore Pleno' Anemone nemorosa 'Jummer's Fienrood' Anemone nemorosa 'Denmark' Anemone nemorosa 'Virescens' Anemone nemorosa 'Viridescens' Iris 'Russian Kavelguard'

This week one of the nicest men in horticulture is back on The Talking Dirty Podcast. Joe Whitehead is Head Gardener at Burghley House on the Cambridgeshire/Lincolnshire border. He talks Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis through some of the changes which have been going on in the garden, and shares his favourite shade plants of the moment. PLANT LIST Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea' Paulownia tomentosa Cornus kousa 'Milky Way' Betula utilis subsp. jacquemontii Dodecatheon meadia syn Primula meadia Lonicera involucrata Tulip bakerii 'Lilac Wonder' Tulipa sylvestris Lunaria annua 'Chedglow' Lunaria annua 'Somerset Marble' Smilacina racemosa syn Maianthemum racemosum Arum italicum subsp. neglectum 'Monksilver' Lamium orvala Epimedium 'Amber Queen' Epimedium 'Sphinx Twinkler' Epimedium pubigerum Omphalodes cappadocica 'Cherry Ingram' Lamium orvala 'John Foster' Lunaria annua 'Corfu Blue' Digitalis purpurea 'Pam's Choice' Taraxacum pseudoroseum Crepis rubra Toona sinensis 'Flamingo' Acer pseudoplatanus 'Brilliantissimum' Ficaria verna 'Brazen Hussy' Ficaria verna 'Double Mud' Helianthus annuus 'Teddy Bear' Erysimum 'Parish's' Erysimum 'Ruston Copper Knob' Campanula medium

Time to return to one of our happy places. The garden at East Ruston Old Vicarage on the Norfolk coast is bursting with plants at every time of year, but in April seed-sowing is underway in earnest and there are treasures to behold everywhere you look! In this week's episode the garden's owner Alan Gray shares just some of what's going on with Thordis. PLANT LIST Tulipa 'Yellow Crown' Tulipa sprengeri Amaranthus cruentus 'Hot Biscuits' Amaranthus cruentus 'Velvet Curtains' Anemone coronaria 'Bordeaux' Smyrnium perfoliatum Tropaeolum tricolor Tropaeolum pentaphyllum Tropaeolum hookerianum Plumbago auriculata Rosa 'Iceberg' Rosa 'The Generous Gardener' Abutilon vitifolium Abutilon vitifolium 'Album' Drimys winteri Hyacinthoides non-scripta ‘Silver Cobalt’ Agapanthus 'Queen Mum'

Our gardens are full of them at this time of year, but the Tulip actually originates in Central Asia. These species Tulips are varied in height, colour, foliage and the ease with which we can grow them at home and so this week on Talking Dirty, Cambridge University Botanic Garden - who hold the National Collection of Species Tulips - are along to share some of their favourites and recommendations for which to grow, and how. Plus stories of their latest adventures in Kyrgyzstan where they've been finding and protecting new varieties. So join Alan Gray, Thordis and Simon Wallis and Kathryn Bray of the Botanics for a tantalising tour of their collection! PLANT LIST Tulipa sprengeri Tulipa tschimghanica Tulipa toktogulica Tulipa greigii Tulipa cretica Tulipa 'Negrita' Tulip bakerii 'Lilac Wonder' Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii Tulipa acuminata syn. Tulipa cornuta Tulipa montana Tulipa heweri Tulipa biflora Tulipa turkestanica Tulipa regelii Tulipa tarda Tulipa saxatilis Tulipa linifolia Tulipa undulatifolia syn Tulipa eichleri Tulipa clusiana Tulipa clusiana 'Peppermint Stick' Tulip clusiana var. chrysantha Tulipa aucheriana Tulipa sylvestris Tulipa orphanidea Tulipa kaufmanniana Tulipa fosteriana Tulipa praestans 'Shogun' Tulipa 'Apeldoorn' Tulipa 'Ballerina' Tulipa 'Heart's Delight' Trollius lilacinus Iris acutiloba Tulipa clusiana 'Lady Jane'

With a spring in our step we bring you the March Special of our Talking Dirty series on the garden at East Ruston Old Vicarage. From the Magnolias Alan Gray wakes to see out of his bedroom window, to the Tulips he's been spending a pretty penny on, here are some of the highlights from the garden this month. PLANT LIST Magnolia 'Caerhays Belle' Magnolia 'Genie' Magnolia × soulangeana Rosa 'Rambling Rector' Rosa filipes 'Kiftsgate' Rosa 'Mme. Alfred Carrière' Rosa 'A Shropshire Lad' Dahlia 'Hollyhill Serenity' Narcissus 'Jetfire' Narcissus 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation' Tulipa sprengeri Tulipa orphanidea 'Flava' Narcissus 'Turncoat' Narcissus 'First Born' Narcissus 'Actaea' Hedychium 'Tara' Narcissus 'Articol' Narcissus 'Rataplan' Narcissus 'Mrs Langtry' Tropaeolum majus 'Gleam Salmon' Tropaeolum tuberosum var. lineomaculatum 'Ken Aslet' Syringa vulgaris 'Princess Sturdza'

Time for Part Two of our latest episode with Talking Dirty favourite Val Bourne. The award-winning garden writer has alredy shared some of her favourite Prunus varieties. This week it's all about spring plants like Pulmonarias and Violets, plus a bit of rose inspiration...and Trillium chat to boot! PLANT LIST Pulmonaria 'Shrimps on the Barbie' Pulmonaria saccharata 'Leopard' Pulmonaria rubra Pulmonaria 'Diana Clare' Viola odorata 'Christie's Wedding' Viola odorata 'Baroness Alice de Rothschild' Viola odorata 'Sulphurea' Helleborus argutifolius Narcissus 'St Patricks Day' Narcissus 'Golden Echo' Narcissus 'Winter Waltz' Narcissus 'Beryl' Narcissus 'Beryl's Little Sister' Tropaeolum hookerianum Tropaeolum ciliatum Trillium grandiflorum f. roseum Trillium kurabayashii Rosa 'The Generous Gardener' Rosa 'Mrs. Honey Dyson' Rosa 'Rosy Cushion' Rosa x odorata 'Crimson Bengal' Rosa 'Pompon de Paris' Rosa 'You're Beautiful'

This week one of our Talking Dirty favourites is back! Val Bourne is an award-winning garden writer and grows all manner of treasures in her 1/3 acre Cotswolds plot. This week - in part one of her latest appearance - she shares some of her favourites Prunus and the Scilla you must grow, plus those to avoid! And as usual her coversation with Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis meanders via a host of plants from Geums to Ferns. Next week Roses, Trilliums and Violets...plus FLOMO* *FLOMO = FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out PLANT LIST Geum 'Totally Tangerine' Geum 'Prinses Juliana' Amsonia Helenium 'Sahin's Early Flowerer' Geum 'Bell Bank' Geum 'Mai Tai' Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan' Galanthus plicatus 'E.A. Bowles' Succisella inflexa 'Frosted Pearls' Galanthus 'Marjorie Brown' Hamamelis Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori' Prunus 'Kursar' Prunus 'Okame' Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai' Prunus 'Tai-haku' Prunus 'Chocolate Ice' Scilla siberica Scilla bifolia Scilla bithynica Allium triquetrum Tulipa saxatilis (Bakeri Group) 'Lilac Wonder' Adiantum Anemonoides nemorosa Polypodium

This week Alan and Thordis are excited to bring you a joyful special focussing on Hepaticas with their chief cheerleader, John Massey of Ashwood Nurseries. His book, 'My World of Hepaticas' (with Tomoo Mabuchi), is a veritable treasure trove of information (and downright divine photographs!) In this episode of Talking Dirty, we meander through the different species (including which should tolerate a garden situation) and discuss everything from botany to John's anecdotes from years tracking them down in the wild. And of course, we detour via several other plants as well. It wouldn't be Talking Dirty if we didn't do that! PLANT LIST Galanthus 'Veronica Cross' Galanthus 'Wasp' Hepatica japonica var. nipponica f. candida Hepatica transsilvanica Hepatica japonica var. nipponica f. magna Hepatica japonica var. pubescens Hepatica japonica var. nipponica f. magna Hepatica americana Hepatica americana var. acuta (syn H. acutiloba) Hepatica americana var. acuta x H. nobilis Trillium nivale Daphne laureola subsp. philippi Hamamelis Cyclamen coum Miscanthus Pennisetum Lewisia cotyledon 'Harold Judd' Hepatica 'Millstream Merlin' Helleborus (Rodney Davey Marbled Group) 'Anna's Red' Helleborus × ericsmithii Hepatica maxima Sorbus 'Olympic Flame' Hepatica insularis Hydrangea serrata Hepatica x schlyteri (H. nobilis 'Stained Glass’ x H. maxima) Macodes petola Hepatica nobilis 'Stained Glass' Hepatica 'Louise Koehler' Anemonella thalictroides f. rosea 'Oscar Schoaf' Hepatica japonica 'Mori' Shortia Hepatica 'Millstream Pink' Prunus 'Kursar' Polypodium

In the latest of our series looking at Alan's garden - East Ruston Old Vicarage - month-by-month, we're focussing on some fab February plants. From the Edgeworthia hardly any one can grow to Alan's latest purchases and plans for the shade planting around his north-facing front door. This is an episode packed with plants and plans! PLANT LIST Edgeworthia chrysantha Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Red Dragon' Galanthus 'Alan Gray' Polystichum setiferum ‘Green Lace’ Eranthis hyemalis 'Dooze' Galanthus elwesii 'Daphne's Scissors' Tulipa sprengeri Tulipa orphanidea 'Flava' Galanthus plicatus 'EA Bowles' Galanthus elwesii 'Claud Biddulph' Galanthus 'Fieldgate Forte' Galanthus nivalis 'Anglesey Abbey' Galanthus woronowii Delphinium 'Alice Artindale' Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori' Camellia × williamsii 'Saint Ewe' Dahlia 'Brown Sugar' Dahlia 'Creme De Cassis' Tithonia rotundifolia Orlaya grandiflora Daphne bholua 'Mary Rose' Acer 'Red Flamingo' Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' Narcissus 'St Patrick's Day' Buxus sempervirens 'Aurea Pendula' Phillyrea Griselinia Brugmansia Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata' Daphne odora 'Rebecca' Galanthus 'Trumps' Galanthus 'Cowhouse Green' Galanthus 'Trumpolute' Galanthus 'Princess Bennie' Cotoneaster horizontalis

Tim Fuller of Norfolk nursery The Plantsman's Preference returns with beautiful flowers, fab foliage and serious FLOMO*! *FLOMO = FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out PLANT LIST Buxus sempervirens 'Elegantissima' Cornus sanguinea 'Winter Beauty' Buxus sempervirens 'Aurea Pendula' Gaultheria mucronata syn. Pernettya mucronata Ilex aquifolium 'East Ruston Gold' Vinca minor Vinca minor 'Azurea Flore Pleno' Vinca minor 'Multiplex' Vinca minor 'Blue and Gold' Vinca minor 'Aureovariegata' Vinca difformis Greystone form Vinca major Vinca difformis subsp. sardoa Cyclamen cilicium Ipheion 'Rygel' Ipheion uniflorum 'Dusky Pink' Ipheion uniflorum ssp. tandiliense Iris unguicularis Geranium libani Geranium peloponnesiacum Lamium galeobdolon Lamium galeobdolon 'Kirkcudbright Dwarf' Setaria palmifolia Saxifraga stolonifera 'Nezu Jinja' Saxifraga stolonifera 'Hsitou Silver' Euonymus myrianthus (ogisu 93309) Hydrangea aspera subsp. strigosa

This week Tim Fuller of Norfolk nursery The Plantsman's Preference stuns with some inspiring Ivies, plus Primulas, Snowdrops and more! PLANT LIST Salvia nemorosa Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' Galanthus nivalis 'Alan's Treat' Galanthus 'Mother Goose' Galanthus 'Treasure Island' Galanthus plicatus 'Golden Fleece' Galanthus 'Wandlebury Ring' Galanthus 'Günter Waldorf' Galanthus gracilis Muscari filiforme Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum' Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Tiny' Arum pictum 'Primrose Warburg' Arum italicum subsp. neglectum 'Monksilver' Arum 'Curtis Giant' Pulmonaria mollis Pulmonaria 'Shrimps on the Barbie' Pulmonaria 'Diana Clare' Pulmonaria rubra Primula 'Lady Greer' Primula 'David Valentine' Primula 'Garnet Cowichan' Hedera helix 'Ceridwen' Hedera helix 'Heise' Hedera helix 'Kaleidoscope' Narcissus 'Candlepower' Hedera helix 'Buttercup' Hedera rhombea 'Variegata' Euonymus fortunei Hedera helix 'Goldfinch' Hedera rhombea 'Variegata' Hedera hibernica

This week Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis chat to Anya Lautenbach AKA Anya, The Garden Fairy. A passionate propagator, Anya is famous for making her garden from seeds and cuttings, and sharing her propagation tips with her million followers on social media. And now those skills are being captured in her new book 'The Money-Saving Gardener'. From the healing power of gardening to the plant which has her captivated at the moment, this is a feel-good look at the power of plants. PLANT LIST Meconopsis betonicifolia (syn. Meconopsis baileyi) Myosotidium hortensia Zaluzianskya ovata Dianthus caryophyllus 'Chomley Ferran' Nicotiana alata Daphne bholua Sarcococca confusa Xerochrysum bracteatum Tiarella 'Spring Symphony' Aristolochia macrophylla Hosta 'Empress Wu' Hosta 'Wu-La-La' Dahlia 'Night Silence' Jasminum sambac Tolmiea menziesii

It's Happy New Year from Alan Gray and Thordis as they continue their series looking at Alan's garden, East Ruston Old Vicarage, month-by-month. From the Camellias lighting up winter to the Ferns catching their fancy and some seasonal FLOMO* *FLOMO = FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out PLANT LIST Haworthia limifolia f. variegata Echeveria peacockii Camellia Forsythia Eucalyptus Woodwardia fimbriata Soleirolia soleirolii (syn. Helxine soleirolii) Viola hederacea Dahlia 'Café au Lait' Dryopteris affinis 'Cristata' (The King) Adiantum Abutilon vitifolium Polystichum setiferum 'Pulcherrimum Bevis' Galanthus 'Lord Kitchener' Jasminum nudiflorum Camellia sasanqua Camellia japonica Camellia 'Sugar Dream' Eccremocarpus scaber Galanthus 'Princess Bennie' Galanthus 'Mother Goose' Rosa 'Senateur Lafollette'

The latest in our series on the plants at East Ruston Old Vicarage sees Alan share some Show and Tell from his 32-acre garden on the Norfolk coast. And there's more than a little festive flair as he takes in a Christmassy Snowdrop and some top Holly varieties. PLANT LIST Osteospermum Musa basjoo Viburnum tinus Morus alba Morus nigra Trachycarpus fortunei Galanthus 'Santa Claus' Arum pictum 'Primrose Warburg' Nerine 'Miss Frances Clarke' Nerine undulata Galanthus 'Primrose Warburg' Galanthus 'South Hayes' Galanthus plicatus 'Golden Fleece' Galanthus plicatus 'Golden Tears' Galanthus plicatus Trym Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus 'Flore Pleno' Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens' Ilex × koehneana 'Chestnut Leaf' (Ilex castaneifolia) Ilex aquifolium 'East Ruston Gold' Galanthus 'Alan Gray' Galanthus 'Green Tear' Galanthus elwesii 'Penelope Ann' Rosa ‘Wickwar’ Abutilon megapotamicum Abutilon 'Estella's Little Bird' Abutilon 'Gerdemann's Red' Sorbus vilmorinii Fuchsia boliviana Eccremocarpus scaber Eccremocarpus scaber 'Tresco' Mixed Allium 'Party Balloons' Allium cristophii Allium 'Purple Sensation' Allium schubertii Phlox paniculata Phlox amplifolia 'Goliath' Phlox amplifolia 'Hercules' Muscari comosum

Time for Part Two of our chat with HORTUS Editor David Wheeler. This week we discuss not only how the quarterly gardening journal started life in 1987, but delve into the world of David's FLOMO* and some of the plants which will be appearing in his garden come spring. *FLOMO = FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out PLANT LIST Lindera Erythronium Iris sibirica Parrotia persica 'Bella' Acer palmatum 'Wild Goose' Acer shirasawanum 'Moonrise' Cornus kousa ‘Schmetterling’ Cornus kousa ‘Heart Throb’ Cornus florida 'Cherokee Brave' Enkianthus campanulatus Peltoboykinia watanabei Kirengeshoma palmata Magnolia grandiflora Magnolia grandiflora 'Double nantais' Sternbergia Iris pumila Iris latifolia

If you're a fan of this podcast then you won't need telling that HORTUS is a quarterly gardening journal of the utmost quality. Its Editor, David Wheeler, founded the publication in 1987 and next week (in Part Two) we'll get stuck into its creation and what makes it so special. This week we're 'leaf peeping' as David shares varieties he's selected for his new garden at Upland in Camarthenshire, plus heavenly Hydrangeas! PLANT LIST Acer rubrum Acer rubrum 'October Glory' Acer × freemanii 'Jeffersred' syn Acer rubrum 'Autumn Blaze' Acer saccharum Acer saccharinum Hydrangea macrophylla 'Blaumeise' Hydrangea macrophylla 'Nachtigall' Rhododendron 'Cornish Red' Magnolia stellata Cercidiphyllum japonicum Parrotia persica 'Vanessa' Parrotia persica 'Persian Spire' Cornus kousa Quercus rubra Cornus kousa 'Copacabana' Amelanchier Iris sibirica Fraxinus angustifolia 'Raywood'

We're well stuck into the darker months now and, if you're looking for some plants to brighten up your plot, look no further than this podcast! In his garden at East Ruston Old Vicarage on the Norfolk coast, Alan Gray has amassed an almost technicolour array of foliage and flower no matter the time of year. From Chrysanthemums to Salvias, Tropaeolums to Nerines, he and Thordis talk through some of the wonders which have been catching his eye in the 32-acre garden this November. PLANT LIST Malus domestica 'Doctor Harvey' Chrysanthemum 'Chelsea Physic Garden' Chrysanthemum 'Killerton Tangerine' Chrysanthemum 'Dixter Orange' Chrysanthemum 'Esther' Chrysanthemum 'Royal Command' Fuchsia magellanica 'Arauco' Fuchsia magellanica Salvia 'Kisses & Wishes' Salvia 'Ember's Wish' Drimys winteri Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' Tropaeolum majus 'Darjeeling Gold' Tropaeolum majus 'Hermine Grashoff' Tropaeolum tuberosum var. lineomaculatum 'Ken Aslet' Tropaeolum minus 'Ladybird Rose' Tropaeolum pentaphyllum Tropaeolum smithii Tropaeolum speciosum Tropaeolum tricolor Tropaeolum ciliatum Salvia involucrata 'Bethellii' Salvia involucrata 'Mulberry Jam' Salvia involucrata 'Joan' Rosa 'Lady of Shalott' Rosa 'Jubilee Celebration' Clematis 'Seedling from Rajasthan' Clematis tangutica Bupleurum Cuphea lanceolata 'Purple Passion' Tithonia rotundifolia Dahlia 'Sam Hopkins' Galanthus plicatus 'Three Ships' Galanthus 'Walrus' Galanthus nivalis 'Viridapice' Cuphea lanceolata 'Purple Passion' Nerine 'Candy' Nerine 'Lovely Lady' Dianthus 'Chomley Farran' Salvia microphylla 'Delice Aquamarine' Argyranthemum 'Jamaica Primrose' Argyranthemum gracile 'Chelsea Girl'

Episode 113 of Talking Dirty sees Eucomis National Collection holder Richard Clark of Panache Plants join Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis. In Part One they got slightly sidetracked by the breeding work Richard's been doing with Roscoeas in particular. But this week we explore Eucomis in earnest, plus lots of FLOMO* *FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out PLANT LIST Eucomis bicolor Eucomis schijffii eucomis pallidiflora Eucomis pallidiflora subsp. pole-evansii Galanthus 'Alan Gray' Eucomis 'Dark Star' Eucomis aloha 'Leia' Eucomis autumnalis Eucomis zambesiaca Eucomis vandermerwei Eucomis comosa 'Pink Gin' Eucomis comosa 'Lotte' Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus' Sarracenia Lychnis × arkwrightii 'Vesuvius' Abutilon 'Leila Jackson' Abutilon 'Kentish Belle' Tiarella Tetrapanax papyrifer 'Meifeng' Tetrapanax papyrifer 'Di Sue Shan' Ficus carica 'Jolly Tiger' Tolmiea menziesii Tolmiea menziesii 'Cool Gold'

This week on Talking Dirty, Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis are taking inspiration from their most recent episode, where they touched upon the Eucomis National Collection. This week the collection holder, Richard Clark of Panache Plants, joins them. But before the trio can discuss the Pineapple Lily, they get stuck into Richard's plant breeding past and the progress he's been making with Roscoeas in particular. Part Two - discussing Eucomis - next week. PLANT LIST Roscoea purpurea Roscoea 'Red Gurkha' Abutilon 'Ashford Red' Abutilon 'Pink Charm' Aeonium 'Velour' Aeonium simsii Sparmannia africana 'Variegata'