Talking Dirty

A new year and plenty to talk about. Join Alan Gray as he takes you and Thordis on a 'wander' through the plants wowing at East Ruston Old Vicarage this month.
PLANT LIST
Clianthus puniceus ‘Kākā King’
Lachenalia rubida
Fuchsia 'Wapenveld's Bloei'
Tropaeolum majus 'Hermine Grashoff'
Tropaeolum majus 'Margaret Long'
Tropaeolum majus 'Darjeeling Gold' syn 'Darjeeling Double'
Phlebodium aureum 'Davana'
Viola hederacea
Carex buchananii
Galanthus plicatus 'Wandlebury Ring'
Iris unguicularis
Iris lazica
Narcissus 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation'
Narcissus 'Pueblo'
Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori'
Malva arborea 'Variegata'
Salix alba var. vitellina 'Britzensis'
Arum 'Hungarian Rhapsody'
Galanthus 'Wasp'
Galanthus 'Glimmer of Gold'
Galanthus plicatus 'Golden Fleece'
Galanthus 'Primrose Warburg'

It's been a little while. Thank you for your patience.
Alan and Thordis wish you a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2026.
PLANT LIST
Anemone pavonina
Agave montana
Daphne bholua ‘Spring Beauty‘
Punica granatum var. Nana
Cordyline australis 'Charlie Boy'
Galanthus plicatus 'Three Ships'
Galanthus 'S. Arnott'
Arum pictum
Arum maculatum
Arum italicum subsp. neglectum 'Monksilver'
Musa sikkimensis 'Bengal Tiger'
Lagerstroemia indica
Weigela ‘Wings of Fire'
Euphorbia mellifera
Iris unguicularis
Iris unguicularis 'Peloponnese Snow'
Iris unguicularis 'Walter Butt'
Fascicularia bicolor
Dicksonia Antarctica
Viola hederacea
Begonia luxurians
Ilex aquilifolium ‘Nellie R Stevens’
Cyclamen persicum 'Dragon Deep Blue'
Plumbago auriculata
Bomarea caldasii

September already and East Ruston Old Vicarage is as bursting with colour as you might expect! Alan Gray brings just a few favourites for Show and Tell, while Thordis is FLOMO*ing over a very 'Alan' container she spotted on holiday!
*FLOMO = FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out

PLANT LIST
Brugmansia 'Shredded White Fantasy'
Brugmansia × candida 'Grand Marnier'
Tagetes ex 'Cinnabar' Great Dixter form
Ageratum petiolatum
Tropaeolum majus 'Empress of India'
Lobelia tupa
Salvia regla
Salvia involucrata 'Bethellii'
Salvia involucrata 'Mulberry Jam'
Salvia involucrata 'Joan'
Salvia 'Tropicolor Sunrise'
Solanum laxum 'Crech ar Pape'
Catalpa fargesii
Begonia sutherlandii
Begonia sutherlandii 'Saunders' Legacy'
Cuphea 'David Verity'
Cuphea llavea
Lotus berthelotii
Salvia oxyphora
Chrysanthemum 'Julia Peterson'

This month Alan Gray has come along with an arm full of Show and Tell, from his container-planting stalwarts to an eye-catching Crinum! I bet you'll be ooh-ing and aah-ing as much as his Talking Dirty co-presenter Thordis.
PLANT LIST
Phlox drummondii grandiflora 'Sugar Stars'
Phlox drummondii grandiflora 'Crème Brûlée'
Dahlia coccinea var. palmeri
Tagetes 'Cinnabar'
Amaranthus cruentus 'Hot Biscuits'
Ageratum petiolatum
Eutrochium maculatum syn. Eupatorium purpureum subsp. maculatum
Clerodendrum bungei
Cleome spinosa
Crinum moorei
Helichrysum petiolare 'Limelight'
Tradescantia 'Maiden's Blush'
Oxalis vulcanicola 'Plum Crazy'
Iresine herbstii
Iresine herbstii 'Aureoreticulata'
Tithonia rotundifolia
Clematis addisonii
Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides
Bomarea multiflora syn. Bomarea caldasii

From gap-fillers to planting for climate change, here's a meander through Alan Gray's latest escapades at East Ruston Old Vicarage, alongside his Talking Dirty co-presenter Thordis.
PLANT LIST
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Madame Emile Mouillère'
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Ayesha'
Hydrangea 'Runaway Bride'
Amaranthus cruentus 'Hot Biscuits'
Amaranthus cruentus 'Foxtail'
Lantana camara
Ficus carica 'White Ischia'
Plumbago auriculata
Leonotis leonurus
Fuchsia 'Delta's Sara'
Fuchsia procumbens
Tagetes patula 'Konstance'
Erythrina crista-galli
Punica granatum
Malus transitoria
Salvia darcyi