Flaming June: A Visit to RHS Hyde Hall

On a blistering hot Thursday at the end of June, I travelled across to Essex to give a talk to the local AGS group on plant photography at AGS Shows. I hate travelling at the last minute and risking getting held up in traffic, particularly around London, so I set off in the morning, planning to visit the garden at RHS Hyde Hall. There is little alpine content here but some dazzling plantings of herbaceous perennials.

With temperatures in the mid-30s, it was almost too hot to walk around a garden, with only the barest hint of a breeze. I caught the sun despite my fetching white sunhat and my tan from the Picos in May. Hardly the weather, or time of day, normally associated with successful garden photography.

Winter Garden

I entered the garden through an area known as the Winter Garden, which features shrubs with colourful stems and banks of heather. However, in the summer this area features massed herbaceous plantings with bold colour combinations.

Achillea

One of the highlights for me was this grouping of Achillea cultivars in burnt orange shades, but I couldn’t get close enough to photograph it effectively.

Lythrum salicaria  ‘Blush’

Nearer the path, the pink spires of Lythrum salicaria ‘Blush’ looked very effective against the red leaves of the shrubs behind.

Lychnis chalcedonica

The most flamboyant combination was the red balls of Lychnis chalcedonica (the Maltese Cross plant), mingled with the hovering flat disks of this yellow Achillea.

Clover Hill borders

After this, I crossed the main path and started working my way up through the perennial borders on the side of Clover Hill towards the Dry Garden.

Geranium  ‘Ivan’

At the bottom of the slope, there was a massed planting of the wonderful Geranium ‘Ivan’.

Eryngium

Near the geraniums, beds full of sea-holly attracted the eye – and the bees. They always fascinate me, with exciting textures and a subtle blend of colours. The blue was especially effective when in front of yellow Santolina.

Salvia nemorosa

However, the dominant plantings at this time of year were massive blocks of Salvia nemorosa in a variety of different cultivars, though not all had visible names.

Salvia nemorosa  ‘Pinkfriesland’

Salvia nemorosa  ‘Ostfriesland’

Salvia nemorosa  ‘Caradonna’

The most heavily used Salvia cultivar was the purple ‘Caradonna’, which looked incredible interplanted with wispy blonde grasses.

Rosa  ‘Ballerina’

Further up the hill, there was a bank of one of the big blue geraniums, here photographed with the pink of Rosa ‘Ballerina’ behind.

Kniphofia  ‘Bees Sunset’

The bright blue Geranium had obviously been planted to provide a nice contrast for the bold orange spikes of Kniphofia ‘Bees Sunset’.

Thalictrum flavum

The Salvia also looked good with the grey leaves and straw-yellow flowers of Thalictrum flavum behind it.

Penstemon barbatus  ‘Coral Baby’

By now I was nearly at the top of the hill and skirting the edge of the dry garden. Here, the bright red flowers of Penstemon barbatus stood out against lime-green Euphorbia and the purple of Salvia nemorosa.

Verbena bonariensis

The dry garden is topped with shingle and Verbena bonariensis seeds itself around in drifts among the blowing grasses.

Knautia macedonica

I found this planting enchanting, with the graceful, airy stems and bright red flowers of Knautia macedonica mingling with the equally airy Verbena.

Gaura lindheimeri

The pink and white butterflies of Gaura lindheimeri provide another important component of the airy, hazy planting.

Stachys byzantina

The grey felted leaves and purple spires of Stachys byzantina looked great here, particularly against the yellow Santolina.

Berkheya purpurea

Another of my favourite plants was self-seeding here, the South African Berkheya purpurea. I have grown it several times but it never stays long; it wants a sunny well-drained situation, and my clay is just too claggy in the winter.

Verbascum olympicum

The purple haze of Verbena was punctuated by the great yellow columns of Verbascum olympicum, also at home in these hot sunny beds.

Echium

Even the Verbascum were dwarfed as the great spires of an Echium started to stretch skyward.

Aloe striatula

In among the more familiar elements, it was exciting to find this striking Aloe. I would love to grow it if I had the space and a suitable location.

Succulent

There were other succulents as well as the Aloe in among the rocks, including this which I don’t have a name for.

Acanthus mollis

As you move out of the dry garden, under the trees at the top of the hill, the Verbascum are replaced by Acanthus mollis.

Allium

The paths around the new learning centre and restaurant at the top of the hill were flanked by regimented ranks of onions, still to bloom.

Campanula lactiflora

In other beds here, the soft blue of Campanula lactiflora was set off by the acid green of Euphorbia.

Calendula officinalis  ‘Snow Princess’

I thought this marigold cultivar was delightful.

Alchemilla mollis

I moved into the herbaceous borders of the hilltop garden, edged with the foaming flowers of Alchemilla mollis, here backed by the architectural stems of Phlomis russeliana.

Eryngium giganteum  ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’

The silver Eryngium giganteum is also a magnet for bees – and photographers!

Delphinium  ‘Titania’

I enjoyed the large groups of Delphinium at the back of the borders and wondered how the molluscs had been kept at bay.

Achillea

In front of the delphiniums there was a short pink Achillea.

Clematis recta  ‘Peveril’

Used as a component of the herbaceous border.

Lychnis flos-cuculi  ‘Petite Jenny’

I was surprised to see a neat double form of Ragged Robin

Triteleia laxa  ‘Rudy’

This Triteleia worked really well in amongst the Alchemilla.

Osteospermum ‘Berry White’

For me the highlight of the border was this fabulous Osteospermum.

Calendula

Beyond the herbaceous border is a vegetable garden, which didn’t hold much interest for me, and then an area where various new annual cultivars were planted (possibly being trialled?). I have always loved marigolds and these were very attractive.

Gerbera

Some lovely Gerbera cultivars were also planted here. I particularly liked the orange one with yellow centres.

I loved the way the light reflected off these grasses as they moved in the breeze.

Osteospermum  ‘Akila Sunset Shades’

Another lovely Osteospermum.

Xerochrysum bracteatum  ‘Granvia Gold’

I always enjoy the sculptural shapes and texture of these ‘everlasting’ flowers.

Calibrachoa

Finally, there were patches of these petunia-like annuals which I have never encountered before. The cultivars shown here are Calibrachoa ‘Kabloom Light Pink Blast’ and Calibrachoa ‘Kabloom Pink’.

Roses

I walked back across the hilltop through the rose garden. The heat had taken its toll here and most of the blooms looked tired. One thing that did attract my attention though was the careful planting of clematis with the climbing roses to give colour combinations and contrasts.

Amsonia orientalis

As I approached the Upper Pond, there was a large bed of Amsonia orientalis, a curious shrubby perennial which is covered in pale blue flowers at this time of year, and which seems to attract the butterflies.

Hemerocallis

In the island beds between here and the Lower Pond there were some beautiful clumps of day lilies, shining brightly in the sun.

Dryopteris erythrosora var. prolifica

In a more shaded bed, I found a large bank of a fern I have photographed at AGS shows.

Upper Pond

On the banks of the Upper Pond, there was a lovely short red Astilbe. The family of ducklings inhabiting the pond offered photographic potential but I didn’t have a long lens with me.

Xerochrysum bracteatum  ‘Granvia Gold’

The beds between the pond and the house glowed with more of these golden everlasting flowers.

Anagallis monellii

In amongst them, the deep blue of this Mediterranean pimpernel.

Osteospermum

This yellow Osteospermum made a nice contrast between the Salvia and the purple leaves of the Sedum.

Lychnis coronaria alba

As I moved towards the Woodland Garden, I found a bed full of the lovely white form of Lychnis coronaria, with occasional plants in pale pink.

Sky Meadow

Passing through the woodland, I went out to see the new meadow planting. After my experiences of the Picos, I found this rather disappointing despite the wonderful views across the flat fields. This was primarily because the plants were not massed populations of the same species bleeding into each other, but individual specimens mingled together and labelled rather inadequately. Here are a few: Leucanthemum vulgare, Galega sp., Galium verum, Knautia macedonica and Linum flavum.

Robinson Garden

I made my way back from the open skies, past beds of Euphorbia to the Robinson Garden. Near the path, the spires of Veratrum caught the light.

Astrantia  ‘Buckland’

Here, I thoroughly enjoyed the beds of Astrantia, mainly ‘Buckland’ and the patterns of light and shade the flowers produced.

Aconitum

Monkshood was growing and flowering well here in the shade.

Trollius chinensis

Among the Astrantia, a fine plant of Trollius chinensis drew the eye.

Galega x. hartlandii  ‘Alba’

Also in these semi-shaded woodland beds.

Dactylorhiza fuchsii

Returning slowly through the Queen Mother’s Garden, I came across several large clumps of Common-spotted Orchids. I suspect, from their vigour, that these had some hybrid blood.

Geranium psilostemon

The bright purple flowers of Geranium psilostemon caught the light, along with other Geranium cultivars, both blue and a subtle purple shade.

Veronicastrum virginicum

Above and behind, the tall spires of Veronicastrum virginicum.

Mimulus aurantiacus

Several of the paths here were closed for maintenance, but somehow or other I found my way through to top of the Australia and New Zealand Garden.

Here, Mimulus aurantiacus was being used as a bedding plant.

Dianthus deltoides  ‘Brilliant’

Close to the Mimulus, the glowing flowers of Dianthus deltoides ‘Brilliant’ demanded to be photographed.

Heuchera

Callistemon  ‘Mauve Mist’

This Callistemon cultivar was a nice clean colour.

Pratia pedunculata

On a sunny bank, there was a wide mat of Pratia pedunculata, covered in light blue stars and thriving as well as I have ever seen it in the open garden. My own slugs love it – I can’t even keep it alive in a pot.

Veronica spicata alba

On my way back to the exit, through the Winter Garden, I found this lovely planting of Veronica spicata alba.

Salvia

Shortly beyond, a bank covered in backlit Salvia provided one final picture. I’m not sure which Salvia it was.

That concludes my visit. Although there were not many plants here of specific alpine interest, I thought the herbaceous plantings were spectacular and I was pleased with the way the photos came out.

People always tell you that you that you should visit gardens in evening or early morning for photography, in order to get soft pastel lighting. Here, the light was strong and overhead, but you have to make the best of what you have. This bright sunlight gave me bold saturated colours all through the garden and dappled light in the woodland.