East Ruston Old Vicarage August 2025

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 LISTPhlox drummondii grandiflora 'Sugar Stars'Phlox drummondii grandiflora 'Crème Brûlée'Dahlia coccinea var. palmeriTagetes 'Cinnabar'Amaranthus cruentus 'Hot Biscuits'Ageratum petiolatumEutrochium maculatum syn. Eupatorium purpureum subsp. maculatumClerodendrum bungeiCleome spinosaCrinum moorei Helichrysum petiolare 'Limelight'Tradescantia 'Maiden's Blush'Oxalis vulcanicola 'Plum Crazy'Iresine herbstiiIresine herbstii 'Aureoreticulata'Tithonia rotundifoliaClematis addisoniiPseudogynoxys chenopodioidesBomarea 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 LISTHydrangea macrophylla 'Madame Emile Mouillère' Hydrangea macrophylla 'Ayesha'Hydrangea 'Runaway Bride'Amaranthus cruentus 'Hot Biscuits'Amaranthus cruentus 'Foxtail'Lantana camaraFicus carica 'White Ischia'Plumbago auriculataLeonotis leonurusFuchsia 'Delta's Sara'Fuchsia procumbensTagetes patula 'Konstance'Erythrina crista-galliPunica granatumMalus transitoriaSalvia darcyi

Nearly the end of June already, past the Summer solstice and plenty to talk about at East Ruston Old Vicarage, particularly Alan Gray's latest planty purchases from their summer plant fair! Get ready to have some FLOMO*!*FLOMO = FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing OutPLANT LISTEucomis pole-evansiiEucomis pole-evansii 'Dark Desire'Rosa x beaniiVerbascum roripifoliumIris tectorumBerkheya radulaBerkheya purpureaPuya × berteronianaBeschorneria yuccoidesAgave montanaPhoenix canariensisPodophyllum versipelle 'Spotty Dotty'Abutilon 'Red Tiger'Desmodium yunnanense

No rain, but lots of other things to put smiles on our faces at East Ruston Old Vicarage, from the last of the Daffodils to punchy Pelargoniums and fab Foxglove trees!PLANT LISTTulipa 'Yellow Crown'Narcissus 'Painted Desert'Narcissus 'Irish Linen'Tropaeolum smithiiPiptanthus laburnifolius syn. Piptanthus nepalensisBupleurum fruticosumPelargonium 'Dark Secret'Malus hupehensisPaulownia tomentosaPaulownia fortunei 'Fast Blue' ('Minfast')Smyrnium perfoliatumMelanoselinum decipiensEchium pininanaEchium 'Candyfloss'Nemophila menziesiiPrimula auricula ‘Swanton Cuckoo’

What weather we've had! As you can imagine there's plenty to talk about at East Ruston Old Vicarage, including an exciting new planting project for Alan Gray...PLANT LISTMagnolia 'Vulcan'Magnolia sieboldiiDelospermaCyrtanthus elatus syn. Vallota speciosaWatsoniaSparaxis tricolorHippeastrumTigridia pavoniaPodranea ricasolianaAbutilon 'Fool's Gold'Clianthus puniceusHelichrysum petiolareFremontodendron californicumTithonia rotundifoliaColeus scutellarioides 'Burgundy Wedding Train'Coleus scutellarioides 'Pink Chaos'Mirabilis jalapaAnagallis monellii 'Skylover'Quercus suberLobelia 'Kathleen Mallard'Primula allionii ‘Broadwell Oliver’Chionodoxa luciliae syn. Scilla luciliaeEuphorbia characias subsp. wulfeniiIxiaMoraea huttonii

After an impromptu lurgy-induced break, Talking Dirty returns to explore the wonders at East Ruston Old Vicarage this March. Alan Gray - owner of the 32-acre garden on the Norfolk coast - shares new purchases and old 'friends' which are heightening the joys of spring. Meanwhile Thordis has some very seasonal FLOMO*!*FLOMO = FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing OutPLANT LISTAbeliophyllum distichum Roseum GroupHedera helix f. poetarumIlex 'East Ruston Gold'Magnolia 'Caerhays Belle'Pyrus communis 'Robin'Cichorium intybusEchium vulgareBorago officinalisOak leaf PolyanthusErysimum 'Winter Passion'Erysimum 'Winter Orchid'Narcissus cyclamineusNarcissus 'Rataplan'Narcissus 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation' Narcissus 'Firebrand'Iris 'Benton Dierdre' Iris 'Benton Olive' Narcissus 'Bath's Flame' Daphne bholua 'Mary Rose'

It's been quite a brutal start to the year, but that hasn't stopped East Ruston Old Vicarage from turning out some showstoppers this winter! From bulbs in the garden to shrubs under glass, Alan Gray shares some of the plants bringing him joy in the garden. Plus updates from behind the scenes. And, of course, some FLOMO*!*FLOMO = FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing OutPLANT LISTFuchsia 'Lottie Hobby'Narcissus cyclamineus 'Englander'Crocus sieberi 'Ronald Ginns'Solanum laxum 'Crèche du Pape'Griselinia littoralisLathyrus grandiflorusDianthus 'Mrs Sinkins'Pittosporum tobira 'Variegatum' Pittosporum tobira 'West Acre Gold'Reinwardtia indicaScilla bithynicaPrimula meadia

Alan Gray and Thordis are feeling festive and they're celebrating with some seasonal Show and Tell from Alan's 32 acre garden on the Norfolk coast, from the plants you'd expect to be dazzling in December, to some unseasonal surprises.PLANT LISTGalanthus 'Santa Claus'Galanthus plicatus 'Three Ships'Galanthus elwesii 'Peter Gatehouse'Narcissus 'Cedric Morris'Narcissus 'Tête-à-tête'Jasminum nudiflorumArum italicum subsp. neglectum 'Miss Janay Hall'Iris unguicularisLonicera fragrantissimaDaphne bholua 'Darjeeling'Viburnum × bodnantenseSarcococca ruscifolia var. chinensis ‘Dragon Gate’Camellia sasanqua 'Rainbow'Camellia hiemalisCamellia 'Sparkling Burgundy'Camellia 'Sugar Dream'Paeonia lactiflora 'Bowl of Beauty'Viburnum tinus 'Israel'Taxus baccata 'Standishii'Griselinia littoralis 'Dixon's Cream'Griselinia littoralis 'Bantry Bay'Forsythia suspensaErysimum 'Parish's'Erysimum 'Bowles's Mauve'Salvia curvifloraTradescantia 'Maiden's BlushFuchsia 'Lottie Hobby'Amarine belladiva 'Anastasia'Helleborus nigerSkimmia japonica 'Rubella'EuonymusRuscus aculeatus 'John Redmond'Hebe 'Simon Delaux'Abutilon 'Gerdmann'S Red'Abutilon 'Estella's Little Bird'Solanum laxum 'Album' syn. Solanum jasminoides AlbumSolanum laxum 'Crèche du Pape'Coronilla valentina subsp. glaucaCoronilla valentina subsp. glauca 'Citrina'Hedera colchica 'Sulphur Heart'Ilex 'East Ruston Gold'Arum pictum 'Primrose Warburg'

Alan Gray and Thordis take a look at the plants still packing a punch, even though East Ruston Old Vicarage closed to visitors last month...from fab foliage to seasonal blooms.PLANT LISTIris unguicularisIris unguicularis 'Mary Barnard'Iris unguicularis 'Walter Butt'Cestrum fasciculatum 'Newellii'Viola 'Parme de Toulouse'Begonia luxuriansIlex verticillataCallicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion'Hosta 'Empress Wu'Galanthus reginae-olgaeGalanthus 'James Backhouse'Griselinia littoralis 'Dixon's Cream'Fatsia japonica 'Spider's Web'Buddleja davidii 'Santana'Nerine 'Hotspur'

Alan Gray and Thordis take a look at the plants stunning the visitors at East Ruston Old Vicarage this month, including some unusual foliage plants.PLANT LISTLapageria roseaPassiflora semiciliosaBougainvillea spectabilisMandevillaPleroma urvilleanum syn Tibouchina urvilleanaAbutilon 'Fool's Gold'Iresine herbstii 'Brilliantissima'Strobilanthes dyerianaPlectranthus ciliatus 'Easy Gold'Tradescantia 'Maiden's Blush'Streptocarpus saxorumCamellia sasanquaBerberis gagnepainii var. lanceifolia 'Fernspray'Acer rubrum 'Oktober Glory'Salvia involucrata 'Bethellii'Salvia leucanthaDahlia 'Magenta Star'Dahlia coccinea var. palmeriDahlia 'Labyrinth'Dahlia 'Edith Jones'Dahlia 'Dilys Ayling'