Kate Halls

The annual DA rose flat lay , the rose heads are huge this year except Desdamona , it’s doing the opposite of every other rose and is smaller this year . Sadly I haven’t got the new 2024 rose Emma Bridgewater yet but I’ve put Hero on there. It’s an older variety from 1982 . There are lots I couldn’t fit on , the gorgeous Carolyn Knight , Crocus Rose , The Wedgewood Rose , Lady Gardener, Generous Gardener and a couple of others , another excuse for a flat lay and non DA roses 🌸 have a fab evening #da #davidaustin #🔥 #gorgeous #roses @david_austin_roses

So the big question is Yay or Nay , do you want a planting plan for this colour scheme ? I say planting plans very loosely, It will be a Kate special attempt at drawing as per the last one ? Maybe a video if my witterings go on for too long trying to write it down ? 🌸 We call this bed Koko because of the Koko Loko rose that was once planted in it . I have a love / hate relationship with this rose , I love it , it hates me ! So now they have been removed from the bed and put into pots to grow into strong healthy plants rather than the skinny little rose they once were. For a really good photo of this rose see @nicoleatcherrygarden post yesterday . Lisa @homesteadflowers.uk and Sonia and I have spent a couple of years trying different plants to get this scheme to work and this year it’s been so beautiful and the bees 🐝 are loving the salvias and foxgloves . Do zoom in for the names . Have a good evening , I’m doing absolutely nothing for a change ! ……… Update …….. the plan and videos are now on my feed 💜 Please note Foxgloves ( Digitalis) are poisonous #flatlaystyle #flowerfaffery #faffingwithflowers #flatlaypoetry #plantingideas #plantingplan #kokoloko #katesinthegarden #juneflowers.

This rose made me all weak at the knees when it flowered back in July , it was a new rose to me and far exceeded what I expected . It was an absolute beauty , which smelt amazing . It’s name is Domaine de Chantilly . It grew well in its first year which many roses don’t in my semi shaded garden . It had a really positive reaction when I first posted it, so here it is again to brighten this cloudy day ⭐️ #domainedechantilly #rose #bestroses #beautifulroses #which #totalfavourite #enjoy #lovely

It’s that time of year to look back at a few favourites especially as I’m getting the 2025 seed order together . I loved the Sunflower called ‘ Astra Rose ‘ it’s definitely on my order for this year , it had a good branching habit and the most perfect antique dusky yellow with a smoky dark centre , I always have a competition with Sally @vinecottage1727 with flower descriptions and she always comes up with the best! Did you see this years Pantone colour ? It seems plants the same colour as old denier tights ( I say fondly ) will be around again, Koko Loko, Mocha Rosa , Stephen Rulo . It will be interesting to see how they’re used this year 💚 #gardenstyleflorals #flowercolours #growyourown #💥 #flatlaycolour #gardenhelp #gardendesign #lovingthis #mygarden #westsussex #beautiful #hello

L well the weekends storms were a good excuse to hunker down and do some Christmas crafting .I’m trying to find as many projects as possible with three sheets of Cambridge Imprint paper . In this case it’s place setting using my glass bud vases from the summer , loving the pink and orange on the table for a change . It’s funny how you have all these things planned, I’ll make this, I’ll make that and suddenly there are only two weekends left ⭐️ Have a good evening #christmascrafts #westsussex #christmasideas #projects #christmas #cambridgeimprint #pretty

We decorated the garden retreat today with birch and white willow , I wish it could stay like this all year . Apologies for the music , we were only yesterday discussing how we turn the volume down whilst scrolling , never mind . Have a lovely evening 🎄

A tad bit of reminiscing, about 28yrs ago ( so long ago after leaving horticultural college) I worked for a garden centre group and because of my crazy, festive excitement and over the top displays , I was promoted to assistant buyer and merchandiser for the Christmas displays . This was the most incredible promotion , I remember going home to mum and dad and telling them I was going to New York . Buying for Christmas used to always happen straight after Christmas , usually the end of January / February . In all honestly there was a lot of tat but I loved the displays and styling . Anyway I eventually got back into my horticultural roots (boots) in the position I’m in today . Are you asleep yet ? This all leads me on to today’s post , my first Christmas post , maybe it should have been tomorrow . Have a lovely weekend #reminiscence #christmas #decembergarden #gardening #happy #today #flatlay #noreel #photosonly #onfire

Seed ordering time for me which is a great excuse to look back at summer colours, super bright Calendula and Ageratum , they make me so happy . It’s a bit change in the cut flower beds this year, we’re making an area just for pots , the bed layouts are changing too. We’re moving softer colour out of the area and just going brights and deep rich colours . I can’t wait . Lovely evening here sewing, Christmas decorations are slowly going up , it’s feel so warm and festive ❤️ #cutflowers #gardeninspiration #goodtimes #happiness #fun #lovethis #garden #headgardener

Shrubby stars of November . I really wasn’t keen on shrubs when I first started gardening, I was a true cottage garden kind of girl , lots of herbaceous perennials . Now I love shrubs and completely understand their worth in a garden , especially for autumn and winter colour and to give shape and interest when all else has died back until spring . So these are just a few of the many available that look good in a vase . The Corokia ‘Silver Ghost’ is a stunner at Christmas , we all love it at the manor . Enjoy your Sunday evening , what a weekend, I reckon nearly all the leaves have blown down 🍁 #shrubs #garden #yippee #yay #hurrayforthis #exciting #gardening #novembergarden

I’m putting together the plants that would work with these two colour themes , first photo we put these colours together in June two years ago and then they got archived but now I want to make an area for them and the fourth photo is the other theme . Do you have a favourite? I always break down the year in month usually starting in March / April then May / June etc and write down plants that look good in these months, that way the bed will have colour throughout most of the year . It’s all really exciting and another thing to look forward to in the new year of gardening . We’ve already got cuttings of a lot of the plants, we will divide some such as Astrantia and the grass Pennisetum and buy a few such as the roses . The first theme includes -photos 2 and 3 grids Echinacea’Paprika’ Alchimilla mollis Knautia macedonica Rose ‘Carolyn Knight’ Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’ Sanguisorba ‘Tanna’ Echinops Rose ‘Summer Song ‘ Agastache ‘Blue Boa’ Penstemon ‘Garnet’ The second theme grids photos 5/6 include Penstemon’Raven’ Rose ‘Othello’ Dahlia ‘Copper Boy’ Astrantia ‘Blood Red’ Verbena ‘Lollipop’ Dahlia ‘Nuit d ete’ Dahlia ‘Danique’ Dahlia ‘ Waltzing Mathilda’ Agastache ‘Morello’ Rhodochiton Pennisetum Hameln #plantstogrow #colour #garden #gardening #gardendesign #gardenstyleflorals #gardenideas #wow #gardendesign

Finally the gorgeous Rose ‘Carolyn Knight’ is available to order at David Austin . I love this rose but sadly it’s not often mentioned when talking about DA roses . The colour is a smoky orange ? Dreadful insult of a description, DA describes it as soft gold, erm , not sure about that either, but I can say it’s like no other colour of rose from them . It’s a sport of Summer Song and it smells amazing ! I’ve had my plant for years but today I’ve ordered a few for the manor , I’ve also ordered another Champagne Moment along with my very favourite rose Bathsheba . The last three photos I’ve taken off the David Austin website . I love this about gardening , you’re always planning your for the next year coming 💚 #beautifulroses #englishroses #beautiful #rose #rosestolove #da #Davidaustin @david_austin_roses

Compulsory autumn colour photos . The colour is amazing out there at the moment , we just need a few more blue sky days to show it off. We’ve been crazy bonkers working at the moment, cutting back and clearing an area for a new colour theme , so I’m a little behind on here . I want to say congratulations to @the_gardening_gp , @honehilldreaming @duckgardenplantsandposies for appearing on Gardener’s World recently , you all deserve it so much, your gardens are so beautiful 💚 Day off tomorrow and a bit of a rest and lots of making Christmas decorations , absolute happiness #thesedays #autumn #beautiful #gogardens #wow #huge #surreyhills #lovethis #gorgeous