Gardeners: Go ask Lloyd

“Which rhododendrons would you suggest?” I ask Cess, an expert on plants at the market.

“Ask Lloyd,” replies Cess.

“What is this?” I ask Vicky, who used to sell roses at the market.

“Ask Lloyd, he has an amazing knowledge of plants,” replies Vicky.

“What is the deciduous tree next to the oak?” I ask Cess.

“Ask Lloyd,” replies Cess.

I once had a bookshop. When I was asked for an item three times I then added it to the stock in my shop. Using the same principle I decided it was time to ask Lloyd.

“What rhododendrons are you growing?” I asked Lloyd.

Lloyd runs the café at the market. As well as supplying the market with great food he really does have an encyclopaedic knowledge of plants.

“Rhododendrons,” Lloyds eyes light up. “I have just planted…” and he rattled off a list of varieties.

“You do have the Cross Hills catalogue don’t you?” he asked. “Excellent references there.”

“And the tree beside the oak in the village with such wonderful autumn colour?”

 “Oh,” said Lloyd “I know. Isn’t it fabulous. I would love one. Its name is nyssa salvatica or tupelo tree. For autumn colour it is the best.”
And so began endless gardening conversations with Lloyd who has a passionate interest in unusual and interesting plants. I decided it was time to visit Lloyd’s garden.

“What now?” said Lloyd. “Wouldn’t spring be better?”

No, I want to see how his rhododendrons survived the drought when five of mine didn’t. I wanted to view the plants he had talked about. We decided on reciprocal garden visits.

Lloyd was right. It would be good to visit the garden in the spring. Many of the species are deciduous. He has a variety of magnolias, some I am familiar with but some I would love to see. The magnolia campbellii Charles Raffill, which has spectacular deep rose pink giant flowers, will be magnificent come spring. To soften the lines of the house Lloyd planted gleditsia around the loop drive. Instant, hardy and adaptable, the gleditsia has also provided some filtered shade  for other plants. On the right hand side of the drive there are a variety of deciduous trees, a favourite of Lloyd’s being a betula jaquemontii, a birch that has the whitest bark of all the birch varieties. Sensibly Lloyd has metal tags attached to the plants with their names. Discreet and practical they solve the problem I have of remembering what I have planted where.

And the rhododendrons… there they were, tucked in among a drift of geranium maderense and in the shade of the house and a huge stand of shelter trees to the north. The large leaves of the geraniums had provided cover and shade for the summer. This year they will flower and fall over having done their protective job. My rhododendrons, although under the shade of my liquidambers, are on a north facing bank. I am lucky to have as many survive as I did.

And the tupelo tree? I have sourced some. Lloyd and I need no longer look in envy at the tree in the village. We will have them in our gardens.