 |
| Sorbaria sorbifolia and Hosta 'Paul's Glory' - 28 June 2024 |
 |
| In my garden |
Between us, Rosemary and I could remember the name of most of the plants in our garden. It helped that we had plant labels. These labels mysteriously disappear or fade. A couple of days ago I spotted a lovely plant and I had no idea what its name was. I sent a picture to my daughter Alexandra in Lillooet. She could not remember.
There is lots of melancholy when I cannot remember the name of the plant because I cannot consult the expert. My Rosemary is gone.
 |
| Hosta 'Neptune' & Rosa 'Benjamin Britten' - 28 June 2024 |
I went to Southlands Nursery today looking for Graeme Bain, who has a phenomenal memory. He identified the plant as Sorbaria sorbifolia. It's common name False Spirea.
I scanned the plant with two hostas. The first was Hosta ‘Forbidden Fruit’. The second hosta was Hosta 'Paul's Glory''. That set me thinking on writing this blog and finding some connections.
Here they are:
My mother because she lived in that other century she had no access to many records of composers of the 20th century. She told me, “Alex, the English had not good composers after Henry Purcell."
 |
| Hosta 'Neptune' & Rosa 'Benjamin Britten' 28 June 2024 |
By the early 70s, after my mother died, I had discovered Benjamin Brtitten, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward Elgar. When I heard Gustav Holst’s The Planets I was hooked. My favourite planet was Neptune. And so I found a connection between my scan and my love of English music.
But, I must add to this, a photograph I took of Graeme Bain about 25 years ago. I photographed him with bamboo as he was then interested in ornamental grasses.
 |
| Graeme Bain |
A further connection was composer Benjamin Britten, so I scanned my English Rose, Rosa 'Benjamin Britten' a few times with Hosta 'Neptune' which brought Benjamin Britten and Gustav Holst together for this blog.
 |
| Sorbaria sorbifolia & Hosta 'Forbidden Fruit' 28 June 2024 |
