Abi and Tom's Garden Plants

Abi and Tom's Garden Plants This is the story of Abi and Tom Attwood taking on one of Cumbria's best loved plant nurseries at Ha

As we enter the second half of June the marvel that is ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’ is well and truly in full flow. This is a...
15/06/2026

As we enter the second half of June the marvel that is ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’ is well and truly in full flow. This is a rambling rose and one that we planted over a decade ago and it was a good five years before any significant growth was being produced. The main reason being that the ground where this is planted is unbelievably thin and I still don’t understand how anything grows in this corner of the site where the limestone is so close to the surface. But somehow a minor miracle has occurred and it is the most wonderful display, I wish I could share the scent with you but it is out of this world, particularly first thing in the morning and early evening. The only complication in the situation is that the crab apple tree which acts as the scaffold is rapidly failing and at some point in the not too distant future I suspect will collapse so I need to come up with an alternative structure…..

14/06/2026

Sunday wanderings in the nursery garden

13/06/2026

A special thistle I had to talk about this evening and one I associate with a fabulous memory of seeing this plant growing in a pretty remote site defiantly erupting from the remnants of a dry stone wall. Cirsium heterophyllum aka the melancholy thistle needs containing but boy is it worth it. A beautiful long flowering, long lived perennial that has the most intensely coloured flower heads.

Digitalis x mertonensis is a short lived hybrid foxglove that we typically get 2 or 3 years out of. It’s utterly sublime...
07/06/2026

Digitalis x mertonensis is a short lived hybrid foxglove that we typically get 2 or 3 years out of. It’s utterly sublime and looks great crammed into a sea of planting so it’s distinctive spire rises above the froth of late May early June
Raise from seed

I love things like this, after selling all our various Knautia from one particular sales bed over the past few years the...
06/06/2026

I love things like this, after selling all our various Knautia from one particular sales bed over the past few years the seeds from ripening flower heads has moved with gravity, the flow of water and gathered at the edge of the timber where a number have rooted and as is usually the case look infinitely healthier growing in the gravel and sub base than the excellent compost we grow everything in….its the best possible advert for these bee drenched summer flowering beauties. It’s a mix of Knautia macedonica and the cultivar ‘Melton Pastels’

The white Himalayan poppy as the name suggests is found in the Himalayan region and parts of northern China. Meconopis b...
05/06/2026

The white Himalayan poppy as the name suggests is found in the Himalayan region and parts of northern China. Meconopis baileyi ‘alba’ grows best in fertile, moisture retentive soil that also drains well during the winter months. These were planted last summer in our new semi shade borders and it’s really hardening to see how well they’re doing in such a short space of time.

04/06/2026

A few thoughts and observations on growing the cup and saucer plant (Cobaea scandens)that I hope will give some pointers to those of you who have been asking about how I go about growing them. I certainly don’t do anything fancy and it seems to work….I do feel that feeding these annuals makes a big difference and now’s your opportunity to get in there with the soil conditioner (or a similar product) and give them the best possible start. I’ve never liquid fed them but I imagine that a seaweed based liquid feed would make a big difference as well as an alternative source of nutrients. 🌱

The golden hour in the garden or 9.15pm to be more precise
02/06/2026

The golden hour in the garden or 9.15pm to be more precise

31/05/2026

Beautiful Baltic Parsley aka Cenolophium denudatum This is my go to hardy Umbellifer that has all the attributes you could want, good longevity coming back strongly season after season and long/repeat flowering from now until August. It will grow in sun or light shade and is easy to propagate from seed. Cracking plant all round 🌱

Annual treat visiting the garden that gets me every time, a blisteringly hot day cooled by the exquisite planting at Th...
27/05/2026

Annual treat visiting the garden that gets me every time, a blisteringly hot day cooled by the exquisite planting at The plants exuded a feeling more like June and the difference between where we are in Cumbria to what we saw today was extraordinary. Left feeling energised, excited and challenged, god bless this special place and the people in it 🙏🌱

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Www. Halecatplants. Co. Uk
Kendal
LA116RT

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