A summer drive through Europe gave one gardener inspiration for his own garden in Britain – and made him realise how much we have in common
This spring, I visited northern Spain, following rural roads along arable fields, rushing streams and through the Pyrenees. I was amazed at the variety of plant life contained within such a comparatively small area. While I was unacquainted with some species, many were familiar, either as wildflowers found also in Britain or as the forebears of popular garden cultivars. Violet spires of tufted vetch sprung underfoot down riverbanks, and the bright petals of sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis), a southern European biennial I have often sown for cut flowers, appeared beneath thickets of beech, glowing at dusk.
The trip left a strong impression. It highlighted for me one of western Europe’s greatest assets: an easily navigable terrain abounding in attractive and diverse flora. We British islanders have an intrinsic affiliation with these plants: our flora is cut from a similar cloth – only the patterns of the cloth become more varied and splendid across the Channel.
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