Alla Olkhovska
Linden Grove Gardens
Image by Olkhovska
My name is Alla and my biggest passions are gardening and photography!
I grew up in an orchard, loved it dearly, but always dreamed of an ornamental garden and rare plants, but I absolutely didn’t know where to get them... When the Internet appeared in my life, I began an active search to fulfill my dreams. There were many difficulties along the way: lack of experience and knowledge of agricultural technology, and failures with the first rarities, and the fight against pests... But a particularly significant feature of my character is obstinacy, so I not only did not give up my favorite business but continued to deal with tripled strength! I am very grateful to my husband Vitaliy, who fully supported and shared my passion ❤
Now in our garden there are many rare bulbs and perennials including a large collection of peonies and especially clematis which are definitely my all-time favourites! Our garden is in a natural style, we do not pursue perfect order and regularity, but we dream of our own small family-run nursery… Maybe after the war if we manage to survive…
Another hobby is photography! When I pick up a camera, it’s impossible to stop me... It all started in childhood... with my father’s old camera Zenith. How I dreamed then that the notorious limitation of 36 frames would disappear! How I wanted to take a picture of every flower and every grass, but due to the limitations that the film imposed, I had to take only family shots. I will never forget the delight that I experienced when my classmate brought back from her internship in the USA the first digital camera with an LCD display and an unlimited ability to shoot anything and everything, and even instantly see the result on the screen – just miraculously wonderful and unbelievable! And soon such a camera was gifted to me by my father... Though it was a cheap point and shot camera, my happiness had no limits!
Show Notes
Having a passion in the world of gardening, floral design, or really anywhere in the world of flowers can open doors around the world and create opportunities to connect people with that have like interests.
I was glad we talked about Snow Drops, also know as Galanthus. I’ve seen more and more of the Galanthus family being offered as a late winter or early spring specialty cut flower. There are a lot of varieties and might be worth exploring more about them.
Did you realize there were so many varieties of clematis? Well, I’ve been learning about many of these for the last two months, and I have to say that this is another family of flowers that we need to explore more. Not the easiest to grow, mostly because of their vine nature and the way they grab hold of things, but still something to look at.
I know that Alla mentioned groups and this is a very broad description. Group 1 is the Spring Bloomers, Group 2 is the Repeat Bloomers, and Group 3 is the Summer or Fall Bloomers. There are lots of species and cultivars in all of these groups, and you can learn more with her book and other sources.
Understanding these groups will help you know and understand when to plant, prune and water them better.
When collecting clematis seed, it’s best to harvest them as they’re mature and ready. They don’t usually all mature at the same time like a lot of other perennials.
She primarily uses leaf compost to fertilize many of her plants. If she uses any fertilizer, she uses something generic that she can use all around the garden.
Gardening is more than about flowers, design, or profit. All of these are important, but it’s also about creating within your own piece of the world.
The book you are reading now is the result of my two passions coming together. I will share with you not just dry facts, but my real experience of growing clematis, as well as my own photos of these amazing plants taken in our garden with Vitaliy! The book is not just a theory, but a call to action! I will uncover all the secrets of growing Clematis and advise the most unpretentious varieties for a low-maintenance garden of continuous flowering, be sure to plant different types of clematis in your garden and you will be provided with flowering from May till frosts!
