Colin Elliott, son of a Cornish nurseryman and one time Royal Gardener, was educated in specialist UK horticultural colleges in Cornwall, Berkshire and Worcestershire.
For a full CV on Colin visit this page: http://www.gardendesignacademy.com/CV.html
A Gardener in France 
Dear Sir,
I admire your site and the thoughts. Having spent eight weeks in Concremiers near Le Blanc, I know what a beautiful landscape exists there. I created a series of drawings in the area working outside everyday. I draw with what I find using natural materials as brushes and pens, such as Queen Anne’s Lace, Wild Teasel etc.
I am in the process of trying to figure out some of the names of plants still. There is a new edition of “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe” I just discovered.
Please share where you are. My goal is to also move to some area of central France to work and live.
Hi Tad and thanks for dropping by.
We live in Chabris, a small market town on the river Cher, about 100km north of Concremiers. I expect the countryside is very similar.
I dropped in on your web site and was fascinated by your work. What talent!
If you are stuck for any plant names please email me with a photograph and I will try to assist.
Best regards, Colin
Hello,
I’m writing to ask permission to show your photograph of “Chateau de Civray sur Cher and its wild Cyclamen” on my Facebook page. I would give you full attribution and link back to your blog or anywhere else you wish. My page is about all aspects of garden design and currently has over 12,500 followers from around the world. You can check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/gdbycm.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to your reply.
Carolyn Mullet
camullet@gmail.com
Always nice to hear my photographs are appreciated, and delightful be be asked to share. Please help yourself. Colin
Thanks!
Thrilled to finally ID a wonderful plant, a salvia I photographed, planted up in large pots, scattered all about the terrace at Loches Chateau, September 2013. The delightful wands were waving about in the breezy sunlight, attracting bees, a beautiful sight and colour. It made a lasting impression. I’m about to give a presentation of photos I’ve taken of gardens of the Loire to my hort, including this photo, and couldn’t find it pictured anywhere until stumbling on a similar image to mine, deep in Google Images – searching – tall blue with white throat salvia. Aha, then entered S.uliginosa and won the lottery, your blog post Salvia uliginosa! Love the internet, love the Loire region, especially the Cher River area, we stayed in Francueil, and happy to find your blog. Will visit often, from Toronto.
It’s a lovely plant which I brought from my previous garden in the UK – having bought it originally in France and a plant fair outside Paris. I give bits of it away all the time.
I am glad you have found my blog, which I am neglecting terribly at the moment, and delighted you know our region of France so well. I am a frequent visiter to the cave cooperative at Francueil.