Month: April 2020

My own personal and private Hanami – Cherry Blossom Festival at Kew (a look back to 2015) @kewgardens #CherryBlossom #Hanami

Categories Architectural Plants, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, General comment, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, spring flowering, Spring Garden1 Comment on My own personal and private Hanami – Cherry Blossom Festival at Kew (a look back to 2015) @kewgardens #CherryBlossom #Hanami

Another look back through the archives, though Kew Gardens themselves and several of the individuals that work there still have posted some tantalising glimpses of the gardens are they are now. Not an option for me sadly, so will make do with a trip down memory lane. The warm weather we have enjoyed over the…

Continue reading ➞ My own personal and private Hanami – Cherry Blossom Festival at Kew (a look back to 2015) @kewgardens #CherryBlossom #Hanami

Spring began to fizz at Sissinghurst Castle, a look back to 2015 – and the whole show will just get better and better…. @Sissinghurst NT #SpringWatching

Categories Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Bulbs, Garden Design, General comment, Magnolia, Open to the public, Sissinghurst Castle, spring flowering, Spring Garden3 Comments on Spring began to fizz at Sissinghurst Castle, a look back to 2015 – and the whole show will just get better and better…. @Sissinghurst NT #SpringWatching

The gates open at 11am sharp and I'm the first to hand in my Shilling token (the price Vita originally charged visitors) to the helpful attendants and I'm flying through, skirting the lawns in front of the Tower and into the woodland Delos garden, before hitting the White Garden (bare bones at this time of…

Continue reading ➞ Spring began to fizz at Sissinghurst Castle, a look back to 2015 – and the whole show will just get better and better…. @Sissinghurst NT #SpringWatching

Forest Bathing … because for the great many of us, we simply can’t at the moment

Categories General comment, Open to the public, Spring Garden, Trees, Wildlife gardening, Wisteria, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on Forest Bathing … because for the great many of us, we simply can’t at the moment

Reprising a spring walk in Surrey last year, around Ranmore Common, through some glorious woodland. Forest bathing - simply being calm and quiet amongst the trees, breathing deeply, moving slowly. De-stressing. There was such a beautiful light filtering through the emerging foilage, the structure of the trees not yet obscured. Birdsong and unaccountably very few…

Continue reading ➞ Forest Bathing … because for the great many of us, we simply can’t at the moment

A view from Kew past, this day 2017 – a blossomtastic Spring morning in these Royally Botanic Gardens

Categories Architectural Plants, Bulbs, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, General comment, Mediterranean Garden, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Rhododendron & Azalea, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Seasonal colour, Shrubs, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Trees for smaller gardens, White Garden, Woodland Garden3 Comments on A view from Kew past, this day 2017 – a blossomtastic Spring morning in these Royally Botanic Gardens

It certainly pays to make an early start, especially on such a bright and beautiful morning - and even more so when school holidays are upon us and Kew Gardens becomes a beautiful flower-filled playground and a great spot for a family picnic. For someone as bah-humbug as I about having unpopulated pictures - flowers…

Continue reading ➞ A view from Kew past, this day 2017 – a blossomtastic Spring morning in these Royally Botanic Gardens

The RHS London Orchid Show – 6th April 2018 – A truly extravagant show and worth another look? Definitely.

Categories General comment, House plants, Open to the public, Orchids, RHS London Show, Tropical3 Comments on The RHS London Orchid Show – 6th April 2018 – A truly extravagant show and worth another look? Definitely.

This 2018 show, on this day, was by far and away the busiest and most well attended of any show the RHS has put on in its London Halls. And what exceptionally well informed folk, public and exhibitors alike. It was a real treat, shuffling along from one stand to the next. Worth reprising I…

Continue reading ➞ The RHS London Orchid Show – 6th April 2018 – A truly extravagant show and worth another look? Definitely.

Explaining a little about fertilisers; What N:P:K means; the benefits of Organic Matter, mulches & green manure – and making your own compost & manure brews. Some steps towards Organic Gardening

Categories Bee Friendly Plants, Composting, container gardening, General comment, jobs to do in ..., Organic Gardening, Pest control, Roses, Spring Garden, Wildlife gardening2 Comments on Explaining a little about fertilisers; What N:P:K means; the benefits of Organic Matter, mulches & green manure – and making your own compost & manure brews. Some steps towards Organic Gardening

I had quite a few ideas about gardening that I believed wholeheartedly but quite without foundation - that is before I started my formal horticultural training. One of these truths was that there was no such thing as the over-use of fertilisers. A little more would surely provide extra benefit. Well, no, it turned out.…

Continue reading ➞ Explaining a little about fertilisers; What N:P:K means; the benefits of Organic Matter, mulches & green manure – and making your own compost & manure brews. Some steps towards Organic Gardening