Kitchen Garden

Arabella Lennox Boyd – invention and boundless imagination in the gardens at Gresgarth Hall

Categories Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Autumn garden, Clematis, container gardening, Fragrant plants, Garden Design, General comment, Grasses, herbaceous, Kitchen Garden, late summer border, Mediterranean Garden, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Rhododendron & Azalea, Roses, Seasonal colour, Shrubs, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Summer garden, Travel broadens the mind, Trees, Water gardening, Winter Garden6 Comments on Arabella Lennox Boyd – invention and boundless imagination in the gardens at Gresgarth Hall

A garden, though visited in 2015, that has a hold on me still, with vivid memories of superb planting, striking vistas, artistry and sheer passion for the gardens and countryside around. The season 'up north' will be naturally a little later than here, 'down south' so while I visited at the beginning of July, climate…

Continue reading ➞ Arabella Lennox Boyd – invention and boundless imagination in the gardens at Gresgarth Hall

Postcards from Sussex – the extraordinary Arundel Castle and Gardens

Categories annuals, Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Bee Friendly Plants, Climbing plants, colour, container gardening, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dry Garden, Exotic, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Kitchen Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Ornamental trees, Seasonal colour, soft fruit, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Summer garden, Travel broadens the mind, Trees, Tropical, Water gardening, Winter Garden2 Comments on Postcards from Sussex – the extraordinary Arundel Castle and Gardens

  To prevent a general revolt over a daily onslaught of postcards from June 2017, you'll be glad yo note I've left out at least four more galleries from David Austin Roses in Shropshire, the delightful Chastleton House and a mooch around Woodstock and Blenheim Palace. For the not so feint-hearted, please search for stories…

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Remembrance of An East Sussex Odyssey and the jewel in the crown, Great Dixter (2018)

Categories Architectural Plants, Bulbs, colour, conifers, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dry Garden, Exotic, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, Great Dixter, herbaceous, Kitchen Garden, Magnolia, Mediterranean Garden, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Organic pest control, Ornamental trees, Seasonal colour, shade, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Travel broadens the mind, Tropical, Vegetables, Wildlife gardening, Woodland Garden1 Comment on Remembrance of An East Sussex Odyssey and the jewel in the crown, Great Dixter (2018)

  An impossibly bright day, just like today, but taking us back two years to 2018 and a late spring coming back after the Beast from the East chilled (froze) the country over several weeks. Too bright for really good photography but a pleasure to remember. Enjoy. Well this time I'll let the pictures do…

Continue reading ➞ Remembrance of An East Sussex Odyssey and the jewel in the crown, Great Dixter (2018)

Planting for Honey Bees and other pollinators ….

Categories Acid-loving plants, Architectural Plants, Bee Friendly Plants, Climbing plants, colour, container gardening, Cottage Garden, David Austin roses, Dry Garden, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Kitchen Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Organic Gardening, Organic pest control, Ornamental trees, Petersham Nurseries, Rhododendron & Azalea, Seasonal colour, Shrubs, Spring Garden, Summer garden, Trees for smaller gardens, Vegetables, White Garden, Winter Garden, Wisteria3 Comments on Planting for Honey Bees and other pollinators ….

Bee Mindful/Planting for honeybees and beneficial pollinators These are some of my notes for a day-long workshop taking place at Petersham Nurseries today, focusing as we have all month on the honeybee, bee-keeping, planting for bees, honey tasting and fermenting and styling with fresh flowers. And lunch, let's not forget that important little bit, and…

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Petersham House Gardens – formal gardens, generous borders and a vibrant Cutting Garden

Categories annuals, Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Climbing plants, colour, conifers, container gardening, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, David Austin roses, Evergreen shrubs, floristry, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, Grasses, Hellebore, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Kitchen Garden, late summer border, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Petersham Nurseries, Roses, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, Vegetables, Woodland Garden1 Comment on Petersham House Gardens – formal gardens, generous borders and a vibrant Cutting Garden

After a cycle ride along the towpath and the Thames sparkling in the sunshine, and nearly being late for taking so many photographs, a look in the Kitchen Garden first, which was the vegetable garden but has been co-opted into an additional Cutting Garden, as well as having the peony beds, Hellebores, many old roses…

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Petersham House Gardens Charity Open Day

Categories Art in the landscape, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, David Austin roses, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Kitchen Garden, Open to the public, Petersham Nurseries, Plants for a shady garden?, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, Summer garden, Trees, White Garden, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on Petersham House Gardens Charity Open Day

Evening sunshine in the gardens of Petersham House, preparations ongoing for the Charity Open Day last Sunday. A little tardy in getting the pictures online, sorry about that. A rather dated laptop and a flaky wi-fi signal have been conspiring against me! On the day itself, a bright blue sunny morning so I caught up…

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Cottage Gardens

Categories Architectural Plants, Bedding, Bulbs, Clematis, Climbing plants, colour, Composting, container gardening, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, dark foliage plants, David Austin roses, Dry Garden, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, Great Dixter, Hellebore, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Iris, Kitchen Garden, late summer border, Mottisfont Abbey, National Trust Gardens, nerines, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Organic pest control, Ornamental trees, Petersham Nurseries, plants for roses, Propagation, RHS WIsley, Roses, Seasonal colour, Seeds, Shrubs, soft fruit, Spring Garden, Summer garden, Trees for smaller gardens, Vegetables, Wild Food/Foraging, Wildlife gardeningLeave a Comment on Cottage Gardens

Phyllis Bide – the perfect rambling rose for a cottage garden – informal flowers in a muddle of apricot and cream – and not a monster either, like Kiftsgate or Wedding Day… The Story cover photo is from the Welcome to Yorkshire Garden at RHS Chelsea this year. Proof if it were needed of the…

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Petersham Open Garden 2018 – all the pictures!

Categories Art in the landscape, Bedding, Bulbs, Camellias, Climbing plants, container gardening, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dry Garden, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Exotic, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, Grasses, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Iris, Japanese Maples (Acers), Kitchen Garden, macropetala, Magnolia, my projects, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Organic pest control, Ornamental trees, Petersham Nurseries, Rhododendron & Azalea, Roses, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, soft fruit, Summer garden, Trees for smaller gardens, Tropical, Vegetables, White Garden, Wild Food/Foraging, Wildlife gardening, Wisteria, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on Petersham Open Garden 2018 – all the pictures!

Ten gardens, ten private passions, ten stories - all on show for Petersham Open Gardens, an event every two years where private gardens showcase their beauty and skills (and skulls in some gardens), for charitable purposes. And given the footfall today, the charity-benefitting coffers will be full to overflowing. Congratulations folk, one and all. I…

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RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 – the show gardens, the great pavillion, the roses and … well, pretty much everything

Categories Acid-loving plants, Alpine, annuals, Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Bulbs, Clematis, climbing plant, colour, container gardening, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, David Austin roses, Dry Garden, Evergreen shrubs, Exotic, floristry, Flower Shows, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, Garden Design, Grasses, Hellebore, herbaceous, House plants, Hydrangea, Indoor gardening, Iris, Japanese Maples (Acers), Kitchen Garden, late summer border, macropetala, Magnolia, Mediterranean Garden, Mottisfont Abbey, Open to the public, Orchids, Organic Gardening, Ornamental trees, Plants for a shady garden?, plants for roses, Rhododendron & Azalea, Roses, Seasonal colour, shade, Shrubs, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Summer garden, Television, Travel broadens the mind, Trees, Trees for smaller gardens, Tropical, Water gardening, White Garden, Wildlife gardening, Wisteria, Woodland Garden1 Comment on RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 – the show gardens, the great pavillion, the roses and … well, pretty much everything

From my walk through Chelsea, to the very last moment - a few hours in the company of the world's greatest flower show....