Kew Gardens – Early One Morning

Rolling back the years, almost exactly four years ago in 2016, to an early morning wander through Kew Gardens. As I was working that Sunday I really must have put on some speed to cover so much from the early 8am opening, heading out by 9.30am to head back down the river to Richmond and…

Kew Gardens – Early One Morning/Lazing on a Sunday Morning

Kew Gardens once again opens its gates at 8am for Friends of Kew, right through the Summer. I took advantage of this early opening on Sunday before heading over to Petersham Nurseries and really appreciated the cool calm and quiet - there were other folk about but few and far between (it's a big place)…

What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare…. Petersham Meadows

A field of buttercups in the deep depth of the countryside? A bucolic scene where black & white cattle graze the long grass and rub their rumps on wild plum and ancient hawthorn? Petersham Meadows, actually, and the cattle are the Belted Galloways that are taking their summer holidays from the main herd at Box…

The Darling Buds of May – the first Alliums, fragrant Roses, lilac, flashy tulips and buttercup fields –

Alliums and ironwork in the Cutting Garden at Petersham Nurseries - elsewhere the first of the roses coming into flower - so many more in furious bud; I had to wait until July last year for the first roses to bloom - March was so bitterly and consistently chill, day and night, that the whole…