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Apr
30
2013
Something Lovely North of the Border
‘The Golden Hour’ is an exhibition by Andrea Jones – one of our most talented garden photographers – taking place at The Mill on the Fleet until May 19th. The photographs focus on the hour in the early morning and then in the early evening when the light in gardens is at its most diffuse and luminous. It is not always appreciated that garden photographers need to get to a garden and be ready to photograph by dawn to capture this magical time. www.millonthefleet.co.uk
Oct
16
2012
The Hot New Crop
In September I went to Hadlow College and saw Japanese Horseradish (Wasabi) plants in their trial grounds. The leaves had been rather munched by slugs or snails (but then what hasn’t this year? – and it is the root that is the important bit. It is ground up to make a paste to accompany sushi – although here, because it is so expensive, native horseradish that has been dyed green is often substituted . Then in Saturday’s Telegraph there was a feature about someone growing it commercially on his watercress farm. Apparently our cool, wet climate is ideal. Anyway, I wondered if plants are available anywhere – and they are from Poyntzfield Herbs on the Black Isle who specialise among other things in Japanese edible and medicinal herbs.
And thereby hangs another tale which will follow in the next post……………….
Aug
24
2012
The Appeal of Small Events
RHS Hyde Hall has recently held a plant fair which was a pleasure to visit. It was more on the scale of Courson (outside Paris) than some of the major events that the RHS runs each year. I’m sure they would have loved it to be as busy as the Olympic Park gardens, but from the consumers point of view it was just right. There was plenty of space to wander between the stalls, a wide selection of late summer plants from quality nurseries and the opportunity to wander round the gardens at Hyde Hall which are particularly relevant to anyone living in a dry area.
Aug
07
2012
The Gold Medal Olympic Park
I loved my day at the Olympics and the high point was undoubtedly the planting – I’m not sure Synchronised Swimming is the sport for me, especially when viewed from the dizzying heights of the cheap seats at the Aquatic Centre. The annual flower meadows sown with the different colour-themed Sheffield Pictorial Meadow mixes were sublime, as were the perennial plantings in the borders that represent the different climate zones of the world. It was all very exciting and inspiring and wonderful to spend a day amongst people who were all having such a good time. And life would be hugely enhanced if only we could always have the endlessly helpful and cheerful people in the pink tabards who pointed us in the right direction, answered our questions and generally added to the gaiety of all the nations who mingled at the Olympic Park. An early visit to the site last year left me underwhelmed – yesterday I was overwhelmed. It’s wonderful and anyone with the opportunity to go should grab it with both hands. Why not book a ticket for the Paralympics at the end of the month?
