Favour the Ferns

Many years ago The Financial Times sent me to do a feature on the RHS ‘Flower Show’ at Tatton Park . I was totally naïve and had no idea what I was supposed to do or to write about. So my excitement was tempered by acute anxiety. The term ‘imposter syndrome’ could...
Making Veddw Book?

Making Veddw Book?

“We’re wondering about doing a book, about Veddw, which will (if we can persuade a publisher) include some of the history of making it. We’re wondering if that would be interesting?”

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Just plant pictures, January

Just plant pictures, January

Hellebores. Those are the stars of the show at this time of year for me, all of them, seedlings, well bred ones, all of them. Especially in pots indoors – no bending!

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Catching up – or chopping down.

Catching up – or chopping down.

“Useful for breaking up those clods of earth that do not break down in the frost as promised by lying garden writers. Or bashing the soil off the rootball of something you’ve dug up and want to dispose of. That sort of thing…”

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Playing with Plants

Playing with Plants

“We went off to the local Builder’s Merchant and ordered some scaffolding boards, and the internet provided us with some threaded rods and nuts.”

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Reflections

Reflections

“I love it when it’s faded a little and I add a refresher dose. Gradually a darker inky black spreads across the pool, reviving and restoring the drama all over again.

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Thoughts on Opening a Garden and being Criticised.

Thoughts on Opening a Garden and being Criticised.

We closed the garden this week, with great relief. It's knackering opening it, but necessary since it helps pay for its development and maintenance. Sadly, someone had not enjoyed their visit - see above. This is on Google - if you google 'Veddw' that is what you will...

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View from a Window

View from a Window

I gave myself a project of taking a picture every month from the same window. I thought it would be interesting for me to see the changes over a year all at once. Thought some of you might be interested too.. It's a bit like that thing they used to have in the papers...

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#mygardenrightnow

#mygardenrightnow

  Great idea! Lots of gardeners posting pictures of their gardens (right now) and themselves (or bits of themselves) in them. Irresistible, even though the real photographer here told me the light is all wrong. So here goes:        ...

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New Conservatory

New Conservatory

In January some men arrived and in less than a day demolished our conservatory and put it in a skip.  It had been rotting and leaking, so it wasn't totally dreadful to see it go, but the result looked like this.   And the next few months were all build. When...

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Bird Bath the Fourth

Bird Bath the Fourth

Trouble! You'd expect it really - that if you have builders in creating chaos and disorder that you also develop major plumbing problems (nothing like discovering a pool of water in the bathroom in the middle of the night..), electrical problems, knee problems - and...

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Autumn splendour

Autumn splendour

We rather meanly only open in the summer. But I obsessively take photographs of the garden all year round. I wrote about it in the Telegraph. You will look in vain for plant names - unless you send me them, in which case I will add them. So I thought I might as well...

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Sitting

Sitting

We just had a short break at Dartington Hall. We had a great time, and not just because we went to see our good friends at Hill House Nursery (where amongst other good things, Charles had what he describes as the 'best Victoria Sponge I have ever had'). Neither was it...

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Bindweed, yes or no?

Bindweed, yes or no?

I went to a lot of trouble earlier this year, sticking canes in for bindweed to grow up. I had an evil plan involving plastic bags and POISON! Then somehow there was a lot to do. Or it was raining. Or it looked like a lot of effort.... The bindweed stayed. And grew....

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Do we expect too much from open gardens?

Do we expect too much from open gardens?

This piece was recently published in Gardener's World Magazine. Love to know what you think about that question... If you wonder why we're not doing our bit for the NGS here's the answer: Shocked, but not surprised.  

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