Tulips, Tulip-o-mania and Tulip Virus
Tulip-o-mania, or tulpenmanie in Dutch, both made and lost fortunes in the seventeenth century. Tulips are still one of the most […]
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Garden History and Legends
Christmas Wreaths History
Christmas wreaths history, well a brief history anyway, as when you start to look into the various religious and pagan
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Michaelmas Daisies – Still an Aster?
For me, the sight of Michaelmas daisies enlivening flower borders and pots is a vivid snapshot of this particular point
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Carpet Bedding – Brief History of a Living Tapestry
lthough similar, carpet bedding is not exactly the same as planting out bedding plants in your garden. The differences between
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The Garden Pea
This could be subtitled: The Garden Pea – Growing Peas and Garden History. Or The Garden Pea – 9 Facts
Red Roses and Dragons in Your Garden
Red roses and dragons in your garden – you may be thinking that that is a curious combination. Until, that
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Leeks for St David’s Day, History and Growing Tips
Leeks for St Davids Day – along with daffodils (Narcissus) leeks are one of the national emblems of Wales. And
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9 Parsley Superstitions
9 Parsley superstitions – and that’s probably not all of them! – because this innocuous looking herb has one of
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Winter Solstice Plants
Winter solstice plants is written and posted out at the darkest time of the year. We have the shortest days
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6 Plants Named after Women Gardeners
6 Plants Named after Women Gardeners has taken inspiration from International Women’s Day. Sometimes called World Women’s Day, this takes
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Why are Carrots Orange? A Brief History of a Favourite Vegetable
Why are Carrots Orange? A Brief History of a Favourite Vegetable – an easy and informative read for you. Of
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Your Own Tea Garden – Camellia Sinensis, the Tea Plant
Could you grow your own tea garden? Camellia Sinensis, the tea plant is not your usual garden shrub but will
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Garden Visit Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens
The story of an historic Grade 1 in West Sussex is a phoenix rising from the ashes. Or rather, being
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Planting Peas and Potatoes on St Patrick’s Day
“Planting peas and potatoes on St Patricks Day?” I hear you say, “Shouldn’t that be planting clover or shamrock?” A
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Humphry Repton – the First Landscape Gardener
Did you know that Humphry Repton coined the term ‘Landscape Gardener’? Living and working in between parklands of Capability Brown
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Gardening Inspiration from Ancient Roman Gardens and Gardeners
This blog could be subtitled “When in Rome you write your weekly gardening blog in advance of your trip!” Had
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Garden History – Rievaulx Terrace – Garden Visits
Rievaulx Terrace in Yorkshire is one of the earliest examples of the Picturesque Landscape Style still in existence today. Dating from
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Unlucky Plants – Plant Lore and Garden Myths
Unlucky plants may be considered unlucky for a variety of reasons. Folklore and superstition sometimes have a practical or horticultural basis. But
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Dream Gardens 1926 Style – Celebrating 90 Years of Life
Dream Gardens 1926 Style is inspired by my Mother-in-law reaching her 90th birthday this month. An ideal garden for a 90
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Capability Brown
2016 is #CB300 Year – in honour of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Capability Brown was the leading landscape gardener of his age.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet – Symbolism of Plants
Although famous for certain flowers, Hamlet is not necessarily the first of Shakespeare’s plays that one would expect to go
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Happy 60th Birthday Garden Dreams
For someone approaching their 60th birthday in 2016, life in Britain is opening a whole new raft of opportunities. What 60th
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Patron Saints, Red Rose – St George
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” Shakespeare Shakespeare, arguably England’s greatest poet and playwright, shares both
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Garden Visits – Romantic Kenilworth Castle Garden
Kenilworth Castle was given by Queen Elizabeth Tudor to her favourite, Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester. He built her new
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Patron Saints, prickly flowers – the Scottish Thistle
St Andrew’s Day falls on November 30th, he is the Patron Saint of Scotland. The prickly flowers of the Scottish thistle
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Shirley Poppies
Shirley poppies are not named after a person, but a place: Shirley, an area of Croydon which is in Surrey
Flora, April Showers and May Day in the Garden
Will Flora be visiting your garden this May Day? Her spring festival and ones like it have been an opportunity
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Tomatoes and the Aztecs
Ripe tomatoes eaten sun-warmed, fresh off the vine; rotten tomatoes traditionally thrown at bad actors and performers on stage; green
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Cucumbers, Pompeii, August Bank Holiday
Well, its bank holiday weekend in England, Wales and Ireland; Scotland had theirs the first Monday of the month. It
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Why is Friday 13th unlucky? Plant Lore and Garden Myths
It is probably the juxtaposition of ‘unlucky Friday’ and ‘unlucky 13’ that has made much of Western civilisation so nervous
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Strawberries, seeds and tennis
Did you know that there are over 200 seeds in the average strawberry? That’s more seeds than are appearing at Wimbledon this year.
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May Day and Mayday
“Mayday, mayday, mayday” you probably recognise the call as being an internationally recognised distress call; but did you know that
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