Gardens – Page 8 – Frames of Reference

Kew Gardens

On the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, aka Whitsun Bank Holiday or maybe even Whitsuntide, we went down to Kew. It was a slow journey. There was a UEFA Cup Final at Wembley that evening and a Premiership Rugby Final at Twickenham that afternoon, there were roadworks in Ealing and there was a continuous traffic jam around the North Circular. There was a long queue to Kew. By the time we arrived I was stir crazy. Once inside the gates I was snap happy. The resulting photostream begins with eucalyptus, smooth-skinned and animal-like with aromatic blade-shaped leaves. Continue reading “Kew Gardens”

From Saffron Walden

This walk begins where In Epping Forest ended. Butlers Retreat turned out to be the perfect place for breakfast, with possibly the best coffee in Essex. It kick started our trip up to Saffron Walden. Along the way we passed huge fields of cultivated rapeseed and roadside banks of wild cowslips, a yellow landscape that was once purple with crocus grown for their precious saffron. Continue reading “From Saffron Walden”

Five French Gardens

I was looking at Greg Becker’s Pinterest page, The Wild Allotment, a lovely collection of green-fingered imagery and a great escape from our endless winter. It got me thinking about visits to other, slightly more manicured gardens, but most importantly gardens filled with sunshine. Indulge me while I recall warmer days. This is Le Prieuré d’Orsan where we stayed for one memorable night in 2006. Continue reading “Five French Gardens”

The Devil’s Frying Pan

On this misty morning I’m reminded of a foggy walk last summer to see the Devil’s Frying Pan, though it looked more like the Devil’s Steaming Pan with montbretia (crocosmia x crocosmiiflora) turned up to gas mark 10. Nothing was visible beyond the edge of the cliff path except for a lovely glowing halo, like a white rainbow. Continue reading “The Devil’s Frying Pan”

Hojas De Otoño

Autumn leaves in the Jardin de Principe in Aranjuez, Spain. We were driving from Madrid to Toledo and stopped here for lunch and a walk in the park. This garden and the adjacent Jardin de la Isla were laid out around the royal palace of Philip II in the 16th century, 200 years before the present town was built. They became the inspiration in 1939 for the Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo. Continue reading “Hojas De Otoño”

Holland Park Etc

I was just sent this lovely photograph of the Kyoto Garden in Holland Park. The trees seem to be keeping their leaves longer because of all the extra rain this year. It comes from a post at the Londonist – Top 10 Things To Do In The Royal Borough Of Kensington & Chelsea – a list of recommendations compiled by visitors to their website. It’s a nice reminder of some of the wealth of attractions we have on our doorstep.

The Savill Garden

Last time we came to Windsor Great Park we tried to visit The Savill Garden but left it too late and by the time we got here it was closed, so we promised to return before too long. This time we got here in time for lunch at the Savill Building and just inside the the front door, opposite the ticket desk and beside a Diamond Jubilee display by a local primary school I made a surprising discovery. Continue reading “The Savill Garden”

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion

At first sight this year’s Serpentine Gallery Pavilion resembles a giant table on the lawn with fairy lights hung beneath it. It was designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron and artist Ai Weiwei, the same team that created the National Stadium, aka the Bird’s Nest, for the Beijing Olympics. Continue reading “Serpentine Gallery Pavilion”

Weeds Of The Imagination

On seeing my book An Illustrated Allotment Alphabet people often ask ‘do you actually have an allotment?’ to which, slightly offended, I reply ‘Yes!’

But really, there is no reason why I should feel disappointed, particularly as plot 52, my allotment blog on which the book is based, has now largely become a work of fiction. Continue reading “Weeds Of The Imagination”

In Regents Park

We put the clocks forward last weekend for British Summer Time and it worked. Suddenly it’s summer, in March. Today the temperature was as high as 23 Centigrade in London, that’s about 75 Fahrenheit. There are no leaves on the trees yet, but there is blossom everywhere. Here are two paintings by Mary Kuper of cherry blossom in Regents Park. Continue reading “In Regents Park”