Streptocarpus love
Last summer, in a brief window between lockdowns, I found myself having a socially distanced ponder with an elderly gentleman in a trilby. We were at Batcombe House in Somerset, … Read more
Veronica Peerless
What does a gardener do in winter?
In Tove Jansson’s Moomins in Winter, the Moomins go to bed at the first sign of snow and wake up when they hear the drips of the snow melting. They … Read more
Learning online
This year, I’ve spent far too much time online – haven’t we all? But in fairness, I’ve learned a lot and have well and truly been inspired. Normally, I love … Read more
Weekend inspiration: Bryan’s Ground
What is not to love about this hut at Bryan’s Ground? What you can’t see from this picture is that it overlooks a lake. And inside, it has loads of … Read more
Weekend inspiration: sweet peas and roses
Hidcote is quite manicured, but I loved this combination, which looked quite wild – a climbing rose with sweet peas growing up it. It’s such a great idea that I … Read more
Bryan’s Ground
So Hidcote was lovely, but Bryan’s Ground was on another level entirely. The moment I clapped eyes on the first part of the garden – … Read more
Rosemary Verey’s potager
When I did a garden design course years ago, we all had to do a project on a designer/plantsperson of our choice. For some reason I chose Rosemary Verey, who … Read more
Weekend inspiration: honeysuckle in a windowbox
I’ve never seen honeysuckle in a windowbox before – or a jasmine, which you can see to its left. It breaks a lot of rules, but it works.