St John’s Wood
St John’s Wood has the highest box-ball-per-capita ratio of anywhere in the world and more people are employed to cut topiary there than in the whole of Italy. The area … Read more
front gardens
John’s window boxes
My friend John often asks when his garden is going to feature on this blog, and I always tell him I’ll cover it when it’s up to scratch! I’m joking, … Read more
Amsterdam roses
If the number one plant in Amsterdam is box, the second is most definitely the rose. Roses are everywhere, scrambling over doorways, steps and walls. Here in the UK you … Read more
Warren Street
This window box was home to the first daffodil I saw this year, and now it has erupted into colour again, this time with wallflowers and a couple of plants … Read more
An artist’s garden
My friend Huw said that this isn’t strictly a garden, more house decoration, but I disagreed. Someone who likes gardening lives here, that much is obvious. And he’s an artist, … Read more
Picture perfect
Isn’t this lovely? I love the contrast of the dark pink wallflowers and the turquoise paint, and the grey-leafed plants such as santolina and Stachys byzantina (lamb’s ears) underneath. And … Read more
Naomi’s garden (again)
Finsbury Park My friend Naomi is fast becoming something of a celebrity. She’s the current go-to person when any media outlet wants an interview on community gardening – not least … Read more
Village people
This cottage garden isn’t the type of thing you’d necessarily expect to see in E17, but Walthamstow has it’s very own ‘Village’, don’t you know. It comes complete with some … Read more
Too much of a good thing?
Round the back of my office is a hidden little row of houses, and this pot is blooming outside the front door of one of them. My colleague James reckons … Read more