Archive for October, 2007
The Prince and his Gardens …
October 30th, 2007No pesticides are used on the 15 acres of gardens at Highgrove, Prince Charles’s country estate where birds, slow worms, grass snakes and hedgehogs ambush passing slugs and snails instead. It’s a style of gardening that was much ridiculed a few years ago, when Charles was considered batty for talking to plants, but – […]
Gravel paths - a new style
October 27th, 2007 People who know me well are used to hearing me say this, but there are two g’s in gravel: g for gravel and g for gardener!
When you look at gravel paths, whether they are the meandering zen masterpieces of the Japanese garden, or the formal crushed grey stone of Versailles and other […]
Style and paths
October 24th, 2007One of the strongest visual clues you can give about your intentions for your garden is paving. More than plants, more even than other structures like pergolas and fountains and decking, a path signals the basic themes and nature of the garden. And a path needs care – as you can see! If this was […]
Gardens of the Stars
October 19th, 2007 Victoria and David Beckham offered over the asking price to move into a Bel Air mansion that once belonged to Meg Ryan (who starred in When Harry Met Sally).
It seems that Posh scoured Los Angeles for a home to suit and was won over by the seven-bedroom, six-bathroom home. In addition to the […]
Summer in winter
October 16th, 2007 If you insist … and - despite my last post - you want to keep your garden as summery as possible in the encroaching winter – don’t despair. There are plenty of ways to give an aura of warmth on the coldest days.
Start with heat – as you can see, even when the snow […]
Winter comes early - so let it in
October 15th, 2007 There’s a temptation to try and keep the garden looking summery at this time of year, by investing in bright colours and strongly structural plants that won’t lose their leaves. It’s certainly one way of doing things, but why not surrender gracefully to the seasons, and let them work for you?
The themes for […]
Trends, expenditure and gardens
October 12th, 2007 A recent report by Research and Markets shows how our attitudes to gardening, leisure and expenditure have changed in recent years. What the report reveals about us is fascinating.
For example - sales of gardening products in the UK increased by 31% between 1999 and 2004, with the greatest consumer demand being for horticultural goods, […]
Does this work for you?
October 9th, 2007Because I’ve got to say, it doesn’t work for me, and I live in the same city as Chris Eubank, so if anybody was going to celebrate the pugilistic art, it would be me. (He’s a very polite man, by the way, although still extremely scary and light on his feet). There ought to be […]
Climate, Style and Christianity … in Birmingham!
October 6th, 2007Yes, I would imagine you’re wondering where I’m going with a heading like that – but actually it’s very simple. One of the really fascinating exhibitions at the Grand Designs Live show currently at the NEC in Birmingham, UK, is the ultimate green (that’s a pun by the way) garden, put together by the […]
The Winter Garden
October 3rd, 2007Traditionally, most European towns, and almost all cities, had a winter garden.
There are two definitions for the term:
1. An ornamental garden planted with evergreens.
2. A conservatory with flowers that blossom in the winter.
And in either case the purpose of the winter garden was the same: to allow people to spend time in the […]
