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A little preview of R.H.S. Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2014

July 6, 2014 By Jill Anderson

Hampton Court, NSPCC garden

If you’re going to be one of the 130,00 visitors to The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show this year, I thought you’d like a little preview so you can plan your visit. The show-ground covers 34 acres, so you’ll need comfortable shoes. I love the back-drop of the Palace, and since there are places to […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Plants Tagged With: gardens, plants, RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2014, vegetables

A simple garden task that’ll make a huge difference to your garden.

December 16, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

It’s easy to stay inside tucked up by the fire at this time of year, but since it’s so mild at the moment I’d like to encourage you to venture out into the garden to do some gardening. It’s just the right time to give your garden a treat by spreading a layer of mulch over the soil. This […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: Achillea, flowers, garden tasks, geranium, hosta, improve soil, mulch, plants, sustainable gardening

Great Dixter, ideas to use in your garden.

October 9, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

The garden at Great Dixter in East Sussex is probably one of the most famous gardens in the world. It was the family home of gardener and garden writer Christopher Lloyd, who dedicated his life to the garden and made great changes to the planting. Most of the garden’s original lay-out was designed by Edwin Lutyens for Christopher Lloyds’ […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: arbour, dahlias, garden, Great Dixter, pergola, plants, topiary

A Tudor house and a beautiful garden

September 30, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Tucked away behind this beautiful Tudor house in Coggeshall, Essex, is a simple but charming garden. The garden is divided into three distinct areas. The first section near the house has a handsome, herringbone brick path leading through to a lawned area. This style of path works so well with the Tudor building. There are plenty of […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: flowers, garden visit, plants, sustainability, Tudor garden

Friday Inspiration ~ a rather smart plant combination

August 30, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

The striking foliage of these two plants combined together make a dramatic picture. The bright green plant is a grass called Hakonechloe macra Alboaurea, it makes a nice edging to a path and fills in the lower level, reaching just 40cm tall. It likes a moist, but well drained soil and will grow in sun or part […]

Filed Under: Blog, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: Black Elderflower, gardens, Hakonechloe macra Alboaurea, plants, Sambucus nigra Eva, shrub

Friday inspiration – have a seat in the garden & relax

July 26, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

 A well-sited garden bench is a great thing to have in any garden. Preferably it’ll be weatherproof and in a permanant position, that way it’ll be easy and convenient to have a seat and enjoy your surroundings. This stone bench is perfect for the job, it’ll just need a quick wipe-down after rain, and it’s partially enclosed by plants […]

Filed Under: Blog, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: clematis, flowers, garden bench, plants

5 tips for a beautiful and productive vegetable garden.

July 15, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Most gardeners who grow vegetables consider their plots to be attractive, though sometimes beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the rest of us can’t quite see it. Then there are vegetable gardens that are unquestionably beautiful. The vegetable garden at Woolbeding in West Sussex falls in to the latter category.  It’s highly […]

Filed Under: Blog, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: garden bench, National Trust, plants, vegetable garden, vegetables, Woolbeding

Friday inspiration – Temptingly, gorgeous plants at The Hampton Court Flower Show

July 12, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

The Floral Marquee at The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is a wonderful sight, I only wish I could share the scent too. It’s choc full of specialist nurseries and is a great place to seek out new types of plants and unusual varieties, I think it’s rather nice to a few plants in your garden that are […]

Filed Under: Blog, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: pelargoniums, plants, tender perennials

Some of the best gardens at The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2013

July 9, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

There’s something rather indulgent about visiting a garden show when it’s hot and sunny and all the exhibitors are busy working to a dead-line. Such a lot of hard work is involved, but as always, they pulled it off and everything looked sparkling and in tip-top condition ready for Press Day yesterday. There are some […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: garden, Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2013, plants, show gardens, sustanable design, sustanable gardens

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013 – inspiring gardens

May 28, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

After a busy few months culminating in a few weeks of hectic activity, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is over for this year. There were lots of inspiring gardens in all sorts of sizes, here in no particular order, are a few of them with ideas that you may like to use in your garden. Regular […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: Chelsea Flower Show 2013, Echium pininana, gardens, plants, sustainability, Wilson McWilliam Studio

The Chelsea Flower Show 2013 – ideas to take away

May 23, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

There were plenty of interesting sights at The Chelsea Flower Show this week to take my mind off the chilly weather. This is one of the gardens that I found myself taking lots of photos of and standing for ages to contemplate all the subtle details in it. It’s been designed by Christopher Bradley Hole and is inspired by three […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration Tagged With: Box cubes, Christopher Bradley Hole, english oak, garden design, Japenes influenced garden, plants, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013, Yew

The Cloudy Bay Discovery Garden at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show

May 22, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

After blogging about the progress of Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliam’s show garden for the past 10 weeks, the Chelsea Flower Show week has finally arrived and their garden was unveiled. What a transformation, from this rather scruffy patch of land just a few days ago to this beautiful space: Here’s Gavin doing a bit of tweaking before the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: Chelsea Flower Show 2013, Cloudy Bay Discovery Garden, peony, plants, polished concrete, rammed earth walls, Wilson McWilliam Studio

The Cloudy Bay Discovery garden at the Chelsea Flower Show 2013 – week 1

May 14, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Over the past 9 weeks I’ve been lucky enough to observe the progress of the plans for Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliams’ show garden for this years Chelsea Flower Show. It was a hive of activity to day when I went along to see how it was all going with just 4 days to go before it’s revealed […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design Tagged With: apple trees, Chelsea Flower Show 2013, plants, rammed earth walls, show garden, Wilson McWilliam Studio

3 tips to avoid using chemicals to kill garden weeds.

May 7, 2013 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

  Picture a garden in summer sunshine with lots of birdsong, the gentle buzz of bumble bees and healthy, pretty plants. Apart from the lovely song, birds in the garden will eat up all sorts of pests that attack your plants and we need bees to pollinate fruit and flowers. So we need to encourage […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: organic gardening, plants, roses, weeds

Friday inspiration – French garden style

April 19, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  I took this picture on a visit to a garden in France called Orsan, it sums up a perfect image of style and symmetry, and although it’s carefully planned, it manages to look so effortless. I like the contrast of the rough stone with the neat clipped vines enclosed in a frame… I plan to use […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration Tagged With: French gardens, gardens, plants

The Cloudy Bay Discovery Garden at The 2013 Chelsea Flower Show – week 5

April 17, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

The Plants   The weather is finally warming up, we have sunshine and longer days, which is just what’s needed for the plants with just five weeks to go to the Chelsea Flower Show. Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliam’s concept for their show garden is a space of rugged, textural quality, with aspects that provide […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: Chelsea Flower Show 2013, garden design, plants, The Cloudy Bay Discovery garden, Wilson McWilliam Studio

All about using a coloured back-drop in your garden

March 24, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  A well chosen background colour in a garden can make the difference between plants that look quite good and plants that look outstanding. The choice of colour also influences the atmosphere, red brings energy into a garden, whilst softer colours are more calming and restful. Wall colours can be soft and rather muted, like the one here that […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: a coloured back-drop to plants, colour in the garden, Cottesbrooke, flowers, plants, RHS Hampton Court Flower Show

The Cloudy Bay Discovery garden at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show – week 9

March 20, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  Creating a show garden, how the process begins.   The countdown for Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliams’ garden for the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show continues. There are 9 weeks to go now before the garden is completed, but the journey began way back last year. Once the decision was made to enter a garden […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration Tagged With: Chelsea Flower Show 2013, Cloudy Bay vineyard, garden design, plants, show gardens

How to choose the best plants ~ Award of Garden Merit explained

March 18, 2013 By Jill Anderson 1 Comment

  March is always an interesting month, it can be bitterly cold with sharp winds one day, or bright and sunny the next, but it’s my birthday at the begining of the month, so I always look forward to it. What to do in the garden, such as deciding when to plant seeds outside *  can […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants Tagged With: A.G.M., award of garden merit, plants, R.H.S.

Friday inspiration ~ Spring colour plant combination

March 15, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  It’s felt a lot like it’s still winter recently, but I think it’s time to celebrate Spring and plant up some containers. Green, yellow and white are classic spring colours, making a fresh, bright picture, beautifully enhanced by the olive green background.   Use different shades of plant and flower colour, but stick to just three so it doesn’t […]

Filed Under: Blog, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: balcony planting, plants, Spring colours, yellow and white flowers

Some helpful tips when you’re shopping for plants

March 11, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

It’s a well known fact that in spring most keen gardeners thoughts turn to buying plants. Easter weekend is one of the busiest ones of the whole year for garden centres, so if you’re tempted to go plant shopping, here’s some helpful information. I’ve written a lot about having a list of plants that will do well […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: beneficial insects, gardening classes, gardens, plants, sustainability

Friday inspiration – 5 reasons to grow flowers for cutting

March 7, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  Well, spring has finally arrived and I’m starting to sow flower seeds for my garden. I’ve been inspired by these photos that I took at Hampton Court Flower Show a couple of years ago. The photo shows: Tall yellow                   Achillea Blue spires                   Delphiniums White                           Ammi majus Pink                             Cosmos Dark purple               Cornflowers These flowers are grown […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: flowers for cutting, grow flowers for cutting, plants, sustainability

The Wisley Flower Show 2012

September 7, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  Imagine sunshine, a perfect blue sky and lush green lawns covered with tents housing some of the best speciaist nurseries in the country and all within a top class garden.     This is the Wisley Flower Show, a regular feature of late summer at Wisley gardens in Surrey.      It’s a chance to chat to knowledgable plant growers, […]

Filed Under: Blog, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: dahlias, plants, RHS Wisley Gardens, Sempervivum, Wisley Flower Show

The Olympic Park ~ inspiring your garden

September 3, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  The Olympics and now the Paralympics have been such a positive experience, enjoyed by so many of us in one way or another.     I’ve never been a particularly sporty type, but I was impressed by the Olympic Park when I visited last year, despite it still being a building site at that stage. […]

Filed Under: Blog, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: London 2012, Olympic Park, plan, plants, soil, verbena bonariensis

Stylish greenhouses for your garden

August 6, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

A greenhouse can make your life as a gardener much easier and more enjoyable, but unless you’re lucky enough to have a larger garden where it can be hidden away, it’s got to be stylish too. I have to admit that I learned this the hard way. Eight years ago I bought a plain, metal […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: Alitex, Gabriel Ash, glasshouse, greenhouse, plants, seedlings

When you’re garden needs an injection of colour

July 19, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

I don’t rely on flower colour as the main-stay of planting designs, but there’s no doubt that an injection of flower colour, as late summer approaches, brings a fresh look to your garden.

Filed Under: Blog, Plants Tagged With: dahlia, late summer flowers, plants

RHS Hampton Court 2012 ~ A concept garden

July 9, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

One of the Concept Gardens at this years Hampton Court Show,  ‘Light at the end of the tunnel’,  had a very compelling quality about it. The mix of materials and planting was very succesful, but it was the story behind it’s conception that made it so interesting. It was inspired by Matthew Childs’ experience of being injured […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration Tagged With: Alchemilla mollis, Astrantia Buckland, Dryopteris filix-mas, Erigeron karvinskianus, ferns, garden design, Matthew Childs, plants, RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2012

RHS Hampton Court 2012 ~ This is what the best show garden looks like

July 4, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

You may wonder what you have to do to shine above all the other show gardens at Hampton Court to win the title of ‘best in show’. Designed by Anoushka Feiler, the title of the garden is Bridge Over Troubled Water. The bridge represents the journey to freedom from the condition of Overactive Bladder, the plants […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration Tagged With: garden design, plants, RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2012, show gardens

RHS Hampton Court 2012 ~ A preview of plants & gardens

July 1, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

The R.H.S. Hampton Court Palace Flower Show doesn’t open untill the 3-8 July, but I went along this morning for a little preview. The Showground is busy with exibitors putting the finishing touches to their show gardens, nurseries setting up in the Floral marquee and the judges scrutinising the gardens. Medal winners are announced tomorrow evening. This […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: gardens, graffiti, plants, RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2012

Keeping my garden looking good through the summer.

June 24, 2012 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

Keeping your garden looking lovely can take up lots of time, and summer is when plants can be time consuming. So here’s a peek into my garden in Surrey, England and how I keep things looking nice with minimal effort.   This photo shows clipped, round Box plants featuring all year round as the star performers, with other smaller plants coming and going […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: Cistus purpureus, garden design Surrey, hydrangea quercifolia, Planting Design Essentials, plants, rock rose, topiary Box plants

Design low-maintenance into your garden

June 13, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

June is the time of year when you can sit back, smell the roses and enjoy your garden, well it would be if it stopped raining. Apart from the weather, the other thing that stops people relaxing in the garden is the constant work that always seems to need doing.

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design Tagged With: allium sphaerocephalon, garden design, low maintenance, plants

Chelsea Flower Show 2012 ~ ideas to use in your garden

June 5, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

In the midst of all the big show gardens and fabulous plants at the Chelsea Flower Show, there are always a few small details that catch my eye. These are the little gems that look good and give your garden, whether large or small,  a bit of personality.

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: Nikki Tibbles, Orla Kiely, paper pots, plant containers, plants, vertical planting, vintage

Case Study – a detailed design to transform a Surrey garden

May 8, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  It was about 17 years ago that I tentatively began a garden design for my very first clients in south London.  I have to admit to being very nervous starting out all those years ago, but I knew, even then, how important it was to listen to them and interpret their needs to create […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design Tagged With: concept plan, garden design, garden survey, Planting Design Essentials, plants

5 tips to banish the hosepipe from your garden

April 10, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

I hope you’ve all had a lovely, long weekend, and although we’ve had lots of rain, I’ve been thinking about the recent hose-pipe ban. Wouldn’t life be a lot easier if we didn’t need to use hose-pipes in our gardens? I know how frustrating it can be to coax plants through hot, dry weather with […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: garden design, gardens, hose-pipe ban, Planting Design Essentials, plants, water butts

Have you noticed this colour popping up recently?

February 28, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

There’s nothing quite like the warm spring weather we’ve had recently in the south-east of England to encourage anticipation of the gardening year ahead, so this seems like a good time to tell you about a colour trend that’s been popping up in gardens recently.  

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration Tagged With: contemporary style, peony, pink, plants, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, roses, trends, valerian

Olympic Park inspirational planting?

January 31, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

It’s difficult to spot exactly when trends in the gardening world change, there’s always talk of the latest trends at The Chelsea Flower each year, but recently there’s also been much talk of the 2012 Olympics bringing the naturalistic prairie-planting style to the attention of the public.

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration Tagged With: 2012 Olympic Park, biodiversity, callirohe involucrata, flowers, meadow planting, plants, trends

Every stormy cloud has a silver lining

January 6, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Have you been affected by the storms in the UK during the last week, or were you able to view the TV footage from the safety and comfort of your armchair?

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: damaged trees, garden, plants, storm damage, tree surgeon, trees

Cheer up your winter garden with Iris unguicularis

January 2, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Generally winter flowers are quite small, sometimes they pack a punch of welcome perfume, but are nonetheless quite unobtrusive in size. How nice then to have flowers at this time of year that are a decent size, the type more usually associated with Spring.

Filed Under: Blog, Plants Tagged With: Iris unguicularis, plants, winter flowers

Top 10 uses for plants in your garden

October 28, 2011 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

A garden is made up of lots of different elements, paths, lawns, seats, sheds etc., most people see plants as just the decorative part of a garden, the icing on the cake.

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration Tagged With: hedges, plants, vegetables

Hampton Court Flower Show – more fab gardens

July 11, 2011 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Some of my favourite garden from Hampton court this year.

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration Tagged With: biodiversity, design trends, hampton court flower show 2011, plants

Making a Roof Garden

June 2, 2011 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Spending time in green spaces is good for all of us, better still when it’s your own private space where you can create your own little oasis of peace and privacy.

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: Herbs, plants, Roof Gardens, Sempervivum

It’s not all bling in the garden.

April 12, 2011 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Plants are changing on a daily basis now, it’s easy to get carried away with the sight of all the beautiful spring flowers that are around at the moment, especially after such a harsh winter. But, lovely though they are, there’s a lot more to plants than colourful flowers ….. so, pause for a moment, […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: aquilegia, geranium phaeum, hydrangea quercifolia, new leaves, Phlomis fruticosa, plants

Gardening Talks – How to choose the right plants for your garden

March 30, 2011 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  I had a lovely time recently giving a Talk to the W.I. ladies in Wimbledon about: ‘How to choose the right plants for your garden’ It’s a puzzle for most gardeners, and can take lots of time and money, so it’s important to get the plants right so they’ll flourish and your garden will look […]

Filed Under: Blog, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: gardening talks, plants

A simple step to improve your garden

March 29, 2011 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

You may be a little sceptical if I told you that there’s one simple measure that will make a huge improvement  to your garden, it’s probably the most important thing you can do right now. Whether your soil is heavy clay or light and sandy, in deep shade or bright sunshine, or a bit of both, […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: mulch, plants

Five fab plants that love sunshine

March 21, 2011 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

  Dry, sunny spots in your garden need very specific plants, choose the wrong type of plant and it’ll grow pale and lanky, as it slowly dries out and starves. Well drained soils are usually sandy or chalky, the nutrients quickly drain away leaving the soil low in nutrients. But this needn’t be a problem, there are many plants that thrive […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: echinops, euphorbia, plants, plants for sun, sage, sedum

Talk- Choosing the right plants for your garden

March 15, 2011 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

I’m really looking forward to the Gardening Talk I’m giving next Monday for the Womens Institute in Wimbledon, about how to choose the right plants for your garden. As a Garden Designer I spend a lot of time gettting the plants just right for my clients gardens, so it’s a subject that’s dear to my […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: garden talks, plants

Transforming a small garden

March 14, 2011 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Every garden is unique and works best of all when it’s tailor-made for the owners. This garden belongs to a delightful, retired couple who wanted to use their garden to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs, to have a shady spot to sit and enjoy lunch and are keen bird watchers, so wanted to attract birds […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: garden design, plants, wheel-chair

Writing the Book

March 7, 2011 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

I suppose what I’ve liked most about writing a book, is the opportunity to talk about my real passion for plants.  They’re so often used as mere decorative elements after the rest of the garden has been planned; in which case you (or your designer) are missing a trick, because they should be used as […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design Tagged With: planting design, plants, writing the book

The R.H.S. Chelsea Flower Show 2010

May 25, 2010 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

The Chelsea Flower Show is renowned throughout the world as the most influential garden show, the gardens and plants are seen as indicators of what we will all want to plant in our gardens. There are also lots of great ideas, whatever your size of garden.  It was press day on Monday, so there were lots […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration Tagged With: Andy Sturgeon, chelsea flower show, Design, plants

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Hello, I’m Jill Anderson.
This is where you’ll find good, solid information about gardening, growing fruit & vegetables and how to keep it all looking good.
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The healing, calming power of nature in one photo. The healing, calming power of nature in one photo.
These wonderful autumn colours won’t be around for much longer. But that’s ok, because now is what matters, & their fleeting beauty makes them even more precious.
It’s easy to see how being among trees & nature is so beneficial for our health & wellbeing. 
Have a great Sunday.
Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it lo Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it look spectacular with this bold front door.
Today has been hard work, after a lovely time last week in Norfolk. The north coast there is spectacular. Realising these last few months, that there are so many beautiful places here. 
Have a nice evening.
Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Vis Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Visiting to see the Anish Kapoor sculptures, which are amazing, but unprepared for the beauty of the grounds & garden. 
Such a treat, worth coming to Norfolk for this alone!
Hope you’re keeping well, & managing to smile some of the time. x
P.S. more of Houghton Hall & Anish Kapoor on my stories
We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberrie We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberries, after coffee & cake, sitting in the churchyard - the cafe was full, & the churchyard is a quiet, peaceful spot..... as you’d expect.
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One little advantage of lockdown is walking so much more, rather than using the car. Though it shouldn’t have taken something as momentous as this, for me to change bad habits 🙁
Hope you’re weekend is going well.
My hazel arch, a bit lopsided 🙄 using wood from My hazel arch, a bit lopsided 🙄 using wood from a random clump of hazel on the garden. Now looking much better covered in winter squash plants, so you can’t see just how ramshackle it is. I like to think it has a certain home-spun charm .

Great for small space gardening, imagine how much room you need to grow these without vertical supports.

I’ve got 2 Uchiki kuri, lovely nutty flavour.
1 Turks turban, for its flamboyant shape & colours, though it also tastes good.
One unknown, grown by my grandsons in their homeschooled science lesson.
Close-ups of the squash over on my stories.
Stay cool my friends x
I wanted to show you this lovely lily ( Lilium reg I wanted to show you this lovely lily ( Lilium regale) which is flowering right outside our bedroom window. 
It gets sun for about 4 hours only, you can order the bulbs now for planting in September. It’ll reappear every year & waft delicious scent around your garden, or through your windows.
Have a very happy Monday x
It’s British Flower Week, there’s a lot to be It’s British Flower Week, there’s a lot to be said for fabulous seasonal flowers that haven’t travelled thousands of miles ...... & are wonderful for biodiversity
A bit of rain, nice long days (it’s almost mid-s A bit of rain, nice long days (it’s almost mid-summer!) & it’s, mostly, all growing nicely.

Spinach, courgettes & garlic in shot here. 
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday x
Hope is a decision I’ve thought long & hard abou Hope is a decision
I’ve thought long & hard about how to view the tumult in the world we’re living in now. 
The only thing that works for me, is to choose hope.

It’s a tall order, but avoiding mainstream news & speculation helps avoid the anxiety, that’s often waiting in the wings.

One day soon there’ll be grandchildren clambering over this again.
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