Sleep or not to sleep

The hottest day of the year and we are told it won’t get much cooler tonight.   This concerns me.  We all have skills, things that come naturally to us, we excel in activities that others may struggle over.  This might be watercolour painting, tightrope walking or ventriloquism.  Mine is sleeping.   Generally it takes approximately 30Continue reading “Sleep or not to sleep”

Salvia “Violette de Loire”

In the Rodgersia Queen’s garden this Salvia “Violette de Loire” gently smoulders in a sunny corner.  Not only is she sophisticated, but earthy and sensual, quite at home reclining on a chaise longue in an 18th century French boudoir.  The violet and deep purple flowers are as sumptuous as the velvet suit your dad woreContinue reading “Salvia “Violette de Loire””

Not Just Another Buddleja

Since I began my journey on the freelance highway (posh way to say I became a jobbing gardener) in November I have often been gardening blind.  The gardens were in winter shut-down and I had to depend on the memory of owners as to what was what and where was where.  More often than notContinue reading “Not Just Another Buddleja”

Just Visiting – Again

Such a visit to Tapeley Park today!  In short it involved, amongst many other things: Woodland walks, damselflies, chocolate brownies, lakes, putti, watsonia, a ice-house, ginormous cedars, fleabane, rudd, peonies, entwining dragons, a currrrrrrving glasshouse, white foxgloves,  bantams, peonies, topiary, raspberries, angelica, a falling grotto, flowering sage, self seeded poppies, goliath sweet chesnuts, blustering turkeys,Continue reading “Just Visiting – Again”