Hello, poor neglected blog! I've thought of you a lot over these past few months and yet never found the time / energy to pop in and say hi... Late pregnancy this time round has been a total crusher of energy. Partly, I suppose, because I'm older, partly because I have two other little people … Continue reading Autumn days at Sissinghurst
Garden visits
Peak bloom at Thames Barrier Park
Thames Barrier Park is one of those slightly random places in London that I tend to read about and never visit. Built in 2001, next to, you guessed it, the Thames Barrier, it's a really cutting edge bit of garden design and I've seen photos of it in magazines, online, and, frequently, in lectures at … Continue reading Peak bloom at Thames Barrier Park
Kew’s tremendous trees
The hubby excelled himself with my birthday presents this year. Back in September, on the day itself, I got a gorgeous grey wool winter coat from the littles. (Who are still too little to choose their own pressies, I should note...) It makes me feel as if I've stepped into a moody French black and … Continue reading Kew’s tremendous trees
Inspiration from Beth Chatto’s garden: 9 tips for drought-tolerant planting
Our latest (and final) assignment for my garden design course this year is my favourite so far. We have to design a gravel garden, inspired by Beth Chatto’s, using plants that are capable of surviving without being watered. I am massively into the whole idea of "right plant, right place" – in other words using … Continue reading Inspiration from Beth Chatto’s garden: 9 tips for drought-tolerant planting
Notes from a summer: Regent’s Park sunshine
A few Fridays ago, I had the most blissfully relaxing day I have had for some time. Possibly for three years, in fact. The thing about living with small kids, I find, is that no matter how many wonderful, cute, endearing individual moments there are, day-to-day life can feel a lot like a repetitive slog. … Continue reading Notes from a summer: Regent’s Park sunshine
Notes from a summer: London Wetland Centre
Ahoy there! Hello! How are you? It’s been ages, I know. I fell off grid a bit, this August. Technology (such as this dear old laptop on which I write all my blog posts) becoming substantially less appealing than lying outside in the sun on a picnic blanket. Anyway, such times have come to an … Continue reading Notes from a summer: London Wetland Centre
Bishop’s palace and gardens
Perhaps this is a terrible indictment on the state of education in the UK, but the extent of my knowledge about the bishop of Bath and Wells (of whom, presumably, there have been many) is his appearance in Blackadder. You know the one, the "baby-eating Bishop of Bath and Wells" who turns up and demands … Continue reading Bishop’s palace and gardens
Wolves in London 