greenjottings

My top garden products for 2012

2012-02-20T11:07:00.005-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to go to a garden press event, where companies were showing their new products. There were lots on display, but here are some that caught my eye.

Biodegradable plant ties (Greenworthy). Pure cotton and biodegradable, these are woven so they stretch gently and don’t cut into growing plants. Come in a 25 metre roll or pack of 24 180mm precut ties. For UK stockists, contact http://www.greentreeproducts.co.uk/

Pop up grow cloches from Greentree. These give ventilated protection to seedlings and tender plants, can be secured with ground pegs and fold flat when not in use. They come in three sizes. Also in the range are frost cloches, which protect to -6’C. Greentree director Gary Ackers is a keen gardener, and his products spring from personal experience and testing in his allotment. There’s also a grow cage, which can be assembled in different forms, vegetable grow frames, planters that can also be stored flat out of season, and many more interesting ideas. Full range at http://www.greentreeproducts.co.uk/. Online stockists include Harrod Horticultural, The Gardener's Friend, Strawberryfield Crocus and Charlies Direct.

Garden shoes. I love these. They’re so much easier to slip on than boots, are comfortable, waterproof, have a grippy sole, and the innersole can go in the washing machine. Plus they come in lots of colourful designs. http://www.backdoorshoes.co.uk/

Collapsible bucket. Brilliant space-saving idea. Wacky Practicals director Kay Glennie has also devised collapsible breakdown cones, funnels, cooking pots, kettles and bowls – ideal for camping or travelling. I especially like the lunch boxes, which can be pushed down flat after you’ve eaten. http://www.wackypracticals.com/

Easy-go Multi-purpose Cart from Keter. Takes up much less space than a wheelbarrow, is a doddle to manoeuvre and very strong. Mine is currently loaded with bricks which a neighbour was throwing out, but which will be perfect for edging a border. My only niggle is that when it’s empty, it can tip backwards. http://www.keter.com/categories/lifestyle-and-gardening/carts

Three products which look promising, and which I will be trying over the coming growing season:

Vitax Q4+, a pre-planting fertiliser for roses, trees and shrubs. It has added mycorrhizal fungi for stronger growth. http://www.vitax.co.uk/

Squirrel Ban, said to be a bird food that squirrels won’t eat because of the added chilli.
http://www.squirrelban.co.uk/

Rockdust, natural vocanic minerals and trace elements to boost soil and compost fertility. http://www.binnsoilnutrients.com/

Happy gardening!

Chiswick House Camellia Festival

2012-02-16T16:14:00.004-08:00

For anyone worried about the effect of the recent low temperatures on their early-blooming camellias, here's some heartening advice from world authority Jennifer Trehane (left): “Deadhead the flowers that have suffered, leave the rest and all should be well”.

I caught up with her in the conservatory of Chiswick House in west London, at the launch of its annual Camellia Festival

The conservatory and its beautiful dome – designed by Samuel Ware in 1813 – house what is probably the oldest camellia collection in the western world. It was put together in 1828 for the 6th Duke of Devonshire, and now has 33 different varieties, including many of the earliest ones introduced to Britain. All were just coming into bloom.

Some are believed to be from the original planting, including, from top, Rubra Plena, Variegata, Elegans and Aitona.

Middlemist’s Red (left), was brought to Britain from China in 1804 by Londoner John Middlemist, a nurseryman from Shepherds Bush. The only other known plant of this variety is on the other side of the world – at the Treaty House in Waitangi, New Zealand.

The bushes survived under the Duke's successors, but by the 1980’s were ailing and infested with mealy bug. Three local members of the International Camellia Society stepped in to tend them, and now, under the sheltering glass of the refurbished conservatory, they thrive.

Another of the Duke’s projects, a semi-circular Italian garden, adjoins the conservatory. This week volunteers were making the most of the watery sunshine to fill in the intricate patterns of the formal flower beds, ready for the expected rush of plant lovers.

The Chiswick House Camellia Festival runs from Feb 18 to March 18. Details at http://www.chgt.org.uk/

And if you're inspired by the spectacular display, Trehane nursery, founded by Jennifer’s father and now run by her son, has some of its best-selling and more unusual camellias for sale at the show. www.trehane.co.uk/

A snowy morning

2012-02-10T05:33:00.000-08:00

I woke up to find the garden covered in a dusting of overnight snow - the second fall we've had in London in a week after a couple of very mild winter months.
Everything had been showing signs of growth much earlier that usual - a camellia displayed its first blossom in January. This has now vanished, but it will be interesting to see how other plants, such as this yellow azalea, fare once the weather has warmed up again.

A genuine green carnation

2012-02-03T01:27:00.000-08:00

It's always interesting to see what plant breeders have been working on, and these unusual flowers really caught my eye at a recent show. They’re actually carnations - ‘Green Trick’ (Dianthus barbatus) from Thompson and Morgan. The buds open into spheres the size of golf balls, and are said to last 4 – 6 weeks as a cut flower. New in the UK for 2012, they’d be great for flower arrangements and buttonholes. (Oscar would have gone wilde about them.)

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/

Top Recycling Tip : turn old knitting needles into bangles

2012-01-15T03:57:00.000-08:00

My fashionista friend Mary Jane Baxter deserves an award for the way she recycles, creating new outfits from old with a few inspired touches. (In the run-up to William and Kate's marriage she managed three wedding dresses for £10 each for a BBC tv challenge - see http://greenjottings.blogspot.com/2011/01/wedding-dress-for-10.html.) Her speciality is conjuring up unusual accessories from the most unlikely materials and she's now sharing these ideas free on her blog.

Her first project was to turn an old knitting needle into a bangle (see left) - it takes only a few minutes. For instructions see http://maryjanemakes.com/mary-jane-blog
There'll be a weekly supply of Cheap Chic Tips to brighten our lives in the coming months.

Spring is blooming …in January!

2012-01-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

I was sweeping up the last of the autumn leaves from our London garden, when a flash of deep pink caught my eye. It was the first flower on a camellia bush – the earliest ever. Usually the buds break open some time in February, heralding an end to winter gloom, but January 12? I was amazed.

I came in to discover the Guardian reporting an incredible range of early spring sightings across the UK : “ insects, birds and animals blooming, singing, nesting, mating, or simply being awake when they shouldn’t be.” After last winter’s cold and snow, the mildness of the winter so far has been a relief, but it seems to have left the natural world rather confused.

What Every Woman Should Know

2012-01-11T14:16:00.000-08:00

There’s a lot of interest in the 1930s right now, prompted by films such as The Artist and Madonna's W.E. (the story of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson). But what was life like for more ordinary women? What concerned our grandmothers and how did they cope in a world without the convenience products we take for granted? I’ve found some fascinating insights in “What Every Woman Should Know – Lifestyle lessons from the 1930s” a book packed with old photos and articles from the Daily Mail’s archives.

It was a time when women had finally got the vote, and were beginning to have their own money to spend – a trend the paper acknowledged with pages of fashion and beauty features. It makes for fascinating reading. Hats, readers were told, could change a woman’s character (I loved the photos of amazing creations bedecked with ribbons and flowers). Christmas frocks could be ‘frivolous’ and monkey fur was a popular trim. But memories of the Depression were still fresh and housewives were exhorted to sweep and dust their way to beauty (no celebrity diets here) and improve their complexions with an egg mask made from the beaten yolk. Readers asked how to remove butter stains (with petrol), renovate a black and white coat (take off the lapels), restore ebony that had turned brown (rub in salad oil twice a week) and make a black coat smart once the fur collar had been taken off (add a velvet scarf in a bright shade). While beauty concerns mirrored those of today (dry skin, open pores, difficult hair) there’s a big difference in the food – tips include how to serve sheep’s tongues and prepare pressed beef. Some of the household hints are still valid. But there's one I won't be trying: using sour milk to clean gilt picture frames.
I wonder if Mrs Simpson knew that?

What Every Woman Should Know, by Christopher and Kirsty Hudson (Atlantic Publishing) 128 pp £5.99

The UK's favourite TV moment? That royal kiss.

2011-12-30T11:43:00.000-08:00

To end the year on a high note – Kate and William’s kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace has been revealed as the UK’s favourite TV moment of 2011. I’m not surprised. It was an amazing day, the streets packed with excited crowds cheering and waving. I was right outside the palace, and despite not having a huge telephoto lens ended up with my own version of that iconic moment.
Here’s hoping 2012 will produce some equally good memories.
Happy New Year everyone!!!

Dickens and London

2011-12-20T08:51:00.000-08:00

For a real insight into what London was like in Victorian times, check out the Dickens and London exhibition at the Museum of London. Charles Dickens called the city his ‘magic lantern’ and it became a constant thread running through his novels. (left, Charles Dickens in his study, 1859, William Powell Frith © Victoria and Albert Museum)

“Implacable November weather,” he writes at the beginning of Bleak House. “As much mud in the streets as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth … Smoke lowering down from chimney-pots, making a soft black drizzle, with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snow-flakes — gone into mourning, one might imagine, for the death of the sun..……

This exhibition puts the author’s words alongside historic paintings and artefacts to create a picture of the sprawling metropolis he knew (left, © Museum of London).

Objects range from a watchman’s box from Furnival’s Inn, one of the old Inns of Court where he had chambers as a young man, to a heavy metal door from Newgate Prison. There are more personal treasures as well – the author’s writing desk and chair, the velvet-covered lectern he used when giving readings, an original manuscript that gives an insight into his working methods, his bank ledger and a collection of boot blacking pots of the kind he stuck labels on as a child to earn money while his father was in Marshalsea Prison for debt.

Dickens’ London was developing rapidly into a modern city with steam boats, railways, the electric telegraph and the penny post, reflected in the exhibition’s paintings and displays. The author was fascinated by all these, but also aware of its dark side – the poverty, prostitution and childhood mortality, which he included in his writing, hoping to raise public awareness. The exhibition includes a Doré etching of an opium den, mentioned in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. (Dickens himself took laudanum, a tincture of opium, to reduce pain and help him sleep.)

But perhaps the most chilling is a painting, Applicants For Admission to a Casual Ward by Luke Fildes, 1874 (above, © Royal Holloway, University of London). It shows people queuing to enter the workhouse – a place of last resort. In The Uncommercial Traveller, Dickens wrote of the appalling state of one such institution in Wapping, but even as a child, lived in their shadow. One of his childhood homes was in Norfolk St (now Cleveland St, not far from the Telecom Tower), just a few doors from a forbidding brick building which he knew as a workhouse. Throughout his life he worked unceasingly, haunted by the fear of falling back into the poverty he had known in his childhood, eventually driving himself into an early grave. The exhibition ends with a specially commisioned film, The Houseless Shadow, by William Raban. It uses Dickens’ description of a walk through the Victorian city after dark to illustrate images of today’s London. The problems he knew are still with us, 150 years on.

Dickens and London is part of an international celebration to mark the bicenenary of his birth. It runs until June 10 2012. A book accompanies the exhibition: Dickens’ Victorian London, by Alex Warner.

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/London-Wall/Whats-on/Exhibitions-Displays/Dickens-London/Default.htm

Another book, Dickens and the Workhouse, by Ruth Richardson, comes out in February. http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199645886.do

Emergency! Hat needed!

2011-12-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

An intriguing party invite arrives, but with the stipulation that guests must wear a home-made hat.

That was the situation two customers in John Lewis in London’s Oxford St were struggling with last weekend. One was thinking of somehow attaching a mini-Eiffel tower to her head (she was French), the other was at a loss until she found that milliner Mary Jane Baxter was in the haberdashery department, showing how to make an emergency hat from a cereal box, scraps of material and some trimmings. These crafty creations had shoppers queuing to try them on and many went away, inspired, with a signed copy of her book, Chic on a Shoestring. (This has instructions for the hat, a feather fascinator, and many more imaginative accessory ideas.)
Their verdict? A lovely present, and great for an inexpensive wardrobe revamp even if there's no party invite on the mantlepiece.
Chic on a Shoestring by Mary Jane Baxter, Publisher Kyle Books, £14.99 (but currently cheaper on Amazon. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1856269817/ref=asc_df_18562698175679794?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=hydra0b-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=1856269817 )

Standing room only at the world’s oldest Grand Music Hall

2011-12-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

Forget the X Factor. THE show to watch on Sunday evening was at Wilton’s Music Hall in east London, not far from Tower Hill. A capacity crowd cheered, booed and sang along as members of the Players’ Theatre recreated the atmosphere of a Victorian night out, with all the hits of yesteryear.

The show was a fundraising gala – although a Trust has saved the building from the threat of demolition, it still needs more restoration work.

The theatre, with barley sugar twist columns and ornate plasterwork, dates from 1858, and in its heyday attracted stars like Champagne Charlie and Arthur Lloyd. (Some say Britain’s first Can-Can was seen there.) But times changed, and by the time the Trust took over, it had gone from housing a Methodist Mission and a rag warehouse to standing empty and abandoned.

Now, however, the theatre is thriving again, with shows which range from comedy and magic to classical concerts, opera and jive. (See details at http://www.wiltons.org.uk/listings.html ) It still shows its age, but the exposed brickwork and crumbling plaster are all part of its charm. Good acoustics mean performers can be heard without microphones, and the intimate size fosters a real feeling of community and warmth – something more important than ever in these straitened times. It’s not often you can find a show that will appeal to all ages as last Sunday’s one did. And as we all joined in on “Daisy, Daisy” and “When You’re Smiling” I couldn’t help wondering who would remember Amelia Lily and “I’m With You” in 150 years’ time.

Wilton's Music Hall: Graces Alley, London E1 8JB
020 7702 9555 http://www.wiltons.org.uk/

The Players’ Theatre Club stages shows at various venues around London: http://www.playerstheatre.co.uk/

There are guided tours of Wilton's on Monday evenings: http://www.wiltons.org.uk/booknow.php?event=guided-tours
(I've just watched the 2002 film version of Nicholas Nickleby and realised that Wilton's features as the Crummles' theatre in Liverpool - those columns are unmistakable. It's also in another 2002 film, The Importance of Being Earnest, with Colin Firth and Rupert Everett.)

The ultimate recyclable Christmas tree?

2011-11-26T14:41:00.000-08:00

There won’t be any fallen pine needles to sweep up at St Pancras railway station in London this year - the Christmas tree on the main concourse is made entirely of 600,000 Lego bricks. It’s ten metres high and took two months to build.

Even the decorations are made out of Lego.

The company says it’s the tallest tree ever made with its bricks.

There are no details yet of what will happen to them come January 6 when the tree is dismantled, but maybe we'll see another one next year.

Christmas Traditions

2011-11-17T07:03:00.000-08:00

Stir Up Sunday, the traditional day to make Christmas puddings, falls this year on November 20.
I can remember, as a child, clamouring for a turn at stirring the mixture - and a lick of the spoon. The highlights were making a wish and watching the silver coin go in. (I still treasure a sixpence from one my Grandmother made.)
Today, with time so precious, the pudding, mince pies and often even our Christmas cake are bought ready-made, with no hidden bounty. They probably taste just as good, but a little of the pre-Christmas magic has vanished.
Some countries, though, still hold proudly to their traditions.
Lucia di Domenico, a chef from Puglia, in the heel of Italy, was in London this week for some cookery demonstrations.

She’s passionate about the quality and variety of her region’s cuisine, and brought with her a selection of 12 different sweets which she and her neighbours would prepare on Christmas Eve (left).

These ranged from a rich chocolate cake to my favourite, calzoncelli (below), said to resemble the cheeks of the infant Christ. There are many local recipes for these little deep-fried treats, but Lucia, who has a restaurant in Orsara, prefers one which includes chickpea puree, cinnamon and orange peel.

Lucia’s demonstrations encompassed several regional specialities, complemented with local wines. Determined the dishes would be authentic, she had packed all the ingredients needed in her luggage. There were even bags of the black flour, Grano Arso, to make the dark pasta found in southern Italy, Cavatelli. It struck me how difficult it could have been, explaining what they all were to UK Customs, but luckily she and her bags had no problems.
http://www.pugliaatitsbest.com/
Lucia's Orsara restaurant: Posta Guevara http://www.postaguevara.com/
The demonstrations were part of a Puglia promotion organised by Antonio Tomassini http://www.winefoodpromotions.com/

The World comes to London

2011-11-11T13:43:00.000-08:00

“Are you going to Ethiopia?”
“No, Turkey, then a quick look at China.”

There were some surreal conversations floating round this week at World Travel Market in Docklands, where thousands of travel professionals rubbed shoulders with government ministers and journalists.

Despite – or perhaps because of – the recession, attendance was up by 5% overall, and exhibitors were working hard to get their messages across. Exotic national costumes were everywhere; a Turkish hotel group, Lykia, even hosted a belly-dancing masterclass (left) as a taster of what's on offer to guests at their Antalya establishment. Amongst all the razzamatazz, one small stand representing Libya caught my eye. The company, Arkno Tours, is hoping to run trips there come the spring.

Encouragingly, many more companies seem to be embracing sustainable tourism – and not just with hotel messages such as: ‘Water is precious. Do you need your towels replaced every day?’

The need for this was brought home by the Travel Foundation's massive copy of Rodin’s sculpture, The Thinker (left). Artist Dan Broadley created this using 1.100 plastic water bottles – the number the Ascos Coral Beach Hotel in Paphos was handing out to guests every day during the summer season. Cyprus doesn’t have the infrastructure to recycle large amounts of plastic, and landfill sites are filling up. The hotel decided to offer visitors carafes and reuseable cups instead, and more than 20 other local hotels are now doing the same. A small change with a big impact.

And tourism’s next ‘hot destinations’? Despite some local problems, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and Argentina are all being tipped. For British tourists though, travel journalist Simon Calder might be nearer the mark with his suggestion that the popularity of Croatia and Spain will continue.

The best view of London? (And it's free!)

2011-11-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

This is the London skyline from the roof terrace of the recently-opened shopping complex at One New Change, just east of St Paul’s cathedral. (Click to enlarge.) A glass lift whisks you to the 6th floor, and suddenly there's this amazing panorama which takes in many of the capital’s landmarks - from the Shard at London Bridge (left), to Tate Modern (centre), the London Eye and Houses of Parliament (behind the spire), the dome of St Paul’s and the back of the gold-leafed statue of Justice on the top of the Old Bailey (far right and below).

The cathedral is so close it feels almost within touching distance, and you can glimpse many details not easily visible from the ground, such the apostles in this group on the south facade.

One New Change was conceived by French architect Jean Nouvel, and has walkways that follow the medieval street pattern while at the same time framing the cathedral. It replaces a 1950s building that housed the Bank of England’s accounts department. A circular mosaic and a row of sculptures by Charles Wheeler were saved during demolition, and are at the far end of the terrace.
If you have time to linger and perhaps catch a sunset, there are places to sit, as well as a restaurant and a café.
The roof terrace is still largely unpublicised, so shouldn't be crowded. And even better, admission is free. So next time you’re in London, put One New Change on your must-see list.

http://www.onenewchange.com/
One New Change EC4M 9AF

What would Van Gogh have thought?

2011-10-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was in Auvers-sur-Oise, the village just north of Paris where Van Gogh spent his last 70 days.

The stone cottages and their gardens are still much as he painted them, but the little lanes are now brightened by masses of flowers along the verges. This planting intrigued me - too co-ordinated to be self-sown, but not regimented like a municipal scheme. How had they got there? Who was looking after them?

The answer was on a nearby poster. They’re part of a project, “Je Jardine Ma Ville” where, in return for free plants and compost, residents create and maintain flower beds in public spaces outside their homes. Some 160 volunteers of all ages have put in around 10,000 plants, many of which are pictured on the poster for easy identification. Apart from the occasional sunflower so loved by Van Gogh, most are perennials so should bring colour to Auvers for many years to come.

Back in London, I checked the progress of a similar, if smaller, scheme beautifying the bare soil round street trees in Willesden Green’s Blenheim Gardens. Last spring a handful of volunteers put in hundreds of flowering plants, and many residents ‘adopted’ the tree pits outside their homes and even donated seedlings from their own gardens. Now they're planting 2,500 bulbs (see left), from snowdrops and jonquils to bluebells and tulips. Spring should see an explosion of colour.

For more on Van Gogh in Auvers, see http://aboutmygeneration.com/2011/10/21/auvers-sur-oise-van-goghs-final-resting-place/

Which apple?

2011-10-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

How many varieties of apples can you name?

Probably just a handful.

But despite the limited selection available commercially, there are in fact around 2000 different kinds in the UK, and fifty of those grown in West London were on display at a recent harvest celebration at Turnham Green (left). They had wonderful names like Lane’s Prince Albert, Ellison’s Orange, D’Arcy Spice, Laxton’s Fortune, Newton Wonder, Lord Lambourne and Howgate Wonder. The oldest was the small, red, flattish Court Pendu Plat, cultivated since 1613, though probably enjoyed by the Romans.

Some visitors to the event brought with them apples to be identified by expert Steve Oram. He immediately recognised the one I had as a Blenheim Orange, an 18th c variety good for eating or cooking (left).

The day was organised by Abundance London. http://www.abundancelondon.com/
Over the past few weeks, with the help of local school children, its volunteers have picked around two tons of fruit which would otherwise have gone to waste. Some was on sale at the event, either fresh from the tree or transformed into jam, chutney, cakes, crumble and juice. Delicious!

A reminder that Apple Day - a celebration of this fruit - is on October 21. More details of events at http://www.england-in-particular.info/cg/appleday/index.html

Fresh from the press!

2011-09-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

Visitors to the Queens Park Day in north-west London this afternoon had a chance to see how good freshly-pressed apple juice can taste. As part of the festival, a quarter of a ton of apples were peeled, chopped and processed by helpers from the Transition Kensal to Kilburn group, including David Young (pictured). The press attracted a stream of fascinated onlookers and by the end of the afternoon, it had produced an incredible 450 glasses of juice. The apples came from local gardens as part of the nation-wide Abundance scheme, through which garden owners offer their surplus fruit to be picked by volunteers and given to good causes. Before Abundance came along, most of these apples, pears, etc would have been left to ripen, fall and rot. Now, through the efforts of local groups of fruit harvesters, it's getting to people who will enjoy it.

Abundance Sheffield has produced a guide to setting up a harvesting group: http://www.growsheffield.com/pages/groshefhandb.html

Take one pot of basil....

2011-09-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

I saw this tip for a continuing supply of free basil in a newspaper and was amazed to find a) it worked for me and b) how fast it was, compared with growing.plants from seed.

Take one supermarket pot of basil, cut off a stem or two at the base and put in a glass of water. Within days there’ll be a mass of tiny roots. Pop the cuttings in compost and they will become new plants, ready to take over when the original one is finished. When these start to get too tall, pinch out the tops and they'll produce sideshoots and become bushy. Keep on taking cuttings whenever the plants look like flagging and you’ll have free basil constantly at hand on your windowsill, ready to toss into salads and sauces.
Here you can see the original plant (back) with the rooted cuttings and a new plant. Magic!

Carnival Colour

2011-08-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

The Notting Hill Carnival, held in west London over two days at the end of August, is Europe's biggest street festival. It attracts up to a million people with its steel bands, massive sound systems, floats and dozens of stalls selling everything from jerk chicken to corn on the cob. This year's costumes were as eye-catching as ever - a blaze of colour on a rather grey day. Here are some of my favourites.

I'm hoping we'll see some of these again at the Thames Festival's Night Carnival on Sept 11 - another spectacular event.

http://www.thamesfestival.org/weekend/detail/night_carnival2/

How Prince Charles's old curtains went shopping

2011-08-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

Claire Morsman is a woman with a mission: to get us to swap our plastic carrier bags for reuseable cloth ones.
I met her last year at the “Garden Party to Make a Difference” – a festival of ideas to encourage sustainable living, organised by Prince Charles’s Start organisation and held in the gardens adjoining his London home, Clarence House.
She was there with her sewing machine, showing people how to make simple shopping bags from unwanted fabric such as old curtains – including some donated by the Prince (pictured).
Now she’s back at the 2011 Start festival, being held over the August bank holiday weekend at Kew Gardens, in SW London – and has more royal curtains to turn into bags for visitors.
The idea of creating reuseable carriers from unwanted material came when Claire saw how plastic bags were clogging up the water and killing marine life around the houseboat where she lives. With the help of her mother, she designed a simple bag pattern which her husband put on the internet, and began encouraging people to sew their own. Each bag takes around 15 – 20 minutes, and folds down to a small square which can be kept in a handbag or pocket. She sent one to Prince Charles. He liked the idea, invited her to the Start festival, and donated some curtains to be transformed. Bag-making groups have now sprung up all over the world. Claire keeps track of the number of times the pattern is downloaded, and it’s thought that the 100,000th Morsbag will be sewn up this autumn. The bags are given away free to shoppers (something she calls “sociable guerrilla bagging”) and have potentially stopped millions of plastic ones from going into circulation.
More details, and the pattern, are at http://www.morsbags.com/html/
Start@Kew, with family entertainment and dozens of demonstrations of simple, sustainable living ideas, runs until August 29. Admission is included in the Kew entrance ticket. See: http://www.startuk.org/

Harvest time again

2011-08-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

The fruit harvesting season has arrived. So far we’re seeing bumper crops of plums, pears and apples – perhaps because so many pests were killed off by the cold winter. But in urban areas, much of the fruit often goes unpicked because the owners either can't reach it or have too much. To counter this, a network of voluntary fruit-picking groups has sprung up, all with different names, but part of an umbrella movement called Abundance. They gather the fruit, then redistribute it to charities, schools and community cafes on a non-profit basis. It's a very sociable activity - this morning in NW London, half a dozen of us collected more than 80kg of eating apples from two gardens.

We also try to keep in touch with nearby groups - it's so useful to share experiences. Earlier this month, pickers from across London gathered for a picnic in St James Park. We sampled each other’s jams, including kumquat and hedgerow, tried fruit leather, and enjoyed a salad with home-grown courgettes and beetroot, Two members also recounted their experiences with organised foraging expeditions for wild food such as samphire and mushrooms.
If you’d like to start your own local fruit-picking group, Abundance Sheffield has produced an on-line handbook:
http://www.cityfarmer.info/2009/07/11/the-abundance-handbook-a-guide-to-urban-fruit-harvesting/

Buried treasure - Billingsgate Roman House and Baths

2011-08-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

Few visitors to London, walking along Lower Thames Street, would realise that some of the City’s best Roman remains lie beneath their feet. The Billingsgate Roman House and Baths, in the basement of a 1970’s office building, are not usually open to the public. But during the recent Festival of British Archaeology, experts were on hand to welcome the public to this rare, hidden treasure (left).

The house was possibly an inn or private residence and dates from the 2nd century AD. The baths were added later, perhaps because of customer demand. It’s a rare example of a building in use until the early 5th century AD. Being by the Thames, it was probably frequented by sailors, traders and visitors. Bathers would alternate between cold, warm and hot rooms before cooling down with cold water and massaging oils into their skin, then scraping off the excess. It seems to have been a budget, rather than a luxury, establishment – the floors were covered with basic tiles, not costly mosaics.

After the Roman legions withdrew in 410 AD, business declined. The buildings were eventually abandoned and gradually disappeared from view. They were rediscovered in 1848 by workmen building the new Coal Exchange, and the complex became one of the country’s first scheduled monuments. It wasn’t excavated properly until the late 1960s, when the road was widened and the current office block built on the site. This summer work has been going on to prevent further damage from water in the sub-soil and stabilize the remains. On the two days the site was open, a steady stream of visitors descended the narrow staircase to the basement, where a viewing platform provided a good view of what has been uncovered: the baths and the north and east wing sections of the house.

At first, under the glare of fluorescent lights, it was hard to distinguish the different features among the jumble of bricks and stones, but a model (above) showed the baths as they were.

And archaeologists who’d worked on the project, such as Jane Sidell (left) were there to explain the layout and what had been achieved. It’s hoped more people will be able to visit the site in the future - when the present building is demolished, its replacement is likely to allow better access to this fascinating glimpse of the past. In the meantime, the complex may be opening during Open House Weekend on Sept 17 and 18.

There’s a blog about the excavation: http://billingsgatebathhouse.wordpress.com/

Waddesdon’s Royal Wedding Tribute

2011-07-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

Visiting the gardens of Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire the other day, I was amazed to find on the Parterre an elaborate carpet bedding scheme linked to April’s Royal wedding. William and Catherine’s names are spelt out in silver plants below an image of doves carrying wedding rings threaded on ribbons. It looks complicated, but carpet bedding today is much easier to create than in Victorian times. The design is translated into a grid system on a computer, with each square corresponding to a tray of plants chosen for their colour and texture. The trays are delivered and slotted into place over two days, rather like painting by numbers.

Waddesdon was created in the late 19th century by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. He built on a grand scale, with no expense spared. The top of the hill which dominated what had been a farming estate was removed to provide a platform for a French Renaissance-style mansion, and as there was no running water, 11 miles of pipe were laid from Aylesbury. The house was opened only in the summer for weekend house parties. The future Edward VII was a frequent visitor.

On Ferdinand’s death, the estate passed to his younger sister, Alice, a passionate gardener who employed 100 staff to tend the beds, lawns and greenhouses. Among her creations was this giant bird, one of the earliest examples of 3D carpet bedding. The estate then went to a great-nephew, James, who bequeathed it to the National Trust in 1957. It's now managed by a Rothschild family charitable trust.

As well as exploring the gardens with their sculptures, restored Victorian aviary and rose garden, I took a tour down a steepish path to the the watergardens and Dairy, now a venue for weddings and private dining.

The path leads on to a lily pond surrounded by grotto-like areas made of Pulham rock - Portland cement poured over rubble and shaped into artificial crags - very popular in the 1870s.

But a highlight of the day was undoubtedly Windmill Hill, the new Waddesdon archive centre a short drive away, which has a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside. Here Stephen Marshall Architects have transformed the buildings of an old dairy farm into a stunning repository for documents reflecting the history of the estate and the Rothschild family. Low buildings and walls surround two grassed courtyards with a reflecting pool and sculptures, including Angus Fairhurst's bronze A Couple of Differences between Thinking and Feeling - (below) which seemed to fascinate visitors.

With so much to see, I didn’t have time to see the interior of the manor itself. That must wait for another visit.

Tours of the water gardens and Windmill Hill are not available every day. Check with Waddesdon Manor for details:
http://www.waddesdon.org.uk/plan_your_visit/opening_times.htm
Ph: 01296 653226

How to turn 8000 plants into a Van Gogh masterpiece

2011-06-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

I’ve just been to London’s Trafalgar Square to check how the ‘living art’ on display outside the National Gallery is doing. Van Gogh’s 1889 painting of ‘A Wheatfield with Cypresses’ has been recreated with more than 25 varieties of plants, and although the colours in this living wall aren’t all perfect matches, as the foliage grows, it’s looking pretty good, and attracting much attention from passers-by.

For those not quite sure how the original looks, there's also a copy with an explanation. I wonder what the artist would have made of it all?
The living painting will be on display until the end of October.

Streetscape - the Greening of Blenheim Gardens

2011-06-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

From this.................

...........to this............

..........................................and this!

We're lucky to have lots of trees along the streets where I live in north-west London. But too often the area around them gets filled with weeds and litter. Now some keen gardeners are working on a project which is changing this. When they saw the local council (Brent) carrying out footpath improvements outside their homes, they got permission to plant flowers around the tree pits that were being created. A few months on, using lots of low-maintenance hardy perennials and a smattering of bulbs and colourful annuals, they've transformed their street. A walk along Blenheim Gardens has become a journey of discovery – each tree pit is different, with surprises around every corner.
All the work and after-care, such as weeding and watering, is on a voluntary basis, and as more people get involved, surplus plants from their gardens are being added to the planting. It’s a great example of how to improve the environment while increasing community spirit.
The project is being supported by the council and the Mapesbury Residents' Assn (MapRA).

Chic on a Shoestring

2011-05-31T04:48:00.000-07:00

Great excitement!

‘Chic on a Shoestring’ - a new book by my friend Mary Jane Baxter - has now hit the shops. She’s a stylist/fashion journalist who always manages to look fantastic by taking market and charity shop finds and transforming them into eyecatching outfits - in other words, a recycling genius. She’s now sharing her ideas, showing how to revamp your wardrobe for very little money. Odd bits of lace, old scarves, ties and t-shirts, left-over knitting wool, beads, sequins and buttons all find their way into simple-to-make projects. There are even instructions on how to make a stunning ‘emergency hat’ if you’re suddenly invited somewhere special but don’t have the time/cash to buy one new. Lots of beautiful photos and how-to illustrations - can't wait to get started!

It’s published by Kyle Books at £14.99 but I’ve found Amazon doing a special deal:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chic-Shoestring-Simple-vintage-style-accessories/dp/1856269817/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306840266&sr=1-1

A walk on the wild side

2011-04-05T03:58:00.000-07:00

This morning the sun came out after some overnight rain, and I headed to Murphy's Bush. It's a remnant of the native forest that once covered this area of Manukau, 20 kilometres south of New Zealand's largest city, Auckland. The air was alive with the cries of birds - tui, greywarbler, fantail, pigeon and silvereye - and flocks wheeled and swooped above the canopy. This huge Puriri tree, (above) beside the walking track, has bright red fruit, one of their favourite foods.

Murphy's Bush was owned many years ago by Mr Conway Grey Murphy, who protected the bush from grazing cattle, and encouraged people to use it for picnics and outings. Dominating it today are these Kahikatea, or White Pines, (above) which can grow up to 50 metres or more. Their trunks seem quite flexible and were swaying alarmingly in the breeze. (Early Maori used them to make weapons and canoes.)

Beside the track I found a Rewarewa, or NZ Honeysuckle. Though small now, it may eventually grow up to 30 metres high. Its flowers play an important part in honey production.

I loved the patterns made by the sunlight on the leaves of this Nikau palm tree. It bears pink flowers, followed by green berries which turn red as they ripen.

One of the star attractions of Murphy's Bush is this giant Totara. Its age wasn't recorded on the name plaque, but they can live for over a thousand years, and grow up to 30 metres tall.

Ponga ferns abound in the reserve. The silver undersides of the fronds (NZ's emblem) were shining out from the shadows.

Although the bush was full of birds, the dense canopy made them difficult to spot. But this tui appeared overhead, and stayed long enough for a photo.

Teaching children to grow their own

2011-03-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

A New Zealand school has a novel way to encourage children to enjoy fresh, home-grown produce and learn about a healthier diet.

Part of the grounds has been transformed into a highly productive organic garden, and twice a week, pupils gain hands-on experience not only of how to plant and grow fruit and vegetables, but also how to cook and serve them.

The scheme is called ‘Garden to Table’ and each class at East Tamaki Primary, just south of Auckland, has one session a fortnight. It’s run by volunteers, who work alongside one kitchen and one garden specialist, who are on the payroll. Pupils are split into two groups, taking turns to garden and cook, but all coming together to savour the fruits of their labours.

When I arrived, the morning session was just ending. The kitchen was bustling, as youngsters and volunteers were washing up and tidying the kitchen after a delicious meal of potatoes mamoosa, with three different salads (above).

Outside, Jenny Villiger, Judy Newhook, garden specialist Karolyn Cooper and Robin Barclay (above, from left) were out working on the compost heap. Nearby were beds of tomatoes, sweetcorn, spinach, courgettes, aubergines, peas, potatoes and pumpkins while just around the corner were strawberries, citrus fruit, a herb garden (below) and an orchard.

Plans are also under way to create another garden area where now there is a disused swimming pool (too expensive to run in these cash-strapped days).

The emphasis is on growing from seed, often saved from the previous year. Seedlings are nurtured in a small greenhouse, and pupils encouraged to take surplus seeds to grow at home, thus involving the whole family. It certainly seemed to be working - surrounding gardens were overflowing with produce.

The initiative is based on the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Programme founded in Melbourne, Australia, in 2001. It’s being trialled in three Auckland schools, funded by donations and the Garden to Table Trust. East Tamaki principal Sarah Mirams says it’s been ‘absolutely fantastic’ for the children, and they really enjoy their time in the kitchen and the garden. The maths, science, reading and writing they learn are all part of the compulsory curriculum, but of untold value are the social skills they develop, from learning how to lay a table to working as a team, alongside a knowledge of nutrition and appreciation of good food. All this should hopefully stay with them for the rest of their lives, and be passed on to future generations.

www.gardentotable.org.nz/

Asparagus icecream, anyone???

2011-02-21T15:53:00.000-08:00

In England, the crocus is one of the signs of spring. In Germany, it's white asparagus.

Once grown exclusively for the royal court, from April to June it's now one of the country's most popular vegetables - about 70,000 tons are consumed every year. Last June on the way from Nuremburg airport, we saw fields of green shoots stretching as far as the eye could see.

Germans buy it fresh from farmers at their market stalls or by the roadside, and visit the festivals along the "asparagus routes" in Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony. (The town of Nienburg elects its own Asparagus Queen.)

In Bamberg one enterprising gelateria was even offering asparagus ice cream. Verdict? A refreshing change from strawberry or chocolate, but not perhaps one I'd want every day.

The asparagus season is also the maypole season, so there's lots going on at this time of year. For more, see http://germanyiswunderbar.com/southern-germany/germany-holidays-the-village-maypole/

Paris Valentine

2011-02-10T02:25:00.000-08:00

Paris is still one of the world's most romantic cities, but did you know it has a Garden of Love?

Tucked away in the Cluny Museum's medieval garden, it's inspired by the pleasure gardens of the Middle Ages. Trellis and lattice-work give privacy to lovers, and in summer thyme, camomile, roses and carnations perfume the air. The garden is inspired by the Cluny's star attraction, the mysterious Lady with the Unicorn tapestries. The museum itself is housed in a 15th-century Gothic mansion, which was in turn built over the ruins of ancient Roman baths. I first saw the garden shortly after it was created in 2000. Now it's had time to develop and mature, it's a magical place for a picnic lunch or romantic rendezvous.The Cluny - also known as the National Museum of the Middle Ages (Musée National du Moyen Âge) - is on the Left Bank, a short walk south from Notre Dame cathedral.
Closest Métro: Cluny-La Sorbonne
http://www.musee-moyenage.fr/

2011-02-10T01:45:00.001-08:00

Prince Charles - royal trendsetter?

2011-02-04T15:39:00.000-08:00

Last summer I was intrigued by vertical gardening schemes displayed at Prince Charles' London home, Clarence House. As part of the Prince's "Garden Party to Make a Difference", Tom Petherick, Adam Hunt and Lulu Urquhart used their imagination to create structures for a Future Cities garden where plants could be grown in a restricted space. This frame (above) using simple materials was one of their suggestions.

Fast forward to February, and it seems vertical gardening is a hot horticultural topic. Key companies in the industry have been unveiling their latest products to the media, and many are taking container gardening to new heights.

Products ranged from Harrod Hortricultural's more conventional wooden ladder staging to these flower towers - rigid plastic cylinders with a clever internal watering system. (http://www.flower-tower.co.uk/)

This edible wall with troughs for larger vegetables or cascading plants is part of perhaps the most sophisticated range I spotted - Easiwall from Treebox. It also includes a vertical herb planter for the kitchen garden, and green screening for privacy and to hide eyesores.

http://www.treebox.co.uk/index.html.

Vertigro photo: Anthony Hunt

Also on display:

.Vertigro (left), a free-standing modular system devised by Claude Lester. Full-sized growbags are sandwiched between curved sheets of Aluzinc, and suspended from a 165 cm high frame, ready to be planted up with flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Claude says they're ideal for patios, terraces and balconies and retain water well. http://www.vertigro.co.uk/

.The MiniGarden, by EarthBox, which comes in sets of three modules, each with three planting pockets. These can be arranged horizontally, vertically, or even back-to-back to create a double-sided 'wall' of growing containers. (http://www.earthbox.co.uk/)

I'm sure these products were under development well before the Clarence House event, but remembering Prince Charles' early championing of organic gardening, you realise this is not the first time he's been at the forefront of new trends.

2011-02-04T01:46:00.001-08:00

An urban wassail

2011-01-24T01:17:00.000-08:00

"Old apple tree, we wassail thee, and hoping thou wilt bear
For the Lord doth know where we shall be 'til apples come another year."

The old West Country tradition of wassailing is being reclaimed and revived for the urban environment. Wassail - from the Anglo Saxon Waes Hael (to be healthy) - was an ancient fertility rite to wake fruit trees from their winter slumber and scare away evil spirits, ensuring a good harvest. Around the old Twelfth Night, January 17, folk would go out into the orchards bearing a wassailing cup, and sing to the trees before making a great noise to frighten away malignant forces. The tree would be toasted, some drink poured on the trunk, and pieces of bread put among the branches, perhaps as an offering to the tree spirit.

Now residents of Willesden Green in NW London have taken this custom and used it to bring life back to their high street. On a bleak January Sunday, they paraded through the main shopping area (above), serenading local independent retailers and wishing them health and prosperity.

The event was organised by storyteller Rachel Rose Reid (here leading the singing) who brought with her a host of singers, fellow storytellers, comedians and performance artists to entertain the crowd. Orchards being rather thin on the ground, the procession ended outside the local library by two crab apple trees planted the previous winter. Cider and apple juice were poured around their roots, and branches decorated with ribbons to symbolise the traditional food before the wassailers repaired to a nearby cafe to warm up and chat.

Their verdict? Unusual, fun, and a great way to waken community spirit, even if the trees prefer to slumber a little longer.

A wedding dress for £10?

2011-01-20T01:48:00.000-08:00

Impossible? Not, it seems, for stylist/fashion journalist Mary Jane Baxter (above). She's a long-standing friend who always manages to look fantastic by taking market and charity shop finds and transforming them into eyecatching outfits - in other words, a recycling genius. But when BBC TV's Breakfast programme challenged her to use her needlework skills to create a wedding dress for £10, even I had my doubts. However, she's come up with not one, but three outfits, all hitting the target price, The results will be on BBC Breakfast News on Saturday Jan 22nd and then on her blog: http://makeyourwayaroundbritain.blogspot.com/. "I didn't think I would be able to do a dress for £10 but I was amazed at what I could do, " she said. "I think if you make it yourself and put the time and love into it, you are more likely to look after clothes. In this year of austerity more people are looking to traditional skills like sewing." Something the future Queen of England, Kate Middleton, may consider when deciding what to wear on April 29.

PS Mary Jane's ideas for turning almost any ordinary outfit into something special are going into a book, Chic on a Shoestring, published by Kyle Cathie and coming out in May - £14.99. (It's currently available for pre-order on amazon.co.uk.) My needle and scissors are ready and waiting....

Sudan - time to visit?

2011-01-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

Sudan and its people are in the news - those in the southern half of the country have been voting in a referendum to see if Africa's largest country should be split into two, a move which could bring a lasting peace to the area.

The country has a rich past. On an organised tour of the north just before Christmas, I was amazed by what still remains. The Nubians - the 'Black Pharaohs' who ruled the ancient kingdom of Kush, and for a time, Egypt, for more than a thousand years until around 350 AD - built temples, palaces and Roman-style baths.

But their most spectacular creations were pyramids. Smaller and steeper than their Egyptian counterparts, they cluster together on three main sites in the desert, near Karima, at Nuri and at Meroe (pictured). There are around 220 of them - more than in the whole of Egypt, though little-known to tourists.

A highlight of our stay in Karima (about a day's drive north of Khartoum) was a dawn climb up this sacred mountain, Jebel Barkal. It was thought to be the home of the Egyptian sun god, Amun. The sandstone outcrop to the right was likened to a cobra.

On its western side is a small royal cemetery with around 20 pyramids.

We crossed weird and beautiful landscapes.......

........and saw ingenious systems to irrigate the fields alongside the Nile.

Away from the Nile, most of northern Sudan is desert, and life is hard. Nomads (and their flocks) trek up to ten miles to get water from deep wells. Their homes are often a framework of branches, covered for shelter by matting which is rolled up when they want to move on. (No-one else will touch this framework, so they can come back to it time and time again.) But one family we met were adamant that they preferred this simple existence to living in a city.

Everywhere, people were dignified but friendly - there was no hassle and no begging. Whenever we stopped, children appeared out of nowhere, full of curiosity. This little boy used the sand to show how he could write his name.

Watching the sun rise over the Nile from the top of Jebel Barkal, I could only hope that the referendum brings peace. Sudan's turbulent past has discouraged visitors, but perhaps that will now change, and more people will come to marvel at the remains of this rich and ancient civilisation.

Foxy problem

2011-01-03T03:13:00.000-08:00

A neighbour spotted this fox in her garden last week, with a large patch of mange on its back. A second fox (below) was also suffering. Animal welfare charities have suggested either putting out food with a homeopathic remedy inside, or leaving food in a particular spot in the garden till they get used to finding it there, then moving it into a trap. The animals could then be taken away for treatment. Both methods involve feeding the foxes for some days - something she's not keen to do, as this could attract other foxes as well. And what if the wrong ones (about five roam the area) get trapped? She's not happy about either of these solutions. So does anyone have another suggestion???????

Abundance at King Henry's Walk Garden

2010-12-13T00:33:00.000-08:00

On Saturday members from some of the London-based Abundance fruit-picking groups gathered to share their experiences and explore ways of working together next year. They came from as far afield as Peckham, Belsize Park, Archway, Wimbledon, Kilburn, Chiswick, West Ealing and Mapesbury (Willesden Green). Some groups have been going for several years and have facebook pages, while others are very new and, in one case, just about to get started, so there was a lot to talk about.

The venue was King Henry's Walk Garden (left), a community garden in the Mildmay ward of Islington, opened in 2007. Created on a patch of derelict land, it's primarily a garden for people who don't have one of their own, with 76 organic growing plots and planters (below) for the use of local residents and communal garden areas for recreation. (It opens to the public at weekends.)

There's also an area of protected woodland (once the site of an old factory) and a resource building where activities such as our meeting are held. Despite the cold grey weather, the garden was an inspiration. Volunteers were carrying out regular maintenance, and it was heartening to see how many plants were sending up new shoots, despite the recent blanket of snow.
For more about the project see http://www.khwgarden.org.uk/

What would YOU do with an old shirt???

2010-10-31T09:29:00.000-07:00

I've just been round to see a neighbour who's had a busy weekend turning apples and pears into jars of golden preserves. She was adding the finishing touch - pretty green covers tied with pink ribbon. And where did they come from? Not a shop, but cut from one of her husband's worn-out shirts. And when there are no jars to be decorated, she recycles what were his favourites into handkerchiefs, so he never really has to part with them.

These three jars were in exchange for some pears pickled according to a River Cottage recipe (not sure yet how they've turned out, as they need time to mature). While the contents will soon be gone, the covers may well grace another batch of jams and chutneys next year.

And a footnote to our 2010 Mapesbury fruit-picking project - we've reached a grand total of 725.8 kg apples, pears, plums, grapes, elderberries and medlars - all produce which would otherwise have gone to waste.

Leaf-peeping in Gloucestershire

2010-10-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

Autumn is the season when the Westonbirt National Arboretum really comes into its own. This week Japanese maples were at their fiery best, glowing in the afternoon sun. A real treat for 'leaf-peepers', and for all the youngsters enjoying their half-term break.

BBC2 Gardeners' World may have been there on the same day. I spotted a fixed camera in a maple glade, and on Friday's programme, there was Carol Klein explaining how the leaves get their colour. Apparently the reds and golds are there all the time, but overlaid by the green, which disappears in autumn.

The programme is on BBC iplayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mw1h

Westonbirt is open all year round, 9am to dusk. http://www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt

New beginnings...

2010-10-21T02:48:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to a lawn sparkling with the first frost of the season, and the remaining annuals flopping over. Time to start planning for next year.

Inspiration will no doubt come from the Garden Party to Make a Difference held at Prince Charles' London home, Lancaster House, last month. Along one wall, a Future Cities Garden designed by Tom Petherick, Adam Hunt and Lulu Urquhart was packed with ideas for vertical gardening in a restricted space. This old propped-up door had become a cascade of lettuces.

A peek behind revealed holes drilled to hold large yoghurt pots which each held a single plant.

There were rows of shiny red peppers in an upright frame, autumn raspberries growing beneath a standard apple tree, and containers ranging from an old dustbin to large olive oil tins and even a kitchensink. Tom Petherick says the 'stacking' system stems from the homestead gardens found all over Asia.All the plants grown in this way have a use - whether for food, fuel, fodder or shade - and thrive in proximity to one another.

By now the royal facade has probably reverted to its more formal appearance, but for the two weeks of the garden party, it intrigued and fascinated visitors. I predict an outbreak of lettuce 'walls' next summer.

Speedy peeling..

2010-10-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

In NW London we're up to our elbows in seasonal fruit - Mapesbury community fruit harvesters have so far picked more than 620 kg that would otherwise have gone to waste, with a similar amount gathered by our sister group in NW6. The best is going to good causes but we're also experimenting with chutney and pickling recipes for next year's local Open Gardens Day. So I was truly thankful to find this new peeler designed by twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph for their kitchenware company, Joseph Joseph. The curved blade (seen here with some of our windfalls) means it gets round the apple so much faster. Such a simple idea - why didn't someone think of it before???
http://www.josephjoseph.com/

Autumn Glory

2010-09-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire are proof that even when nature is starting to shut up shop for the year, you can still have a spectacular display.

Yesterday, as the sun came out, the famous herbaceous border had people literally stopping in their tracks as they rounded the corner and saw it for the first time. Most of the plants are the sort you can come across in any suburban garden, but the planting - against the mellow bricks of the old kitchen garden wall - shows them to perfection. Michaelmas daisies, goldenrod, helenium and sedums are replacing the delphinium, achillea, verbascum and phlox and are set to bloom until the first frosts.

The Formal Garden is also ablaze with colour, much of it from an intricate knot garden with swirls of different medicinal herbs, which lies immediately behind the 'Lamp of Wisdom' statue.

Behind the sunlit patch of this corner near Seb's Garden, a path leads down to the River Thame. The swathe of island beds have been planted so they can be enjoyed from any angle.

Waterperry began life as a School of Horticulture for Ladies early in the 1930s. After this closed in 1972, the grounds were extensively developed and now cover 8 acres. Herbaceous nursery stock beds (such as those above) provide a living catalogue of plants. The teaching tradition also continues. On the current agenda are three Grow It Yourself workshops:
24th November 2010 - Hardwood cuttings, root cuttings, herbaceous plant division
16th March 2011 - Growing plants from seed
15th June 2011 - Softwood and semi-ripe cuttings

Another Waterperry Gardens must-see is the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, right next to the old manor house. It has an unusual wooden tower, the original Saxon chancel arch, some beautiful 15th century brasses and stained glass dating back to 1220.

Waterperry Gardens are open every day and are near Wheatley in Oxfordshire. OX33 1JZ . Regular events include an Apple weekend (Oct 8, 9 and 10) and a Great Pumpkin Hunt (Oct 23).

More details : http://www.waterperrygardens.co.uk/

ph 01844 339254

Ready for action!!

2010-09-11T03:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the Mapesbury fruit harvesters, about to tackle two huge apple trees in a garden in London, NW2. By the end of the morning we'd picked 150 kg of cooking apples which might otherwise have gone to waste. Instead, they've been taken to a homeless charity, and some are being made into apple pies to raise money for the Pakistan flood appeal.
Our running total for this picking season is now 458 kg - and we've only been going a few weeks! Many thanks to all involved, and to the garden owners who are so generously letting us in to pick.

Contact: Mapesharvesters@hotmail.co.uk

A most unusual royal garden party...

2010-09-09T01:47:00.000-07:00

Gigantic sheep climbing a ladder to insulate a loft, a string of washing flapping in the breeze, reusable shopping bags being made from old royal curtains......
Not what you'd expect at a garden party.
But the Garden Party to Make a Difference, in the adjoining gardens of Clarence House, Lancaster House and Marlborough House, in central London is the brainchild of Prince Charles, and aims to show how just a few small steps can help build a sustainable future. So it's out with the champagne glasses and in with resuseable waterbottles for guests as they explore more than 100 displays on everything from building green homes to saving electricity and growing your own veg.
I went down for the morning, but ended up spending most of the day there.

I loved this Ark art installation (above), where children from 10 Oxfordshire primary schools show what they'd take if they were to sail away to a low-carbon future. Garden Organic was giving away seedlings of rocket and chard to encourage visitors to grow something edible, and the RSPB demonstrated how to build a nest box from recycled materials.

There are serious messages too. The washing-line of t-shirts (opposite a thatched summerhouse built for Queen Mary) seeks to persuade people to dry their clothes naturally - using a tumble dryer every two days could cost over £100 a year. And another sign reads: "Be thrifty with your food" - 8.3 million tonnes of food is thrown away by UK households every year, costing the average family £680.

I was tempted by almost everything on sale in the Farmers' Market, and admired the line-up of electric eco-cars. It was also a real thrill to be able to see first-hand what Prince Charles has achieved in the grounds of Clarence House since he moved in after the Queen Mother's death in 2002. (More to come on the blog about this and the recycling of his curtains.)

The festival is part of the Prince's Start initiative, which has seen him touring the country in the royal train (which runs on bio-fuel) looking at projects that help the environment and discussing with business leaders how companies can source goods ethically and recycle more.

Entrance to the Garden Party to Make a Difference is on the corner of Green Park and the Mall and is open from 10 am - 6pm until Sept 19. Tickets cost £15 for adults.
More details: http://www.startuk.org/

Harvest time

2010-08-23T03:35:00.000-07:00

Do you have a tree laden with fruit you can't reach or a lawn covered with windfalls you don't want?
It's a common problem in suburban gardens. But rather than see food go to waste, community fruit harvesting schemes are springing up around the country. It's all done on a very local level, usually through word of mouth or local residents' associations, with tree owners contacting the picking teams once their fruit is ready. The produce is shared between local charities, tree owners and volunteers. Our area in NW London has two schemes going. Last weekend Mapesbury Fruit Harvesters (pictured) tackled a huge old apple tree and ended up with 67.5 kg of Beauty of Bath (mostly given to a local charity for the homeless) plus a few windfall Bramleys. Later this week we'll be picking plums. A plus for tree owners is that a few of us went on a pruning course earlier in the year, and can now bring light and shape into some of the trees which have become too overgrown to produce well.

The umbrella name for the initiative is Abundance - it recently won an Observer ethical living award. Local groups are flourishing in parts of Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh and Sheffield as well as London, and it's hoped many more will spring up.

Last autumn the BBC website ran a feature on Abundance: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8280425.stm
For more information try the following links:
http://ttkensaltokilburn.ning.com/group/fruit?xg_source=activity
http://www.growsheffield.com/pages/groShefAbund.html
or for the Mapesbury area, email Mapesharvesters@hotmail.co.uk

Sissinghurst splendour

2010-07-29T05:41:00.000-07:00

A visit to Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent a few days ago provided plenty of inspiration - and some interesting plants from the shop there. The famous White Garden, developed by Vita Sackville-West and Sir Harold Nicolson around the surviving parts of an Elizabethan mansion was looking spectacular, even though some of the roses had finished blooming. The National Trust, which owns the property, has just opened the Priest's House (left) as a 6-bed holiday cottage. Windows look out onto the White Garden, and guests can wander through the gardens in the evening, when other visitors have left.

But what really caught my eye were the hazel hoops set into the ground around some of the rose bushes. What were they for? Alexis Datta, Sissinghurst's Head Gardener, was on hand to explain - apparently bending the stems down over the hoops puts pressure on the plants and makes them produce more flowers. It also provides different heights and shapes in the rose garden.

Sissinghurst Castle is off the A262 in Kent, near the village of Cranbrook. Postcode is TN17 2AB.

More details at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst

National Trust holiday lets: http://www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk/

(All profits from lettings go towards funding the Trust's conservation work.)

Bloomsbury's Exotic Blooms

2010-07-17T03:13:00.000-07:00

For a glimpse of South Africa, head to the British Museum in Bloomsbury, where Kew has created a colourful front garden with plants from the Cape region. They range from these agapanthus, with their lilac-coloured pollen, to the Quiver tree, so called because the San people have traditionally used its branches to create quivers for their arrows. According to the explanatory boards dotted among the greenery, South Africa has 22,000 different plant species - two-thirds found nowhere else on earth.

Surprisingly, these are not Wild West cactus, but euphorbias. The San mixed their milky sap with extract from the Diamphidia beetle to poison their arrow tips. But if correctly applied, the sap can be used medicinally, and was a traditional treatment for cancer.

The garden will remain until October 10, and visits are free of charge.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/

Lambeth treasure

2010-07-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

Finally made it to the Treasures of Lambeth Palace Library exhibition - just in time, as it closes on July 23. Among the fascinating material there: the 12c Lambeth Bible (left), Richard III's Book of Hours, which he left in his tent when he went out to fight and die at the Battle of Bosworth; a letter from Elizabeth I with a post-script about her recovery from smallpox; a copy of the warrant, with Elizabeth's signature, for Mary Queen of Scots' execution; and physicians' daily reports on the mental health of George III.

But before you go into the Great Hall, stop and admire the enormous sprawling white fig tree by the entrance. It was originally planted in 1555 by Cardinal Pole. Lambeth Palace garden - one of the oldest and largest private gardens in London - is open only rarely. But visitors to the exhibition do get a bonus - a discount for the Museum of Garden History at St Mary's Church next door.

Lambeth Palace Library, Lambeth Palace Rd, London SE1 7JU
http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/

Time for a change

2010-07-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

Inspired by all the lovely plants at Cottesbrooke Hall, I've been creating a new flower bed at the end of our garden in front of a row of camellias and rhododendrons. These look spectacular in spring, but by June the area is crying out for more colour.

The solution? Lay a path of old bricks immediately in front of them, where dense shade meant nothing grew, then dig a new bed.

There's a colour scheme of sorts, moving from pinks, mauves and purples on the left, through to reds, then yellows and whites. It's a real mixture of plants, many of which were donated by friends or grown to raise money for charity by the convenor of our local garden club, Margaret. A fatsia japonica has pride of place in the centre (thanks for this, Heidi), while a dogwood (from Elizabeth) should provide an elegant contrast to a small hydrangea rescued from an overcrowded bed nearby. There's also a ceanothus which had become rootbound in a neighbour's balcony pot. In between are lupins, acanthus spinosus (Bear's breeches), erysimum 'Bowles Mauve', salvia, achillea, phlox, campanula, scabiosa and a tradescantia, 'Sweet Kate', which had not been doing well against an east-facing fence. I've surrounded the bed with canes and criss-crossed it with black cotton, in a bid to keep out the foxes, and now am waiting to see what will survive. There are plenty of gaps to be filled, but for these I'll try my hand at propagation, using advice from Carol Klein's brilliant new book, "Grow Your Own Garden" (BBC Books). She makes it look so easy!

Fun of the Fair

2010-06-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

A great day out at Cottesbrooke Plant Finders Fair, in the award-winning grounds of Cottesbrooke Hall, just north of Northampton. Specialist nurseries from as far afield as Bristol are there all weekend with a wide variety of plants - many of them unusual and eyecatching - so there's lots to tempt you. My only gripe was the queues. The caterers seemed unprepared for the demand for drinks, and a limited number of ticket-sellers at the gates meant a long tailback of cars waiting to get into the grounds. We ground to a halt about two and a half miles from Cottesbrooke, and spent the next half-hour inching our way forward. Let's hope that the situation improves for visitors during the next two days.

Cottesbrooke Plant Finders Fair, Cottesbrooke Hall, Northampton, NN6 8PF

Open 10am - 5.30 pm each day. Admission £7.50

Emerald interlude

2010-06-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

The rhododendrons now brightening up borders everywhere remind me of a magical visit to Ireland last July. After landing at Dublin, we'd headed south to Co Wicklow for lunch at Avoca Handweavers in Kilmacanogue. I knew their gardens would be spectacular - they were once attached to the house of the Jameson's Whiskey family - but was bowled over by the glorious colours on these bushes right outside the Avoca restaurant entrance. The setting is a real plus for visitors who go there for the award-winning food and the Irish knitwear, cookbooks and gifts on sale. There's also a garden centre with a wide range of speciality plants - I left wishing I lived locally and could stock up on a regular basis.

Co Wicklow is known as the Garden of Ireland - and with good reason. Not far from Avoca, in the Wicklow Mountains National Park, is the hauntingly beautiful Glendalough, a monastic settlement founded in the 6th c by St Kevin on a site between two lakes. Walking trails take you past Celtic cross gravestones and the ruins of ancient grey stone buildings. The 30 metre high Round Tower (pictured) still dominates the site, while a well thought out heritage centre gives a insight into the area's history.

The next day we found more echoes of Ireland's past at the World Heritage Site of Newgrange, a Stone Age passage tomb in Co. Meath (above). Some 3,200 years ago, its builders had the skills and knowledge to exactly align the passage so, at the winter solstice, the sun shines directly into the central burial chamber. You can enter only with a guide, who, for a brief moment, will extinguish all lights apart from the one which mimics the sun's rays shining through a portal. It's a profoundly moving experience.

There are more passage graves (one reputed to be around 5000 years old) in the grounds of Loughcrew House, also in Meath, but what really caught my eye there were the beautiful gardens with their unusual sculptures (above). There are six acres to stroll around, laid out by past generations of the Naper family, who've lived there since 1665. In 1997 Emily Naper began the major task of their restoration.

She's created new borders (this one backs on to an old wall), terraces and woodland walks, and has turned the grounds into a venue for weddings - in the romantic ruined church of St Oliver Plunkett - summer concerts, opera, and festivals.

All these beautiful sites are just an hour or so's drive from Dublin - but a world away from that city's buzz and bustle. Just remember to keep an umbrella handy for the showers that make Ireland the Emerald Isle.

More details at http://www.discoverireland.com/

Where have all my flowers gone?

2010-05-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

I was hoping for a display of tulips like this....

Instead, all I've got is this - five weeks after planting 30 bulbs chosen from the displays at Amsterdam's flower market, just one lonely shoot of a Triumph White has emerged.

When I bought them, I knew it was late in the season, but was told the bulbs had been chilled to hold back flowering, and would bloom six weeks after planting.

I should have known better.

So, unless a miracle happens, I will have to cross my fingers, wait for next spring, and hope that in the meantime the squirrels don't acquire a taste for Dutch delicacies.

Perfect broccoli....

2010-05-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

I’ve been inspired by cookery writer and presenter Sophie Grigson to buy some broccoli seeds, in the hope of a bumper crop to experiment with. When I met her at a lunch the other week, we were talking about the importance of fresh food, simply cooked, and she shared her favourite broccoli recipe - a hit with her teenage children. (She says she originally got it from fellow chef Heston Blumenthal.)

It goes something like this:
Wash the broccoli, separate the head into small pieces and thinly slice the stems. Heat some olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, put the broccoli in and cover with a lid. Cook for 2 minutes, shaking occasionally, remove the lid and season with salt and pepper, add a lump of butter, shake it again, then cook, covered, for another two minutes. Test to see if it’s tender enough, and if not, cook for another minute or so. Don’t worry if it’s brown in places – it all adds to the flavour and texture.

Sophie has recently been exploring the varied cuisines of the Far East - see the results of this in her new TV series, Sophie Grigson in the Orient, on the Travel Channel at 9pm from Tuesday, May 18.

Here's Sophie with Hong Kong chef Sam Ip.

Elephants on Parade

2010-05-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

Venture into central London over the next few weeks and you may find yourself face to face with a brightly-painted baby elephant. More than 250 lifesized models have been installed throughout town as part of the Elephant Parade, which aims to highlight the plight of Asian Elephants. Each is decorated by an artist or fashion designer, including Lulu Guinness (seen here with her creation), Tommy Hilfiger, Matthew Williamson, Diane von Furstenberg, John Rocha and Jack Vettriano. One herd is in Trafalgar Square, others can be found in Notting Hill, the South Bank, Greenwich Market, around St Paul's, and in other tourist hot-spots.

Come July, the models will be auctioned off to raise money for the conservation of flesh-and-blood Asian elephants. Over the past 100 years, their population has shrunk by 90%, and if nothing is done to preserve their habitat, in 30 years they could vanish altogether.

Artist Benjamin Shine has transformed his elephant into a taxi, powered by a solar cell so that a sign lights up at night and its eyes turn into headlamps. It’s by the Royal Exchange.

More details at http://www.elephantfamily.org/

Tulip fever

2010-04-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

Back from a very short visit to Amsterdam to see the tulips. When I went a few years ago, they were late because of a long winter - this time there was colour everywhere. Some 12,000 bulbs have been planted around the canal ring and in private gardens, which were open for the last weekend in April. These blooms were in the Begijnhof, a cluster of buildings around a 14th century courtyard, which once provided homes for women who belonged to a lay Catholic sisterhood.

To the west of Amsterdam are the bulbfields, a glorious patchwork of colour, with daffodils, hyacinths and tulips of every variety imaginable.

The big attraction there is Keukenhof, where, for eight weeks every spring, landscaped gardens are ablaze with huge drifts of colour. Some 800,000 visitors flock to see the 4.5 million bulbs, all planted by hand.

Tulipmania began back in the 17th century, when Dutch traders brought tulips back to Amsterdam from Turkey. They became a luxury item, with unusual bulbs selling for up to 10 times the annual income of a skilled craftsman. When prices fell, some investors were reportedly ruined.

Today, there are more than 100 varieties, which come in colours and shapes that the early collectors would envy, such as Sorbet (left) and Greenstar (below)

The displays provide plenty of inspiration. Here the intense blue of Muscari Armeniacum is a perfect foil for the white of the Calgary tulip.

New at Keukenhof is a walled garden which gives the historic background to the tulip and other bulbs in the Netherlands. Here, the Knot Garden recreates a style popular in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Not all the displays are static -this van was parked by the entrance.

Keukenhof is open daily until May 16. Tour companies run full and half-day tours, or take a train from Amsterdam to Schiphol airport, and then a bus for Lisse.

And if you can't get there in time for the tulips, consider a visit during the Open Garden Days, (Friday 18 - Sunday 20 June) when some 25 - 30 private gardens hidden along the canals open to the public.

More details at http://www.amsterdamtourist.nl/

Blossom time....

2010-04-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

Am I imagining it, or is there much more blossom around at the moment than is usual? I spotted these lovely flowers - and many more - within a minute of our front garden. Magic!

Make Way for the Ducklings!

2010-04-22T05:51:00.000-07:00

This is a quacking good time to visit the London Wetland Centre in Barnes.
The first baby birds have emerged and are providing endless entertainment. This coot was patiently paddling back and forth across the water with titbits for her newly hatched brood, while trying to keep them away from some rather aggressive Canada geese.

Not far from the Vistor Centre, a mallard was watching over her ducklings after their marathon swim across the pond. The chicks are much darker than is usual. "Who's the daddy?" one volunteer was wondering.

These black-necked swans have nested right by the path. While the female waits patiently for the eggs to hatch, her mate keeps visitors at bay. But the cygnets' early days may be hazardous - the male has apparently killed earlier offspring.

The London Wetlands Centre is at Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, Barnes, London SW13 9WT

For opening times and admission prices ph 020 8409 4400 or go to http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit-us/london

Keep on rolling....

2010-04-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Green points for the luggage company, Samsonite.

Did you know that if you lose a wheel or a handle from one of their suitcases, you needn't chuck it away? They say if you phone the company, they'll put a replacement part in the post for you, free of charge. And it doesn't have to be a current model - they keep spares for most of their earlier ranges, including the Oyster, which sold 40 million over 20-odd years. Apparently fixing a new wheel is quite easy, but if you're stuck, repairs can be done through a dealer.

Samsonite is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary - the first model was more like a trunk and, even when empty, weighed 10.2 kilos. The latest carry-on case is just 2.2 kilos. Such lightness may tempt me to finally upgrade my trusty 1990s model (above).

Some London Garden Events for Your Diary

2010-04-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

Bank Holiday Monday, May 3 - The Great London Garden Trail
A selection of gardens across London, open from noon to 5pm, and free to visit. Details will be at http://www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk/static/html/features/londongardentrail/index.html

Sunday May 23 11am - 4pm : Rare Plant fair at the Inner Temple.
A chance to find that statement plant for your garden, while enjoying this little-known haven of peace and tranquillity, usually open to the public only at weekday lunchtimes. Three acres of beautiful herbaceous borders and an unusual collection of trees slope down to the Victoria Embankment and the Thames. The garden goes back to medieval times - in the Long Border are the white and red roses which according to tradition were plucked here at the beginning of the Wars of the Roses and became the emblems of the houses of York and Lancaster.
http://www.innertemple.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3&Itemid=3

And the National Trust's Bluebell watch is now live:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-global/w-news/w-latest_news/w-news-bluebell-watch.htm#latest

Spring at last

2010-04-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

After such a long, hard winter, it's wonderful to see tiny shoots on branches which seemed to be dead, and the first bumblebee hovering over emerging blossom. In this blog, I hope to look at green and garden-related events and initiatives - both in the UK and abroad - with occasional snippets from fellow plant enthusiasts.

So first, here's news of an exhibition which proves the gardening boom didn't start with Ground Force. The Geffrye Museum in East London is staging "A Garden Within Doors", looking at the appeal and history of houseplants over the past 400 years. The museum's period rooms are decorated with flower arrangements in keeping with that time, while the main show area, downstairs, concentrates on the huge growth of interest in domestic gardening during the 19th century. There you'll find the gardening manuals a green-fingered Victorian housewife might have consulted, displays about trend-setting inventors, writers and publishers and details of the plantsmen, nurseries, and florists to whom she would have gone for seeds, plants and equipment. And of course there are flowers - scores of them - ranging from a typical conservatory display (above) to an eighteenth century ‘auricula theatre’ and a 'pelargonium pyramid' based on a drawing in The Amateur’s Flower Garden (1878). Inspirational.

'A Garden Within Doors' is free at the Geffrye Museum, 136 Kingsland Road, E2 8EA Ph 020 7739 9893, from now until Sunday 25 July. It will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from 12 noon until 5pm.