The Star-Nosed Mole

Isabel Bannerman's latest book on fragrance in plants and gardens reminds us that we have lost a great deal, often imperceptibly, and though this brings a certain sadness, we can at least enjoy the remembrance of things lost and more greatly appreciate what we still have. Scent Magic was the author's previous wonderful book on …

Cleaning up in a Peculiar Autumn

Cleaning up is never the most exciting nor enjoyable of gardening activities though there is a certain satisfaction when the work is done and so it was this week. We had tree surgeons here on Monday, two "climbers" and one who dealt with what they cut. We had seven trees removed completely, seven box maples …

The Happy Style!

Pure Style in the Garden - Creating an Outdoor Haven by Jane Cumberbatch - was not the garden design book I had imagined it might be. It was far more and far better! Certainly, the author deals with style in the garden but one soon realises that it is the gardener's style which is being …

Lismore Castle, End of Season.

We made what we imagine to be our last visit of the season to Lismore Castle Gardens on Sunday last. On our previous visit it was obvious that the display in the flower beds was coming to a close so this was one more of a sense of seeing out the season than with any …

A Sunday Selection

We have begun preparing for winter. The dahlias tubers have been lifted, dried and stored until spring. Garden furniture has been brought into the garage and the glasshouses have been prepared to store the tender plants. The last tomatoes have been picked, some still green, and brought inside, stored with a banana, in hopes of …

Yes, We’ll Gather at the River!

The words, phrases and thoughts that come into one's head when lying awake in the dark hours of early morning can be very odd and peculiar and make one wonder how in the love of god such and such came along. The old man's complaint, as Statia, a companion of my working days, used call …

Days when the Grass Don’t Dry!

Our garden is north-facing and in a river valley where fog is common and dew persistent and, as the angle of the sun drops lower and lower, there are many days when the grass does not dry at all, even on what we might call a "good drying day". This is also the time of …

Was It Worth It?

Winston Churchill never said it but the "quotation" has grown legs over the last few years and I'm sure he would have been happy to have spoken the words. The story (the false story!) is that at some stage during the second world war, it was suggested to Churchill that funding for the arts should …

Noli me tangere!

The colours of this caterpillar scream it loud and clear - Don't touch me! It is a general assumption on my part that those insects with are coloured most brightly and garishly are sending a warning to us and to other creatures that it would be unwise to meddle with them. Of course, it may …

The View from Federal Twist

This is the story of a gardener and a garden growing and developing together to create a modern American horticultural masterpiece. James Golden was approaching retirement when he purchased a property in western New Jersey, USA, because the house “suited its setting” and “had an intimate relationship with the place”. He had immediately sensed the …