Primrose!

"If one had to select the flower, which would be the most pleasing to the greatest number, it would be the primrose." This is a quotation from an anonymous author 'L.S.B. (F.R.S.)' who contributed an article, 'On Growing Primroses' to the Selborne Magazine in 1888. The same statement could be made today and be equally …

Literally taken by the Venus Fly Trap.

The title was “Monsters Under Glass: A Cultural History of Hothouse Flowers, 1850 to the Present” and I misinterpreted it completely. I’m sure you, like me, might have expected something about glasshouse plants and their cultivation but I was wrong and it was nothing of the sort but rather a study of literary metaphors and …

Snowdrop – far more than a simple flower!

As with its subject matter, this book is a joy, a jewel, a treasure and an interesting, and different, addition to our reading material on snowdrops. Few could deny the appeal of snowdrops in the garden, those apparently dainty flowers which defy our harsh winters and bring interest over the six months of October to …

The Making of Place

The Overview! The extraordinary range of approaches and styles one sees in gardens throughout the world, in different countries and different cultures can be quite bewildering. It is fortunate to have one such as John Dixon Hunt, who seems to have a comprehensive knowledge and grasp of all matters of garden design, to organise such …