Introducing Organics: beyond horticulture ~ 12/09/2916

I have been practicing organic gardening since 1995. That's quite a while now!

I fell into organics; I did not seek it out. 

A couple of weeks of work experience at Highgrove led to me working there on and off for the next decade. 

It started as a fun summer job. A way to earn money and be outside in a beautiful setting. I was much more into the aesthetics of gardening. I was studying Fine Art and hadn't even considered horticulture as a career. 

My fun summer job has gradually become my vocation. 

I have never practiced conventional horticulture. Organic horticulture is all I know. It would have been all any gardener would have known until the 20th century. 

I have always aimed to buy as much organic food as we can afford as a family and, of course, I grow quite a lot of tasty produce too. 

Instagram has encouraged me to widen my organic journey. The Soil Association - please look at their website for more about what they do - www.soilassociation.org - award Organic status to farms, growers, producers and makers who meet their high standards so I enjoy following their work on my preferred form of social media. 

My attention has been captured by the Soil Association Beauty blog. I have always been aware that what I put on my skin and the skin of my children is as equally important as the food we consume but I always considered it to be financially unattainable. 

Researching the different brands was a bit baffling. I prefer to try before I buy and was reluctant to commit to a product that may have not been right for me so I was thrilled when the Soil Association announced a limited edition Beauty Box to coincide with their #organicseptember and Organic Beauty Week (19th-25th September 2016). 

The box is a revelation. Packed full of treats from some of the leading Organic Beauty brands e.g. Neal's Yard, Botanicals, NatraCare, Skin and Tonic, Terre Verde, Odylique, Kiki Health and Essential Care. 

Botanicals 'Radiance Facial Serum' is an instant hit and I will be a future customer, of that I am in no doubt. I also love the clensing wipes from NatraCare and the 'Rose Mist' from Skin and Tonic ~ I have been using it to fix my make-up in place and it works a treat (yes, I am a make-up wearing gardener......well, I have blonde eyelashes, what am I supposed to do, go without mascara? Not a chance). 

The verdict: I will continue to follow the excellent work of The Soil Association and look to them for guidance as I continue on my organic journey. 

April, May and June.....

April, May and June.......my feet do not touch the ground. July.......and relax....but not too much. 

I would like to share some of the highlights of this busy, busy (some might say completely bonkers) time of the horticultural year. 

Spring bulbs ~ Fritillaria meleagris at a local Wiltshire Wildlife Reserve. A vintage year. 

The RHS Malvern Spring Festival. Wonderful show gardens, champagne and I won an olive tree. Best birthday present ever! 

Tulips ~ this is 'China Pink'. Given the right conditions this variety will keep on coming back year after year. Such good value. 

Working in new gardens. I love the colour of this cottage. What a great backdrop for this wisteria and Rose 'Golden Celebration'. I so enjoy getting to know new gardens ~ a real highlight of my work. 

Stunning peonies at a special and rare plant sale near Cirencester. WARNING: give yourself a strict budget before entering .......and be prepared to exceed your budget because some plants are just too tempting. 

Growing new types of old friends. I would usually grow huge amounts of frothy, white Cosmos 'Purity' but I was tempted (see previous photo) by yellow Cosmos 'Xanthos' this year and it is rather gorgeous. Not as effusively space-filling as 'Purity' but an attractive and welcome addition nonetheless. 

Reaping the rewards of hard winter work ~ extensive border rejuvenation in the off-season makes for fresh and exciting Spring, Summer and Autumn borders. If I could explain one thing to non-gardeners (and I do .....but it often falls upon deaf ears) it is that gardening does not stop in the colder months and, in fact, this is when the majority of the planning and reorganisation should be achieved. 

Taking time out to learn from the experts ~ a day spent with Chris Beardshaw is never a day wasted. The award winning garden designer and broadcaster is incredibly eloquent and inspirational. I made a promise to myself at the beginning of 2016 that I would take more time to build upon my horticultural education. I am aware that I could very well become set in my ways and stagnant unless I seek out opportunities to meet with and really listen to leading horticulturalists. 

Making and crafting ~ I get an enormous thrill from making new things for the garden. This is a climbing plant support made from many woven willow hoops and set on a hazel pole frame. It is working wonderfully well as a sweet pea support and I will be making more of the same in the future. 

John Sales ~ I felt like the luckiest horticulturalist in the world last weekend when I had the chance to visit the private garden of the former head of all National Trust Gardens. John Sales is an eminent and highly regarded horticulturalist and, as I found out, a fabulous host. His obvious passion for his plot in deepest, darkest Gloucestershire is thrilling. His garden is picture perfect and loaded with unusual plants. The interesting plants are expertly placed so that they mingle rather than stand out in this, the most expertly effortless garden I have visited for many years. 

Topiary ~ summer only truly starts for me when I make that first clip with my shears. The smell of the freshly cut box takes me straight back to happy teenage summers at Highgrove. 

In summery ~ an exciting Spring has become a pleasing summer in all of my gardens. Winter slog has paid off and I have had some wonderful opportunities to meet interesting new people and new plants......and I may even have the time to post a new blog every now and then! 

Happy summer 2016 to all ☀️

 

Spring salads ~ 19/4/2016

Get a big sack type planter for your greenhouse or conservatory; fill it with some lovely growing media of your choice (I use good quality multipurpose compost mixed with some delicious homemade compost) and sow yourself some salad crops. 

I am currently enjoying small harvests of salad bowl lettuce, lollo rosso lettuce, coriander and beautiful, shiny, red radishes. It is so, so worth the effort if you have the space and the facilities. I mean, look at these stunners.....

What are you waiting for?! Wide reaching frosts have been forecast for this coming weekend so I am delaying planting out or sowing anything remotely tender outside but I am not at all displeased because I have my radishes. (#annoyinglysmug) 

Confession ~ 4/4/2016

It is time to come clean. 

I frequently post photographs on my website and Instagram of beautiful plants, flowers and garden scenes. 

Some of the beautiful plants and flowers are from my own garden. None of the beautiful garden scenes are from my own garden. I do not live in a pretty part of town. 

We moved to our ex-council house just over three years ago. It's not much but it is ours and we have grown to love it. We live right next door to a large secondary school so, although it is not a pastoral view, we do have a view - and it could be a lot worse than netball courts! 

Our home comes with a reasonably large South-west facing garden and it is (or, at least, it will be) quite wonderful. Because, you see, when you start with something ugly, the potential for increasing the interest, colour and beauty is huge! 

When you garden in a lovely spot you have a duty to honour it's loveliness. When you garden in a place that is really quite plain.....the only way is......oasis. 

I am aiming for an oasis in the middle of a small market town Bronx. 

We are slowly turning our blank canvas into a garden that we can be proud of. 

I have worked in world renowned gardens, quintessential Cotswold gardens, immaculately designed gardens, gardens with vast budgets, gardens with small budgets, tasteful gardens,minimalist gardens, maximalist gardens and Royal gardens and I have learnt the rules......now I get to break them! 

(This is not my garden!!!⬇️)

 My garden will evolve slowly. My budget and time is limited but I have my skills, my experience, some lovely plants and now my extremely exciting new Rhino greenhouse. I also have my helpers .....human and feline

......I feel better now that I have confessed. 

Now you all know that I do not live in a pretty Cotswold Stone cottage with a view over a peaceful valley ~ not that I ever stated that I did. 

Now you know that I live in a solidly built 1950's ex-council house with a view over the Craft, Design and Technology Block and I can let you all know exactly how I am getting on. 

.....just don't expect miracles straight away! 

.......and you can still expect quintessential Cotswold scenes ~ I am lucky enough to look after some stunning gardens. 

England v Spain (Bluebell League) 2/4/2016

Today is the day ~ First bluebell sighting of the year! 

I need to qualify this statement. 

It was my first sighting of the beautiful, delicate, deep and true royal blue English bluebell but I've been digging up heaps of it's brutish cousin, the Spanish bluebell, for weeks now. 

There is no comparison. 

This is the gorgeous, dainty English Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta.....

I have no photograph of the Spanish one, Hyacinthoides hispanica, because it's not nearly so pretty and I get rather cross when I see one. These Spanish blighters are clunky, paler blue and lack the lovely, pendulous habit of the English blooms. 

Worse still, they hybridise with our dinky, sweet-smelling, native bluebell and threaten their very existence. 

A plea from me: do not buy, plant, or encourage the Spanish bluebell and if you see it about, dig it out! 

The English Bluebell is one of my favourite plants (can you tell?!). Please help me protect it. 

Today was also the day that I decided to take the girls to my childhood den. I was pretty sure they were old enough to appreciate the sideways growing tree over the top of the stagnant pond. I was right. Next time we are bringing scotch eggs (current outside snack of choice). 

Simple pleasures 

RHS The Garden v Gardens Illustrated 17/12/2015

The most useful and inspiring Christmas present that I have regularly received over the past few years has been my Royal Horticultural Society annual membership - thank you very much Mother!

I have agonised this year - have I made the most of my membership? 

Answer: No. 

My weekends are mostly spent ferrying two young girls to birthday parties, clubs and activities, tending my own garden and the odd muddy stomp to the swings. If we do go garden visiting it is to local gardens open for charity. 

I do go to the Malvern Spring Festival and I long to visit Hampton Court Flower show (I will attempt Chelsea again when the girls are more independent and any spare earnings are for me again.....that will happen, won't it?) but is a discounted show ticket or two enough to warrant my membership renewal? 

I used my RHS membership most frequently for a quick trot around nearby Westonbirt Arboretum with the family but I have found that I am increasingly turned away because I have stumbled upon a peak time for visitors i.e. Autumn Colour time and my RHS membership will not allow me entry. 

So it comes down to the battle of the monthly magazine. Financially and time-wise I cannot justify more than one periodical.  

This year I have decided to give up my RHS membership in favour of receiving Gardens Illustrated magazine....thank you very much Mother! Xx

Gardens Illustrated has always appealed to my aesthetics and I often buy it when I stop to refuel the SwampDonkeyMobile. 

Dreamy side 1 - 0 Science side

Maybe I will regret giving up RHS membership ~ this could scupper my chances of receiving my medal for horticultural services when I am seventy three....it could be that I am not destined for such distinguished heights anyway. 

I have received both the December 2015 issue of The Garden (RHS magazine) and a special 'The Plants Issue' of Gardens Illustrated this month; I will be reading both with a reviewing eye. 

I suspect that I will miss the News section of The Garden the most and I am worried that Gardens Illustrated will not satisfy me on a professional level. I hope to follow this post up with a more in-depth review and, after a few months, come to some sort of a conclusion. 

Deep down I know that I need both publications in my life to grow as a well-rounded horticulturalist and feed the artist and the scientist that lurk (fairly deeply) within me. I fully intend to be an RHS member again in the near future (30+ years to work towards my medal!) so the question is will Gardens Illustrated be the monthly magazine for me? 

Well, I am already rather taken with the DIY origami seed packet feature. 

My efforts ~ 

Not bad! 

A very rare, strangely ok photograph of me ~ 19/10/2015

My mother is a wonderful photographer. She is so talented that she has managed to capture an image of me in which I actually look like a human being. 

This human is a bit geeky, slightly wonky and fairly exhausted but it is definitely recognisable as a human. 

This will be my profile picture for the rest of my life.....or at least until someone manages to repeat this remarkable feat.....this will not happen for a long, long time.