Garden history
From the Prado to Pizza Hut: the Pineapple’s Perambulation
The pineapple started life in Europe at the very top of society - sadly it has been all downhill since then.
Garden history
Reflections, learning & inspiration from the past. Historical people and places.
Garden history
The Legacy of Lancelot Brown: Vandal, Visionary or Facilitator?
The landscape park’s journey during the 18th century was as serpentine as the paths and lakes which would later define it, whilst absorbing different trends along the way.
Wellness & wellbeing
Tranquility in Gardens: The Power of Silent Spaces
If you can have a quiet carriage on a train, then why not a quiet space in a garden open to the public?
Tools
Blood, Sweat, and Secateurs: From Revolution to Roses
Secateurs are in every gardener’s pocket: but, like every invention no matter how much we take them for granted, somebody had to think of the idea.
Garden history
Ancient Tree, Epic Journey: The Buckland Yew Goes Walkabout
Moving trees is child’s play today: we have diggers and cranes. It was not always as easy…
Garden history
Great Expectations
There is something thrilling in the anticipation of making a long-awaited visit to a garden that you have admired from afar, even more so if the garden lives up to your expectations
Garden history
The NerdMistress General: What my Dad's Slayer Taught me About Garden History
I'm used to digging around stately homes for 'grand' history, but a chance find in Dad's cellar made me think again about where we find the real stories behind our gardens.