Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Picnics and Palaces
I sometimes feel that I’m in a bizarre world. On the one hand I am, and will continue to be a slightly hermity, organic and green gardener who loves nothing more than to hide away in a garden for hours on end and not talk to anyone. On the other, and of more recent times, I’m slipping into a world of tea and scones, picnics and pimms, and socialite polo and garden affairs. It’s an odd feeling, I seem to enjoy both ends of the scale, though perhaps the socialite side is not as “green” as I’d like.
It’s Leone’s fault of course. Without her, Mary and I would be happy in our muddied clothes, our tea drunk out of the flask with nodules of soil floating around in it, a dirty dog and living a life of green uptopia. Add Leone to the mix and you get hand-made, willow woven picnic baskets, tartlets – yes, tarlets, made from hand picked raspberries and soft cream (not hand picked I hasten to add, though I wish and pray, we havent’ got round to getting a cow – yet), hand crafted and knitted blankets and hats, and a general feel of strange social chic. Not that I object. If we can find a way to have all these things, yet maintain as much carbon neutrality and organic produce I’ll be a happy man. And of course, Leone makes willy wonka cakes – one’s with so much willy wonka’s chocolate in them that they give the odd hallucination. She pickles freshly picked beetroot. She produces all manner of things at the precise time that you wished you’d remembered them.
Tea cups and Tartlets – only Leone would add this glamour
Yesterday it was Hampton Court Palace Garden Show, Tudor themed this year. Not that I’ve been before so I’m not sure what other years may have been themed. After a 5hour round trip commute – I kid you not, the traffic was unbelievable, and a slightly grey character due to my morning running effort, I stumbled around in more of a daze than an inspired trance. Of course, there were things to inspire – a wildlife wall for one, a cutting garden another. Echinacea, Cosmos and the pretty, annual cornflowers seemed to dominate the small number of gardens we saw. Grow-Your-Own was HUGE, with allotments, crops and chickens all on display.
A wildlife wall could be salvaged from most skips
Whilst Hampton Court was far, far larger than Chelsea, I’m undecided which is better. For the garden consumer, the hobbyist who wants to see a little of everything, perhaps Hampton is better. It has an airy, spacious country show feel. However, I did find myself missing the displays of Chelsea, the lack of show gardens for planting and sculptural inspiration, and though Hampton’s marquee’s were beautiful, I still think Chelsea has the edge.
Show gardens were lacking but this front garden allotment, aptly named Edibly Unkempt shows that veg can be found anywhere
I bought some beautiful plants though…..including a deliciously chocolately penstemmen and a burnt orange David Austen rose called “Summer Song”. Four random lavenders for £1 and a Verbena were added to the mix. Oh, and I’ve decided I really want to be a plant porter at one of these shows!
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Leave a Reply