The reason that I love Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival so much is that I think it encourages a lot of people to get into the garden. Chelsea Flower Show is amazing, aspirational, inspirational etc etc, but I am always left feeling a bit over-awed. By contrast, when I come away from this show, I… Read More »
Days out
Travels in Suffolk
We live near the Cambridgeshire border, so Suffolk is not far away, but for some reason, I’ve only been a couple of times, and never for a holiday. When my parents said they would love to go away, we decided it would be an ideal destination. My father loves birdwatching, we all enjoy walking and… Read More »
Glasshouse glory at Kew Gardens
The greatest glasshouse in the world? It’s the world’s largest surviving Victorian glasshouse and I was very lucky to go along to the reopening earlier in May at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. It’s not often that I’d say I felt awe struck, but walking into this beautiful building, that’s exactly what it was like. At… Read More »
Urban gardening at Mercato Metropolitano
Last week I got the chance to visit Mercato Metropolitano, which is a sustainable community market in the heart of south London. Elephant & Castle is the location for this pioneering project which brings together community events such as simple cooking classes, music, hydroponic farming, pop up accommodation and street foods from all over the… Read More »
Exploring Ely
Almost where ever you walk in Ely, you can see the Cathedral. It is located in the centre of the city, and as you walk through the surrounding streets and parkland, you’ll catch glimpses of the dreamy spires. The West Tower is 65.5m tall, so it rises up dramatically from the flat Fenland landscape, it’s… Read More »
Tove Jansson – more than the Moomins
“It is simply this: do not tire, never lose interest, never grow indifferent – never lose your invaluable curiosity and let yourself die. It’s as simple as that, no?” Tove Jansson Tove Jansson is most famous as creator and writer of the much loved Moomin children’s books. I grew up with Moomintroll, the Snork Maiden,… Read More »