Visitors to the Edinburgh Festival and its cuckoo offspring, the Fringe, will find themselves beetling about from venue to venue in a mad rush to fit everything in. In the frantic scurry-about, wearing down shoe-leather, the beauty of Edinburgh’s setting and architecture seeps into the soul. This year we decided to take in landscapes as…
Category: Garden visits
A Trip to East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens
These gardens have become a bit of a pilgrimage site. Particularly for those of us who live in the East. There simply are not many substantial gardens in these parts. Not the first time I have visited, but a week or two back, I treated myself and two others to the Full Monty Alan Grey…
R is for La Ragnaia
Una ragnaia is a small wood for trapping birds – no doubt as a dinner-party delicacy. Craig Sheppard’s magical garden La Ragnaia in San Givanni d’Asso is anything but a bird-trapping domain. He gardens carefully, in harmony with nature and and the sprites and goods in his wood and field. Please do follow us!
J is for jazzy planting at Pensthorpe Park
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G is for ghastly
In 1458 Piccolomini set about the construction of a small town but he was called to Rome to become Pius II and the job never got finished. Nethertheless Pienza is an absolute gem of a Renaissance town. Perched on a hill top and garlanded with churches and piazzettas. Please do follow us!
F is for Ian Hamilton Finlay
If you read a review of “Letters from IHF to to Stephen Bann” which appeared in December 4th’s London Review of Books, you will learn that he was agrophobic, foul-mouthed and one to raise a mallet to his friendships, notably his best man Hugh MacDiarmid (described as the poineer of synthetic Scots). Please do follow…
B is for Brian
Garden guides can be brilliant or so annoying that you want to rattle your teeth and burst into tears. Brian, I am happy to tell you, is my nominee for guide of the year award. Tucked away up a remote valley in Umbria due south of Lake Trasimeno is the weird and wonderful architectural fantasy…
A is for anonymous
This summer I visited a garden in England that was designed by the elusive Pascal Cribier. After an exchange of letters I was given permission to have a look but not to write about it and flaunt photographs. So here are two anywhere pictures that respect the privacy sentiment. Please do follow us!
Jardin d’Epi Cure – jardin de soin
I’m struggling a bit – my french doesn’t go beyond ordering a cuppa and Wiki translation is not helping. I’m leafing through a document that is headed: “La Maison des Aulnes, residence d’accueil pour personnes cerebrolesees”. The computer throws up nonsense in translation. The gist is obvious so, tear up the paperwork, and let…
The gardens at Quai Branly, Paris by Gilles Clement
Sitting pretty by the Seine, in the 7th arrondissement, with terraces of Haussmann-order breathing down on the south side, there was a bit of a brouhaha over this plot of land. It’s nearest metro stop, Alma-Marceau is also the right one if you want to visit the Paris sewers and the Eiffel Tower which sticks…