I can never make my mind up whether it is best to thoroughly research a garden before visiting first-time round, clued up and laden with information. A good tactic but equally so is a full dive in without the background history. This can give a more sincere response to site, planting and atmosphere. Over the…
Category: Garden visits
Why I did not visit Jupiter Artland
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…
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.
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.
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).
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.
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…