The first time I cam across the real Opium poppy was at the Hortus Loci in the UK when I strolled through the heavenly nursery grounds in order to choose plants for my Chelsea in Bloom garden for the Dubarry of Ireland Flagship store on King’s Road. The choice at this nursery is truly incredible with colour exploding at every turn and one of the true stars of the show
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Croatia – an Adriatic dream My love affair with Southern Europe started when I was about a year old. My parents, true adventurers, took me to spend a year on the incredible island of Ithaka in Greece. I think it was this early experience of arid landscape, cerulean skies and hot air scented with Rosemary, Sage and Lavender, which has seen me drawn to similar landscapes all my life. Whether
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With so much in blossom this month I thought it would be lovely to have a look at some flowers from an edible point of view. You’d be amazed at how many of the flowers in the garden we see every day are actually edible. As a garden designer I am always learning more about edible plants and am always fascinated by new discoveries. Growing edible plants with children is
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Have you ever come across a garden and sighed with the sheer impact it has on you? As a garden designer and writer this is one effect which I am always searching for, in my own designs but also in gardens I visit and write about. Clever composition in planting is one important aspect of a garden that feels magical. Carefully placed plants, with sympathetic companions make for visual feasts
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Most of us know the lovely herbaceous perennial Lupin as a useful addition to the garden border. A very pretty plant with textured leaves and candelabra shapes flowers, it is one that adds great colour and useful verticality to a planting scheme. Not many people however know the interesting history and fascinating uses of this plant in the culinary world. The Lupin or Lupine as it is known as
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