A reminder to 'Stop and Smell the Flowers'

March 27, 2025

* I was invited to the press preview of Gardeners’ World Live and provided with a pair of tickets to visit the show, therefore all my posts will be marked as 'Ad’ though as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.

Sometimes we all need that reminder don’t we? Whether it’s an actual reminder, or one like that’s prompted by the recent upturn in weather. Stopping and enjoying, let alone smelling the flowers is good for us. Though don’t stop too long at the moment in my garden, or else you’ll see more weeds than I’d like, but of course they have flowers too and are often at this time of year one of the few flowers out so they’re good for our pollinators. Phew, I can leave the weeding for just a little longer then!

But there’s a serious message in this garden which was designed by Julie Haylock. Our world is driven by faceless, fast-paced interaction with technology (and the irony that you’re reading this on my blog isn’t lost on me) but by finding a peaceful sanctuary sitting amongst nature is important for our wellbeing.

In this garden a winding gravel path encourages you to slow down and take in the soft colour palette and fragrance of the flowers, engaging your senses. As you step through the moon gate you’re encouraged to leave behind your busy life to sit for a while and reflect, screened from the world, to focus on the important things: healthy, family and friendship.

What I liked about this garden was the repeating circles, remember in my previous garden we added circles to our lawn, so I think it loosely reminded me of that, and while I like circles in gardens our garden here is the wrong shape for that. Previously our garden was long and thin, so adding circles to the lawn made it appear wider; here our garden is wider than it is long, so circles, or even a large oval would make it appear even more squat and bring the back wall in. Which is a shame, as I know how to do circles!!

The pond was small and so you can see how introducing a pond as part of the Make a Metre Matter campaign would be completely doable, and I like how it’s above ground level in a corten steel bowl. I also like how its softened with the frothy erigirons, a plant that didn’t transport too well from my London garden so is definitely on my purchase list.

It took me a little while to notice though that the ‘Reflect’ banner was hung the wrong way round for most visitors viewing the garden - maybe intentional, maybe not - but either way it doesn’t detract from the space does it.

This planting is brought to life by the wooden sets providing a path around the water feature - but also the peonies, lavender and many other plants in the pink, blue and purple palette really are calming. I didn’t think a water feature was for me, but maybe I’m having second thoughts - argh! so much choice, that’s really quite the thing when you have a blank landscape. I’m not sure how these designers do it, and for the showcase gardens, how they bring it together in such a short space of time.

But I’m also very glad that they do!

* With thanks to Gardeners’ World for inviting me to Gardeners’ World Live, it was just as good as I expected! I’ll be sharing more from my visit to the show - I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

The Chef's Table by Adam Frost

February 27, 2025

This is absolutely my kind of garden, and I’ve realised while writing this post that it brought about the same excitement as when we visited Hunte’s Garden in Barbados - which is an odd comparison I know, but bear with me. This garden is full of herbs, flowers and vegetables rather than the tropical plants in Barbados, but it is jam packed full of them just the same. The dense planting really appeals to me, as does growing herbs, veggies and flowers together - though I guess that’s really not that new an idea, but Adam Frost’s garden does it particularly well.

Adam’s Show Garden is overflowing with edibles growing in a naturalised setting, and provides plenty of ideas for how you can integrate edibles into your own garden. The outdoor cooking-dining area is rustic, perhaps a bit too rustic for my tastes, but I’m pretty sure that I’ll be using this garden as inspiration for my own in the years to come.

The kitchen was put to good use at the show though as Adam welcomed chefs such as James Martin, Michel Roux, Glynn Purnell and Si King into the garden and kitchen at various times over the course of the show. We didn’t catch any of these - James Martin was up on the day we were at the show, but I did have quite a random encounter with Adam himself.

The press invitation is to view the gardens before they open to the public, and takes place the afternoon beforehand and ends with the presentation of the awards - so it’s a fab thing to be invited too. We’d seen a lot of the gardens, and I’d even managed to photograph many of them and so we made our way into the marquee having a look around that, enjoying the peace and quiet which is completely different to show days, when moving around the marquee can be more of a shuffle.

Adam walked past us, still very much in garden prep mode - I’m sure there’s much more than you think to making a show garden look this good, and so not wanting to be an annoying member of the public, as we crossed I just said hello. Being the type of guy he is - very down to earth - he stopped said hello and how are you doing. Fine thanks, and we were past each other, nothing more required. Though, well I’d quite like him to come and design my garden at some point!

He is I’ve decided, from this encounter and from his TV appearances and the chat he did at the awards presentation, a very nice man indeed. I almost said a very nice guy (and he is) but stopped myself as that sounds very Trumpian, and that’s the last thing I want to be, or to ordain someone with!

The show garden had a welcoming rustic feel at its entrance, but as you moved through the garden there was also an orchard and the illusion of water - which I think from a hazy memory is the cream path intersecting the beds in the photo above. I’ll admit that water, or even the illusion of water in a garden isn’t something I’m fussed with in a garden - I know it’d be relaxing, that is until whatever the water feature was needed cleaning, so it’s a no from me.

What was unusual - and gives food for thought in my own garden is the changing paths - there’s the gravel edged with bricks and a wooden boardwalk, both of which have very different textures and textures are so important aren’t they?

I also liked the small groups of pots at points in the path - and I’m sure these pots of succulents influenced me to buy my own succulents the very next day, and which I’ve added to since then too.

The combination of rosemary, geranium and mints - as well as my favourite astrantia - was a heady mix, though I’m not sure I’d plant mint in a border like this - it spreads and spreads, and turns up everywhere. My mint will be staying firmly in a pot I’m afraid.

I had to include this shot, looking down on the thyme, rosemary and santolini with the sun on them - I can almost smell them from here. These are all plants I will have in my garden, the santolini is currently the only one I’m missing though.

Growing vegetables among other plants and making them look good is a skill, and a skill I want to have. The vegetables here - cavolo nero (above) and yellow chard and kale (below) again have texture and bring a colour to the space too.

I was all for heading back to the picnic dining table to see what was cooking, but alas I wasn’t quite brave enough to sit down - and stage a sit in, plus we had a hotel to get to!

Vibrant blooms and hot pink swings

February 13, 2025

I’m sharing another Beautiful Border which really is beautiful - it’s My Garden Escape which was QVC’s Headline Border and was designed by Kitti Kovacs. The borders at the show were sponsored by My Garden Escape at QVC which is no doubt why this has a larger plot than the other borders I’ve shared so far, but what a space.

Kitti Kovacs designed it as ‘a versatile haven for connection and serenity’ and I know I’d quite happily spend a good hour or two here especially on a beautiful summer’s day, you know the sort that have been so lacking in the greys of February.

This border aims to provide a space for connections and tranquility - a space for socialising, but also for finding peace. It’s definitely a bit of a haven - though the blue skies and warm weather helped, I’ll admit that!

And while the chairs are at the centre of the design, there’s so much more to it than them. The planting surrounds the seating area and the varying levels of height almost makes it feel enclosed and safe. And the plants were also something special - including some favourites of mine, and a new favourite too.

You see it’s so much more than about the chairs when you look, but they definitely catch your attention don’t they? And it really shouldn’t be a surprise that this garden was awarded a Gold, it really was a fantastic space.