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Practical Presents for the Gardener at Christmas.

Dear Fellow Readers, As you know I don’t get the chance to write that often as you’ll find me working outside doing rather saying. To be honest it’s the best place. At the moment every single daylight hour is spent prepping the gardens I care for for the seasons ahead, whether it be pruning up…

Shoe Town: The rise of #Shoeplants

Dear fellow readers, it is with much joy that I can say we’ve survived the judging rounds of this years East Midlands and Britain in Bloom finals. Yes two rounds of judging. Hurrah! From humble beginnings last year, Kardi and I have managed to expand the theme through the town in 2018 and this year…

Alliums and Rhinos

The Cotswold Wildlife Park – A celebration of the gardens. A book by Harriet Hycroft with Tim Miles. Alliums and Rhinos, Oaks and Giraffes. Great combination plantings don’t you think? The humble onion family and some of the most endangered animals? Both may make you tearful in one way or another. Well, welcome to The…

Salvia Salivation

The Salvia. Years of association with Gaudí coloured council bedding displays the humble Salvia has so much more to offer. From Seasoned sage (Salvia officinalis) to Chia seed (Salvia hispanica) the genus spans from the Americas to Asia. Two years ago I discovered the garden of Rolando Uria, the man behind Salvia Amistad in Mar del Plata, Argentina…

Shoe Town

Tuesday 11th July. Overcast skies and a sense of pride, it’s judging day for shoe town. Kardi and I have been working ‘blooming’ hard to get this years street entry into reality and we think we’ve done our town of Northampton proud. Well the council even included us on the official route for the…

The Horticultural Diaries of Che Coles Part 1: Santiago and the the glacier climb

Two hours to Madrid, fourteen to Santiago. Thirty degree heat and a pisco sour, I find myself in Chile and about to embark on an epic journey south. Hills rise from the streets. A haze of smog below the Andes. Shade seekers somber the leafy plazas drinking cups of Mote. Welcome to Santiago! Staying in…

Green fingered families

Three years ago I was asked to write for a family blogging site encouraging green fingered family activities involving food. Here it is again with some pictures of my apprentices from this weekend just gone. Thank you Martha and Stanley you were great. I hope the tips below will help you. Spring is coming so…

Easter at Rousham

An early Easter Sunday morning I find myself at Rousham with fellow Allhorts. A garden designed by Kent, William Kent. It was early indeed, the clocks had gone forward and a few of the group rocked up tardy. Some had wind problems, thankfully the weather kind, others chronological issues with alarm clocks. They promised rain, well…

The Horticultural Games

A beautiful sunny June morning finds me at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP). Waiting outside the aquatics centre a raucous bunch of fellow horticulturists formed. Excited not by also the pub meal but the tour of the park by Dr. Phil Askew, Project Sponsor Parklands and Public Realm at QEOP. Over thirty of us…

West Dean, a play in two acts

‘Ah ha, a piece of bindweed!’ That is what a lady said during the morning tour of West Dean gardens. Exactly where, and if it did exist I do not know, as I was too busy engrossed in all the garden theatre in the walled kitchen garden. I say if too because these gardens are…