Art in Context: Inspiration from England

So many gardens, so many ideas….I'm just back from leading my tour England in Full Bloom and have so much to share with you. I tried to post daily highlights on Facebook but thought I'd take this blog post to share some of the fun art installations we saw on our travels that varied in…

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Gateway Wildlife Garden – Chelsea 2023

It's a balance. I want to create habitat for wildlife – but that doesn't mean I want to live in an overgrown 5-acre field. I therefore designed the gardens closest to our home to be more ornamental, featuring some of my favorite deer-resistant trees, shrubs and perennials, with a mid-point transition area consisting of a…

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Ancient Garden Art: Well Dressings

Mystery, secrecy, intrigue – it all happens behind closed (barn) doors in the Peak District, Derbyshire. Plans are made, sketches discussed, materials gathered and volunteers found as villagers huddle together to discuss the next well dressing. Well dressing is an ancient, pagan tradition dating back to the Romans or Celts (no-one is quite sure) when…

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Budget Friendly Greenhouse Design

Lack of space, budget, and materials wasn't going to stop Axton Burton from building a greenhouse in which to overwinter his prized, tropical houseplants. With his rented studio apartment clearly not an ideal location for such a structure and the majority of residential greenhouses too short to accommodate his ice cream banana tree (Musa acuminata…

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A visit to Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park, Yorkshire

Home to over 80 Contemporary Sculptures set within 45 acres of breathtaking gardens, this Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park is inspired by the Himalayas yet nestled into the picturesque Yorkshire countryside. However, when I read the gushing online reviews of rhododendrons, azaleas and the new Primula meadow, I was concerned that while this would be…

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