Chelsea Flower Show 2022: Favorite Sanctuary Garden #2

Sometimes ignorance really is bliss. Had I read the background on The Boodles Travel Garden , designed by Tom Hoblyn ahead of time I'd have struggled to comprehend it on that level, trying to determine which plant represented which country for example. Even now, truthfully, the written concept does nothing for me other than indicate…

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Chelsea Flower Show 2022: Favorite Sanctuary Garden #1

I had to stop and pinch myself more than once. I was actually here – at the one and only Chelsea Flower Show, with a coveted Press Pass no less, enabling me to photograph all the gardens with fewer crowds (although dodging the BBC cameras mounted on enormous booms was a challenge at times!) Although…

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It's Showtime 2022!

Noted by Better Homes and Gardens as one of the BEST garden shows in the country, The Northwest Flower & Garden Show is back in Seattle this week. If you're a keen gardener, a new gardener, a gardener with questions or just ready for a day out this is for you. I've only missed one…

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Bringing Sunshine to Winter Days

There are only so many grey days I can take. Seattle isn't exactly known for its winter sunshine, but after several days of relentless freezing fog I'd had enough. I even went to the lake for a swim – usually a panacea for all things grey, and while it was wonderful in its zingy 'now-I-know-I'm-alive'…

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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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