Monthly Archives: September 2024

After two recent posts about Piercefield, the picturesque landscape near Chepstow,  I thought it might be a good idea to explore the idea of the Picturesque a bit more.  It’s one of those terms tossed about in garden history and … Continue reading →

Look at almost any website  about orchids and you’ll discover that there is a Greek myth which explains how they came into being and how they got their name.  The myth tells of  Orchis, the son of a satyr and … Continue reading →

Have you ever grown an apple tree from seed? It’s one of those things I guess many of us tried as a child but I doubt any of us were even ten per cent  as successful as Mary Ann Brailsford. … Continue reading →

In the spring of 1829 a 20 year old trainee gardener from Frankfurt came to  Britain to visit gardens and nurseries. He  met John Claudius Loudon, the garden writer who recommended places to visit and then asked  him to write … Continue reading →