Monthly Archives: February 2025

There can’t be many great landscape gardeners who, as a young man,  fought against Napoleon in the Peninsular War or against the Americans in the War of 1812. Yet one who did both went on to become a well-known artist … Continue reading →

One of the highlights of my recent trip to southern India was  to  visit the botanic gardens  in a place known now as Udhagamandalam, (officially  at least) although I didn’t hear anyone anywhere call it that.  Instead they all talked … Continue reading →

I’ve just returned from a trip to southern India where one of the most amusing incidents was being taken to Banana Street, a narrow alleyway that led off the main fruit and vegetable market in  Madurai. The 40 or so … Continue reading →

  All that talk of seaweed and photography by Anna Atkins in last week’s post reminded me that, like fern collecting, seaweed collecting was a very big thing in the mid-19thc and taken up by many middle class women as … Continue reading →