Pears & Parrots in Paradise

Tucked away down a dusty rural lane in the Franschhoek Valley, South Africa is one of the hidden gems  we visited on our recent tour. In all fairness, we arrived shortly after unseasonably heavy rains had caused devastating landslides so visitors would normally have a much less adventurous arrival! Le Poirier is a small farm…

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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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Inspiration from RHS Wisley

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to visit the historic home of the Royal Horticultural Society: RHS Garden Wisley.  Like its northern counterpart RHS Harlow Carr which I have visited several times, it is jam-packed with inspiration for home gardeners and designers alike. Since I was visiting in May, that helped me narrow my…

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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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Designing a Winter Wonderland

It's all very well knowing that for a garden to look good in winter it has to have "good bones". But what do you do when a foot or more of snow turns those bones into a lumpy graveyard? Seriously – since when do white lumps look like anything other than just white lumps? When…

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