“The site was wasteland, a wilderness lying between our farm and our neighbours. It consisted of a long spring-fed hollow where the soil lay black and waterlogged, surrounded by sun-baked gravel…in one of the driest parts of the country. But it was the extreme variation in growing conditions which intrigued us, the possibility lying before us of growing…plants adapted by nature to different situations.” Beth Chatto Continue reading
It is possible to be winded by a garden? For a place to feel so ‘breath-taking’ your body actually shuts down for a second or two? Continue reading
As time goes on I become more and more inspired by nature, observing increasingly stronger connections between garden design and natural landscapes. So whilst our recent trip to Norway didn’t leave me under any illusions that Norwegians, on the whole, are mad keen gardeners, it did leave me that little further along the learning curve when it comes to garden design. Continue reading
I’ve been to the Olympics! Admittedly, four years late.
We seem to have made a habit of missing them, arriving in Beijing – from our then home of Kuala Lumpur – to miss the 2008 Olympics by a matter of days, living on completely the wrong side of the world in 2012 and then leaving the Southern Hemisphere just as the Olympics arrived there this year.
And having not yet bought a TV in London it’s even a challenge to follow from afar, so instead, Paul and I ventured over to Stratford to try and find some Olympic-magic there. Continue reading
The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show opens today in London, exhibiting an amazing 47 show gardens and over 500 horticultural stands. You’d be right in guessing that this is the largest garden show in the world. Although also run by the Royal Horticultural Society, unlike Chelsea, it has a very relaxed feel to it and visitors are actively encouraged to get in amongst the plants in many of the gardens. Continue reading
To round off this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, I thought I’d share a few final ‘happy snaps’ of plantings that brought a particularly big smile to my face, as I dreamily wandered around the Royal Hospital grounds. Continue reading
An imaginarily perfect garden, or a real life one?
You could be forgiven for thinking this was one of those ‘imaginary’ gardens. You know, the impossibly perfect ones you see on Pinterest – with no mention of Continue reading
The serene Palais El Badiî, Marrakech, with sunken orchards
I’ve shared with you my two favourite gardens from Marrakech, Le Jardin Secret and Jardin Majorelle, but there were so many more that we saw and loved. I hadn’t Continue reading
Native grasses and trees blend with the nearby bush at the front of Mark Paul’s garden
I feel extraordinarily lucky to live in the beautiful Sydney suburb of Mosman. We have, by my admittedly not very scientific calculations, around 15 kilometres of harbour frontage, six idyllic Continue reading
Grevillea heaven overlooking the Swan River at Kings Park
I think every Australian should visit Kings Park at least once in their life. It’s hard to think that you could possibly pay a visit and not fall in love with our native plants. From (almost) virgin bush to Continue reading
Janna Schreier Garden Design 