spring colours

Miss Pickering

Miss Pickering gorgeous photos and great blog

Taking a leaf out of Charlie Dimmock's Book

Just had a very long weekend of work.... planting plans .  Just doing a little tidying up,  there is paper everywhere and a little light glaze of Spray Adhesive from all the photo collages.  Just putting all the books away for planting inspiration and sitting on the top is 'Paul Mckenna' I can make you slim book.  This made me laugh and made me think about my drinking evening out on Saturday.  I was talking to  a rather lovely man who knew Charlie Dimmock and he said how beautiful she was all natural, hair messy, no make-up jeans and wellies.

  Then all the other men piped up and agreed.  One of which is my brother-in-law, who likes nothing more than my pretty sister in wellies in the middle of a flower bed ... think, his preference is floaty print skirt and wellies.  This has got me thinking, I wish I had known all this when I was younger.  All plucked, sun-bedded and not a hair out of place in my (fake Chanel-who the hell did I think I was) faze.  Attracting all the wrong men and really trying to be something I am clearly not.  Having said that not quiet ready to release the tweezers and relinquish the odd spot of highlights.                                                                       

Elspeth Thompson.....Gardening read on sunday mornings

She really did write beautifully and its a book for sunday morning,  sitting in the sunshine having a cup of tea.

Ready for spring , please ............

I think he is waiting for spring sunshine too......

BEST IN SHOW .... TELL ANDY STURGEON HE DOES'NT STAND A CHANCE

This is now taking pride of place in the studio.... apparently Mr Cleve West left this as a note to Mr Andy Sturgeon last week.  Very funny

All this design stuff...... design generator days... should i put a Box ball there as a punctuation in the planting plan... should my planting be simple and minimalists or soft and tonal....... too many questions.  Sitting designing gardens can feel out of touch.  So on a Monday night I dropped in on the local 'Hardy Plant Society' Middlesex.  Talk about a dose of reality.  This is a large group of ' more mature' people who are dedicated and passionate about plants.  Tables full of beautiful, meticulously cared for plants and loud chat.. swapping seeds and plants..... it really was lovely to see.  That is what you can lose sight of designing if your not careful.  After today in the studio, I stopped and went into the local garden centre ... just wanted to buy something.. to keep a grip and not get too taken away with the whole      'Your the designer thing' .  Its about plants and people who love them. 

Picked up a Saxifraga umbrosa 'London Pride'   looks gorgeous and green and cabbage like ... just what was needed to plant in an old bucket.... no designing required.

Mothers Day is coming

Just thinking about mothers day..... my mother, I don't think was a great gardener..... this is the only photo I can find of her doing anything remotely gardening and I imagine this holding of a mower was just a good photo opportunity... clearly by that lovely 50s frock she is wearing.  How things have changed..... I wonder how many women now garden. My mother looks at me in horror when I am muddy...

Looking at the David Austen rose catalogue. Must get to work .... next design, a small garden in Richmond.