The best garden I visited this year: a competition.
A small competition everyone – be a star and write me a piece about the best garden you’ve visited this year. Remember – this is thinkingardens. I don’t want any ‘lovelies’ or long winded description and tour of a garden. I want to...
Do you dare? by Anne Wareham
Here is a tale for those new and inexperienced in the garden world. Someone making a garden and hoping for recognition, maybe someone wanting to write about gardens and to move beyond their blog. In other words, someone who is hoping to make a name for themselves in...
How many is enough? Or too many?…by Katherine Crouch
You will all note with horror just how long ago it was that I received this piece. Takes a leap of the imagination, back to March perhaps. Thinking gardeners will have no problem with that. (I’ve been busy) So what do you think? How many repeat plants do you...
How can sense of place help optimise the garden visitor experience? by Janna Schreier
Well, if you wondered how Janna got on with your responses to the questionnaire last year, here you are. It’s not easy. In fact, it’s a challenge worthy of thinking gardeners. I know you’ll be up to it. Janna was – congratulations, Janna, from...
What does ‘wild’ actually mean? by Debbie Wilson
Ah, who’d be fashionable? Or classy? Someone else with a new garden which has prompted reflections. Anne Wareham, editor Away From It All by Debbie Wilson Having only ever had back gardens, I suddenly found myself with six...
The Mad Enterprise of Starting a New Garden by Bridget Hannigan
Just over 30 years ago I started making the garden at Veddw with not much else than a spade and a desperate need to have a garden. There was no internet, we knew no-one, and had very little money. But we had a rather depressing house and two acres of field. The...
Do me a big favour? by Anne Wareham
Do me a big favour – share this with someone who finds gardens totally boring Anne Wareham, editor I recently published a piece here, by Tim Ingram, asking what the purpose of a garden is. Tim basically said a garden is for botanical interest, for...
What is the Purpose of a Garden? by Tim Ingram
We have frequently discussed whether gardens could be art. This piece by Tim Ingram presents a totally different vision of what a garden may be. Are these ideas of gardens contradictory? Mutually exclusive? Or do both miss the point? Anne Wareham, editor ...
Getting youngsters into horticulture: why bother? by Rachel the Gardener
Our regular readers will observe that we have a new advert in the sidebar. I had practically given up on adverts as worthless clutter, apart from our trademark and faithful Everedge. But this is good stuff by another reputable company. If you want to learn how to...
Natural Selection: A Year in the Garden by Dan Pearson reviewed by Tristan Gregory
Someone somewhere may have been wondering why Thinkingardens had disappeared. My apologies – I’ve been on a post garden opening holiday and recovery break. I am especially grateful to Tristan for this review, knowing how fraught his life also is these...
Chelsea 2017 – this ghastly fame phenomenon, by Catharine Howard.
I had intended to join the sponsors and give Chelsea a miss this year, but I can’t turn down a good offer. Catharine was less than delighted by Chelsea 2017….. Anne Wareham, editor Chelsea 2017 – this ghastly fame phenomenon, by Catharine Howard. ...
What style? by Kate Cox
If you’re a garden designer, do you design gardens based on what you love? On what originally inspired you to become a designer? On your own garden? On major public gardens? Or what the client wants? I hope Kate won’t mind me saying that she struggled with...
The Deckchair Gardener reviewed by Catharine Howard
When Catharine asked me if she could review The Deckchair Gardener for thinkingardens I just felt pleased – as you do when someone wants to review your book. I had no idea originally whether she would slam it, knowing my declared commitment to honesty, and I was...
Recent Posts from: Veddw
Favour the Ferns
Many years ago The Financial Times sent me to do a feature on the RHS ‘Flower Show’ at Tatton Park . I was totally naïve and had no idea what I was supposed to do or to write about. So my excitement was tempered by acute anxiety. The term ‘imposter syndrome’ could have been invented for me. […]
Snowdrop mania is coming…
In the UK, right now, the horticultural world is about to drive us all mad with snowdrops. Pictures of. Articles about. Gardens with them. Anything people can think of to bash us over the head with snowdrops.
Brilliant Brecon
Recently we made a visit to Brecon. This is not far from us, in case anyone was getting over excited about the possibility that I might have been travelling again. It’s in Wales, in the Brecon Beacons, recently re-christened Bannau Brycheiniog.
You should have been here Next Year
Charles made a complaint recently when we were walking in the garden.
When I complained about him complaining he told me that it was good for me to have complaints about the planting.
Garden Seats – to make and sit on.
I am discovering more and more often that it is important to have a great many seats in the garden. In fact there should probably be one every three feet or so.
