Oh Portmeirion, how I love you! I think this week’s visit was maybe my 6th or 7th. The previous three times had been for Festival No.6. Fun though those weekends were, it has to be said that Portmeirion is a far lovelier proposition when it is not swarming with 10,000 bearded hipsters. On that most perfect of things, a British summer’s day – warm but not hot, hazy sunshine, a light breeze – we this time pottered around with toddler in tow.
As my year away from work on maternity leave was drawing to a close – a time I will always look back on as one of those charmed periods you occasionally get in life – we decided to take ourselves off to the beautiful Lake District for a cheeky mid-weeker. We stayed in Keswick which was the destination for many of my own childhood family holidays and, as my husband observed, a place I tend to drift back to when trying to cope with periods of transition. With the inevitable anxiety about my forthcoming return to work, settling our little boy into nursery, and my husband juggling his own freelance work with increased childcare, a few days away in the breathtaking scenery surrounding Derwentwater was just the ticket. Seeking to stretch the holiday out just a little longer on a glorious September morning we decided to stop off at Holehird Gardens, just outside Windermere, before making the journey home. Continue reading
When developing a garden I imagine that for most of us the first consideration is the visual: colour schemes, shapes and forms, composition. We might also think about choosing plants which provide fragrance that we can enjoy with our morning coffee or evening glass of wine, as I discussed in a previous blog. But how many of us consider the role of sound in the way we experience gardens and green spaces, never mind deliberately incorporate elements which contribute to and enhance the soundscape? Continue reading
Gardens, even small ones or indeed any greenery, can provide a much appreciated habitat for wildlife, particularly in our increasingly urbanised living spaces. Whatever planting you have is likely to harbour some of the creatures with which we share our planet. However, there are a number of initiatives that can be applied in outdoor spaces which can really enhance the environment and attract a wide range of wildlife to the doorstep of our homes. This blog provides an overview of 10 ideas for supporting wildlife in gardens and other outdoor spaces. Continue reading
Green City Gardens 