Garden Museum Literary Festival 2023 at Parham House in Sussex

The 9th Garden Museum Literary Festival took place on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th June at Parham House and Garden in West Sussex and we were delighted to be part of it. This event is one of our absolute favourite events in the entire calendar and we would happily cross continents to attend. Indeed one other attendee had done just that, travelling from New York. … Continue reading Garden Museum Literary Festival 2023 at Parham House in Sussex

The Renaissance Gardener26 June 202327 June 20232 Comments

France, Gardens to visit, Memories, Sussex, The story

My top 10 from 2020

This time last year I downloaded an app called Top 9 which selects the best (not sure by what criteria) nine photos posted on Instagram during the previous year. I’m seeing a few people posting their Top 9 so I decided I’d revisit it. Unfortunately the app doesn’t want to play ball, just hanging and displaying the message “Doing some housekeeping …”. Its been doing … Continue reading My top 10 from 2020

The Renaissance Gardener31 December 20201 Comment

France, Musings and observations, Sussex, The story

A Christmas Letter – Part 1 “us”

I was an early adopter of the idea of writing Christmas letters. Some people call them Round Robins. Many ridicule them. But general feedback on mine is that they are welcomed and received with interest. So I shall continue to write one even at the end of this very strange year of 2020, even though I don’t necessarily feel like it. Like so many of … Continue reading A Christmas Letter – Part 1 “us”

The Renaissance Gardener4 December 20201 Comment

Spring, Sussex, The story

Chionodoxas: a sparkling thread linking my homes across the years

Just four days after my 22nd birthday I moved into my second house, one I was to stay living in for almost 39 years. 13 days before Christmas, cold and dark, life remained mostly on the inside. Christmas Eve brought the arrival of a 9-week old Irish Setter, a surprise Christmas present (not something I would either recommend or wish on anyone). The puppy arrived … Continue reading Chionodoxas: a sparkling thread linking my homes across the years

The Renaissance Gardener7 March 20204 Comments

Spring, Sussex, The story

Snowdrops and me; is this a virus?

We had many snowdrops in our Surrey garden from where we moved nearly five years ago, as the first stage in our French adventure. Mostly they were Galanthus nivalis (i.e. the common snowdrop) but I’d also introduced a few choicer cultivars. I don’t remember where the first snowdrops came from, whether they were already in the garden in 1975 when we moved there, or whether … Continue reading Snowdrops and me; is this a virus?

The Renaissance Gardener28 February 202028 February 20203 Comments

France, Spring, Sussex

Spring bulbs: success, failure and looking ahead to the future

Planting bulbs is one of my least favourite activities. The task usually falls to my trusty OH, with my responsibilities lying with research, selection, and buying. Last autumn I was determined to get ahead and made a wonderful selection from Peter Nyssen whose excellent customer service (via Karen and colleagues) is renowned on social media. The plans were limited to the Sussex garden, as I … Continue reading Spring bulbs: success, failure and looking ahead to the future

The Renaissance Gardener14 February 202015 February 20206 Comments

#IAVOM, Sussex

In a vase on Monday

i hope I’m not committing a dreadful faux pas with this post. Karen Gimson at The Bramble Garden, a blog I follow, posts #IAVOM, a record of a vase of flowers, each week. I like the idea and have decided to try and do the same (assuming – and hoping – I’m not called to task for plagiarism). I hope it’s a social media movement … Continue reading In a vase on Monday

The Renaissance Gardener29 April 201910 October 20193 Comments

France, Spring, Sussex, Weather

Rain stopped play (but not the weeds …)

We are here at the French house on a two-week visit, one week either side of Easter weekend, a special and precious time together. I’m still recuperating after a very intensive working period, and R is partly working and partly having a few days of holiday. Our gardener has been here several times during our visit, making a flight of steps down into the new … Continue reading Rain stopped play (but not the weeds …)

The Renaissance Gardener26 April 201926 April 20194 Comments

Gardens to visit, Sussex

A winter walk at Wakehurst Place

For a number of reasons spirits have been sinking lower and lower. A voluntary task was becoming a seriously unsustainable burden. Work was ramping up in pressure (albeit exactly as expected as moving into a busy time). An unforeseeable crisis caused stress and heartache which isn’t going to go away. Capacity was at full stretch, I’d worked all through last weekend and many evenings over … Continue reading A winter walk at Wakehurst Place

The Renaissance Gardener23 February 201910 October 20195 Comments

France, Sussex, The story

Lady Smocks all Silver White

So, how did this adventure come about? Having listened to some friends talking about their ideas to buy a house in France (initially with not a little envy), being quite amazed to discover from RightMove quite how much value the French property market offered, we looked at each other with the same thought in mind, expressed out loud as “we could do that, shall we think … Continue reading Lady Smocks all Silver White

The Renaissance Gardener23 March 20166 January 20175 Comments

The Renaissance Gardener

Making a garden in south-west France … and much more …

Category: Sussex