Archive for November, 2009
Sussex Prairie gardens, Henfield
Posted by editor on Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Today we visited the 6-acre Sussex Prairie garden near Henfield – www.sussexprairies.co.uk – absolutely inspirational if you love late-flowering perennials. Here the large borders have been planted in a free-flowing naturalistic style by owners Paul and Pauline McBride. The garden is sited on a farm and despite this being a relatively new garden, it’s maturity and connection with the the wider landscape is just sublime. A real advantage to using perennials: they mature and fill the space quickly, creating impact in a relatively short time.
The garden features many unusual varieties of herbaceous perennials – Veronicastrums, Thalictrums, Persicarias, Sanguisorbas, Kniphofias and Hemerocallis. Plus huge drifts of ornamental grasses and Asters, and many varieties of Miscanthus, Panicums, Molinias, Sporobolis and Penisetum.
For further inspiration on late-flowering perennials, read Noel Kings
bury’s Natural Garden Style. A very informative book – and I just love the cover design, an illustration by printmaker Angie Lewin www.angielewin.co.uk
Coming soon…Garden House events for Jan-Feb 2010
Posted by editor on Monday, 23 November 2009
Although some dates and prices are yet to be confirmed – we thought you’d like a taster of what’s to come in early 2010!
January:
Saturday 16th – Fruit Tree pruning; one-day workshop. Cost: £50
Friday 22nd – Geoff Mead, local landscape historian; an evening talk ‘Muck and Money’. Cost: £15
Saturday 30th – Basic Beekeeping; one-day workshop, exploring the possibilities of keeping bees in your own garden. Cost: £50
February:
Saturday 13th – coach trip to RHS Wisley; an escorted tour. Cost: £35 or £32.50 each if two friends book together (£7 discount for RHS members)
Tues 23rd (and 2nd March) – Rag-rugging; two-part course run by Sue Samways. Cost: £45 for the two sessions
Friday 26th – Ian Currie, weatherman; an evening talk about understanding the weather forecast. Cost: £12.50
All our courses and talks are led by speakers and specialists whose expertise we value, and who we know will inspire and inform. Evening talks include a glass of wine; one-day courses include lunch and a glass of wine!
Look out for more details soon.
The Land Girls exhibition
Posted by editor on Saturday, 14 November 2009
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery – 3 October 2009 to 14 March 2010. During World War II, over 200,000 women joined the Women’s Land Army. The heroic image of the land girl standing tall in her corduroy breeches, green jumper and brown felt hat, fork resting over her shoulder, has become an iconic symbol of the triumph of wartime agriculture.
This exhibition highlights personal stories, propaganda, paintings, posters and photographs. It reveals the experiences of women as they leave their pre-war lives to learn milking, rat catching, threshing and tractor driving. At the heart of this story are the surviving items of their distinctive uniform – where it was made, who wore it, what they did, how women felt about wearing it and the reactions they encountered.
A Wartime Christmas
Posted by editor on Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. Saturday 14 November. A talk by social and cultural historian Sarah Tobias. Find out how people celebrated Christmas when money and luxuries were in short supply and food was rationed. Includes ideas for thrifty retro gifts and decorations.
Tickets £12; booking details on http://www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk/Museums/brightonmuseum/Pages/home.aspx
Some weeds are nice…
Posted by editor on Thursday, 5 November 2009
Aegopodium podagraria
get out of my area
you’re even scarier
if a little less hairier
(if spines are hairs that are dense)
than Cirsium arvense
that grows ever more dense
as it creeps along my fence
and spoils the aesthetic sense
and gives me the fear
unlike Senecio jacobaea
that can almost appear
like a little yellow cheer
unless you’re a steer
in which case you’d better steer clear
because it will kill you.
Then into this milieu
comes Rumex obtusifolious
that is almost the holiest
for an Urtica sting
it will do its thing
and soothe your skin
in an act akin
to self sacrifice.
You see,
some weeds are nice…
Poem by Renee McAlister (gardener, and Garden House friend)