My mother told me that when I was a baby I hated going to sleep. She also said that when I was a toddler and was supposed to have a little nap, she would find me asleep yes, but sitting up in my pram and with my fingers trying to hold open my eyes! And… Continue reading Eyes Wide Open
Tag: Nature
Villa Carlotta
Who cares about a spot of rain? Well certainly not the fearless Garden Club members! We all crowded onto the ferry and sat on the few (nearly) dry seats to admire the loveliness of lake Como wreathed in the mists. We arrived at Villa Carlotta, one of the Grandi Giardini Italiani, to be greeted by… Continue reading Villa Carlotta
A Tragi-comic Story with an Unexpected Happy Ending.
I have a young olive tree in my garden; I bought it from a seller with a truck along the roadside, not much hope there I' m afraid. I have no idea what it really is, I mean the botanical classification but anyway it's a kind of homage to Italy because together with those lovely… Continue reading A Tragi-comic Story with an Unexpected Happy Ending.
But I always thought we ENGLISH invented roses….
Yes, well along with everything else worthwhile: cricket, all dressed in white on the village green, bucolic!; afternoon tea with cucumber sandwiches (no crusts) and scones with raspberry jam and whipped cream; a proper breakfast with cholesterol-busting bacon, eggs beans, hash browns, fried bread; the weather with information on the best places to experience it… Continue reading But I always thought we ENGLISH invented roses….
The Best of times, the Worst of times…
I'm quoting Dickens from memory so I might be wrong. I believe they are the first few lines of "A Tale of Two Cities". So,in this period, I guess we're learning a lot, I think we'll have lost some of our fascination with social media by the time this is all over. Honestly, just how… Continue reading The Best of times, the Worst of times…
An almost perfect day (or the art of making the most of what you’ve got)
I overslept, not you would think the best way to start a day but there it is. I decided to do something I'd been neglecting but which fills me with happiness, take a stroll around the garden and take photos. I started off in the far corner to admire my handiwork on the winter jasmin… Continue reading An almost perfect day (or the art of making the most of what you’ve got)
Nordic Walking
My friend Catherine in a valiant but probably doomed attempt to keep us both fit invited me to go to try nordic walking. Luckily the day we were supposed to try, it rained so we had a week's grace, Unfortunately the next Sunday we woke up bright and early because we had put the clocks… Continue reading Nordic Walking
Grazzano Visconti
Last Sunday, Monza Garden Club went to Grazzano Visconti for a plant show. It was held in the grounds of the castle, a medieval structure built by Giovanni Anguissola in 1395 for his wife Beatrice Visconti and it is still in the hands of the Visconti family . It looks very much as you would… Continue reading Grazzano Visconti
Orticolario and good intentions
In Monza parking tariffs were awful as usual and train information was obscure. in fact we mysteriously paid a different price to go from the one we paid to come back. bst The journey is always a pleasure, but we arrived in Como, not Como lake or Como San Giovanni which we had asked for… Continue reading Orticolario and good intentions
Cambridge University Botanic Gardens
Every time I go back home I go to the Botanic Gardens. A wonderful place beautifully laid out: you know it's a Botanic garden because of all the labelling, but it's also a park which people have loved so much that they've left money in their wills for benches for present users. It's laid out… Continue reading Cambridge University Botanic Gardens
English that grows 