Ode to Gelert and Powis revisited
From Llandudno, we again headed down to the village of Beddgelert to visit the grave of the dog, Gelert, who lost his life defending the children of Prince Llewellyn against a huge wolf.
When I was 10, I visited this site with my Dad who told me to be like Gelert - loyal and quick to defend but not like...
Second Wales-Ireland tour begins in brilliant sunshine
After the Chelsea Flower Show, which was magnificent and so much fun, we headed back to Manchester to meet our new group to start the second garden tour of the Lake District and North Wales and Ireland.
Manchester, of course, was a much more sombre place because of the tragic event of last week than when we were there for...
Fewer feature gardens but Chelsea Flower Show still fabulous
It is always a joy to attend the Chelsea Flower Show. This year's show was no exception. It was a delight in every way with stunning display gardens and immaculate plant exhibits and a stunning array of garden sculpture and quirky decorative accessories.
There were fewer main display gardens than in previous years - eight compared to 15 or more...
Top new plants and flower displays at Chelsea Flower Show
It's always tricky to decide which are the key plants at the Chelsea Flower Show because there are literally thousands on display.
But it did appear that purple and blue were favoured for flower and foliage colours with sprinklings of white, particularly white flowers of lychnis and ragged robin flowers.
Irises are always a popular pick by designers along with verbascum...
Quirky, whimsical and imaginative touches at the Chelsea Flower Show
There are dozens of quirky, whimsical, imaginative items on display at the Chelsea Flower Show. The pity is that you can't buy some of it and get it home, although some retailers do ship.
But here are a few of the more interesting items that caught my eye at this week's show.
Copper garden sofa. This was part of a display...
Last day in Dublin: Book of Kells, Guinness and literary pubs
Our last days in Dublin were spent making a few important visits - one to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College, another to tour the Guinness factory and a few key sights around the cit.
We ended our time in Dublin with a magical literary pub crawl that involved being guided through the streets to quality pubs by...
From Waterford to the glorious garden of Mount Usher
Waterford, which is said to be Ireland’s oldest town, dating back to the time when it was a Viking settlement, was a delight.
We toured the famous crystal factory and saw some amazing crystal pieces. We wandered the town and found some fantastic little pubs and great eateries.
Waterford is a very cute, calm, mid-size town with population of 50,000-plus. It...
A plantman’s paradise and Ireland’s jewel garden
On our way to Waterford, we stopped at one of the cutting-edge new plant gardens in Ireland, Hunting Brook, owned by Jimi Blake, one of horticulture’s new generation of plant cognoscenti.
Jimi met us at the gate and immediately began pointing out some of his fantastic plant treasures, starting with what he sometimes calls his signature plant, Aralia echincaulis.
We immediately...
Into two beautiful, old, magical Dublin gardens
Great gardens are not just beautiful but have other special qualities, such as the ability to relax and heal and rejuvenate. Others have the ability to transport you to another place and time and give a powerful sense of transcendence and other-worldliness.
We travelled to the outskirts of Dublin today to visit two unique, beautiful and much loved gardens that...
Into fantastic Powis Castle garden
Today, we travelled from Portmeirion to the town of Welshpool on the Wales-England border to visit the famous garden of the 13th century, Powis Castle.
Powis is not a castle like others we have seen at Harlech and Criccieth; it is more of a grand country mansion that acted as a medieval fortress and has castle-like walls and turrets. Unlike...
From Llandudno to Portmeirion
After visiting Bodnant Garden, we travelled to the seaside town of Llandudno and checked in to one of the stately, old-world Victorian-style hotel on the promenade. I had been here with my father when I was 10 and I had very fond memories our time together there.
I was worried a little that this popular seaside town that was at...
Into Bodnant Garden
Bodnant Garden in Tal-y-Cafn, near Colwyn Bay, Conwy, is one of Wales's most famous gardens and one of the most well-known world-wide for the number of excellent plants that have been bred there and successfully introduced to horticulture.
We arrived around lunchtime, after a short trip down from the Lake District. When we arrived, the sun was shining, the sky...
Into Levens and the Lakes
Before leaving Manchester for the Lake District, we stopped to see the superb art of 20th century painter L.S. Lowry at the Lowry Museum at Salford Quays.
This spectacular complex, opened in 2000 by the Queen, was part of a major transformation of the former derelict dock lands.
Lowry painted dramatic landscapes of factories and mills with smoking chimneys and treeless...
Time to see great gardens in England, Wales and Ireland
Today I am heading to the UK to lead two garden tours in England, Wales and Ireland, starting in Manchester, then to the Lake District and North Wales, then over to Dublin and southern Ireland and from there down to London for the magnificent Chelsea Flower Show.
More than 60 people are coming with me; 30 on each tour. It is going to wonderful.
To get...
Upcoming England-Wales-Ireland Tour
Next month, I will be leading two back-to-back garden tours to England, North Wales, Ireland and then to the Chelsea Flower Show in London.
Each day of these tours I will be posting stories and photographs here. You can follow along with us as we move. And you will get to see and hear about some of the fabulous gardens...
My garden tours are a big hit
Over the past eight years, I have led 20 garden tours around the world. My first tour was a cruise around Italy and to Croatia, starting in Rome and visiting Florence and Sicily and Venice and seeing some spectacular gardens on the way - Villa d'Este outside Rome, Boboli garden in Florence, Villa Cimbrone in Ravello and the botanical...
Golden memories of great Welsh garden Powis Castle
In May, I will be taking a group to North Wales to see some of the loveliest gardens there.
One of them is Powis Castle garden, just outside Welshpool.
I have been there twice before. The first time, I walked down the terraces from the house (castle) with its red brick walls and to the Orangery where I saw a magnificent...
