The fourth of my articles for the Garden Design Journal is about to be published. No. 3 was on water pumps on this one is a companion piece on filters. I was trying to put myself in the position of wanting to specify a pump and filter but being ignorant of where to start. Its not simple and I hope it comes somewhere close. Ive noticed that a few of the larger pump manufacturers even have apps that will help direct you to a product.. I have yet to try one of these, lacking as I do a smart phone..
The article for the July issue will be on Rapid Prototyping. RP as it is commonly called involves the creation of a model/ prototype directly from CAD data, eg from a 3D modelling packaging, such as SketchUp or Vectorworks. Simplistically a CAD model is saved as a certain type of file (IGES or STL for those who are interested) and emailed to a provider of prototype services, you get a quote back (usually very quickly) and if acceptable a model in the post, typically within a week. The process is relatively simple for “products” such as a new mobile phone, PC, mouse, gadget etc where the part/s being produced are actual size. But for a garden we need to scale the space down so that it will fit onto the RP machine. This scaling can cause problems; in addition plants cannot be modelled, except in a very stylised fashion. In the article I compare the results of 3 of the most popular RP systems however what is omitted is how to get your CAD model into a format that can be read by the RP machines. This could be the subject of an entire article and has been covered to some extent by others. I am happy to discuss how I do this ..but send me a mail (info@paulhensey.com)
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Following the sale of my drawing board, my office looked strange, a small desk pushed into one corner and, apart from boxes of samples, rolled up drawings and scattered shoes, not much else. In my desire for a minimal look, I concealed the book cases when the office was originally created and as such I have found that I don’t “dip” into my reference books as often as I would like.. I forget that I even have some. So.. Ikea to the rescue.. and a simple wheeled shelf unit now sits in the middle of the floor. I have a strict system of filing and the clutter is surprisingly held at bay. The book case only holds a small amount of the books I have aquired but now that some are now visible, I find I do pick one up and leaf through. I will rotate the books so that there is a different selection next month.. so for now here is a picture of what I am currently dipping into.
Some are just references to dip into for visual respite, whilst others are used almost daily.
green buds cometh
it has been with some concern and a lot of hope that we have been looking at the bare branches of our olive tree. You might recall the pictures of it wrapped and heated during the hard winter and with a few weeks of temperatures well below -15C, I did fear that it might be lost. But this last two weeks have seen the emergance of buds and whilst it needs a bit of prune to take out the dead stem ends.. its alive and hopefully thriving.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
A pet’s day in the office seemed like a good idea. It solved the problem of them being left unattended, boarding fees and I thought it would be nice to have the dog curled up under the drawing board and the cat on a chair, metaphorically speaking as of course I sold my drawing board last week.
It all seemed to be going as planned, the little critters dutifully snoozed and I was quickly lulled into a false sense of security. Needing milk and the shop only a street away, what harm could be done in a 6 min absence. Coming back around the corner I noticed a window where the wooden blind looked not unlike those you might see when a window has been blown out in an explosion, shredded, parts randomly dangling down, wooden splinters scattered over the window sill. It was my office window and the culprits were lounging lazily when I got in. There was wood everywhere. I had spent ages finding a blind to fit that window and in less the 6 mins it was chipped. I can only guess that a cat must have sat in front of the window and pulled tongues at them, given them the paw or whatever it is that small furry animals silently do to one another to initiate a flying rage. Pets and work….a goldfish is looking very attractive at present.
It all seemed to be going as planned, the little critters dutifully snoozed and I was quickly lulled into a false sense of security. Needing milk and the shop only a street away, what harm could be done in a 6 min absence. Coming back around the corner I noticed a window where the wooden blind looked not unlike those you might see when a window has been blown out in an explosion, shredded, parts randomly dangling down, wooden splinters scattered over the window sill. It was my office window and the culprits were lounging lazily when I got in. There was wood everywhere. I had spent ages finding a blind to fit that window and in less the 6 mins it was chipped. I can only guess that a cat must have sat in front of the window and pulled tongues at them, given them the paw or whatever it is that small furry animals silently do to one another to initiate a flying rage. Pets and work….a goldfish is looking very attractive at present.
Sunday, 24 January 2010
The end of an era
It was the end of an era. Last night I sold my drawing board. It has been with me for quite a while. When I started designing gardens and landscapes it was from home. I didn’t have a spare room so the loft was partially converted and the “studio” was up there. The access to the loft was too small for even a person to get into really let alone a drawing board, so I creatively removed a section of the ceiling over the stair well. This had the benefit of letting lots of extra light into the house and allowed us to haul the drawing board up (from the picture you’ll see that this was small effort!). The down side was that the floor of my “studio” now had a 3ftx12ft hole in it, that was two storeys deep. On either side of this inconvenience were narrow tables and files. Whatever I required always seemed to be on the other side and I would happily skip back and forth over the hole. It makes me nervous to even think that’s how I used to work. For the past few years it’s lived happily and securely in a ground floor studio. But the way I work has changed and the need for such a large piece of furniture has gradually diminished. I would say that for the last year it has only been nostalgia that has kept it in place, that and the fact that any visitors seem to think it’s a perfect place for keys, coats, bags and boxes. I find myself solving most of a scheme’s problems in a computer now. I always revert to hand drawings in the latter stages of a scheme, but by then I know my scales and geometry and I more frequently use a flat trestle table to work off rather than the drawing board. I want a new trestle, sandblasted glass with under lighting, a large light box if you will, and the sale of the board will fund its replacement, somewhat. But was sad to see it tentatively and not without a bit of cursing, manoeuvred out of the studio. Already the bags and coats are back, just that now they are on the boxes.
Sunday, 17 January 2010
How I am trying to keep an olive tree going in freezing temperatures.
Common wisdom, as I have read it, indicates that an olive is ok down to -7deg C. I am sure that there are opinions either side of that figure, but in recent days when temperatures in our area of NE Lancs dropped to -18, I was worried for my tree.
We have an approx 80yr old olive tree, from Jaen in Spain. It has happily lived in a small corner of our courtyard for a few years and with virtually no care has got through recent winters. I have recently read Rosenbaum’s book on the Olive and the description of the decimation of trees due to severe cold was suddenly a looming concern. The garden was virtually built around the tree and replacing it would be a financial and emotional trauma.
I had put a set of LEDs in the canopy for Xmas..and decided to leave them in. They seem to generate virtually no heat.. but I thought that over a few hours they might just lift the temperature enough. Leaving the canopy open to the elements would allow any warmth to simply be blown away, and following what I have seen in urban gardens in Spain in winter, I wrapped the canopy in a fleece. I ran out of fleece, but a local Asda had an offer on pet bed fleeces (£1.99) and two were enough to double wrap the trunk (held on with cable ties). Next I mounded up bark chippings up the trunk as high as I could go and covered it in a “cone” of plastic sheeting. Mostly this was to keep the cat off who might dig it all off, but I figured it would also keep the snow off the bark and save any water getting into it and freezing. I tried this for a few days. The snow arrived and sat 6” deep on top of the fleece, I thought this might actually add insulation and with the lights turned on it made the tree look like some spectacular mushroom sculpture. But the temperatures promised to dip further, so an additional technique was employed; tea lights around the base. Vineyards use heaters to dispel frost , so could I. They seemed to last about 2 ½ hours, and I used three at a time. Which required a few late nights to ensure there was a fresh set burning around 1am, and that the accumulated heat was enough to get through to morning. The heat I had hoped was retained in the canopy, just enough to keep the worst of the cold off. O one occasion a candle slipped and started to burn the sheet over the bark, throwing snow at a flame seemed like a good idea at the time, but I will stand further back next time! If you look carefully at the picture, there is a tin can hanging off a branch. I added another tea-light here to give a boost.
Was a tree ever as cared for? Despite all this effort, and the fleeces are staying on until spring, I wont know until spring if the effort worked.
We have an approx 80yr old olive tree, from Jaen in Spain. It has happily lived in a small corner of our courtyard for a few years and with virtually no care has got through recent winters. I have recently read Rosenbaum’s book on the Olive and the description of the decimation of trees due to severe cold was suddenly a looming concern. The garden was virtually built around the tree and replacing it would be a financial and emotional trauma.
I had put a set of LEDs in the canopy for Xmas..and decided to leave them in. They seem to generate virtually no heat.. but I thought that over a few hours they might just lift the temperature enough. Leaving the canopy open to the elements would allow any warmth to simply be blown away, and following what I have seen in urban gardens in Spain in winter, I wrapped the canopy in a fleece. I ran out of fleece, but a local Asda had an offer on pet bed fleeces (£1.99) and two were enough to double wrap the trunk (held on with cable ties). Next I mounded up bark chippings up the trunk as high as I could go and covered it in a “cone” of plastic sheeting. Mostly this was to keep the cat off who might dig it all off, but I figured it would also keep the snow off the bark and save any water getting into it and freezing. I tried this for a few days. The snow arrived and sat 6” deep on top of the fleece, I thought this might actually add insulation and with the lights turned on it made the tree look like some spectacular mushroom sculpture. But the temperatures promised to dip further, so an additional technique was employed; tea lights around the base. Vineyards use heaters to dispel frost , so could I. They seemed to last about 2 ½ hours, and I used three at a time. Which required a few late nights to ensure there was a fresh set burning around 1am, and that the accumulated heat was enough to get through to morning. The heat I had hoped was retained in the canopy, just enough to keep the worst of the cold off. O one occasion a candle slipped and started to burn the sheet over the bark, throwing snow at a flame seemed like a good idea at the time, but I will stand further back next time! If you look carefully at the picture, there is a tin can hanging off a branch. I added another tea-light here to give a boost.
Was a tree ever as cared for? Despite all this effort, and the fleeces are staying on until spring, I wont know until spring if the effort worked.
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
It has been a few weeks since I wrote. Whilst I always associate the winter months with slowing down, reflection and idle dark nights at home, I am always taken by surprise at how busy life suddenly gets.
December is when Christmas dominates, it always creeps up on me. I forget that nurseries close the week before and invariabley don’t open until new year. That contractors pretty much do the same as the nurseries. So two weeks of the month is spent idle, or at least I wish it was. I over compensate and strat trying to organise deliveries and plant lists for the new year. The last thing on peoples minds are plants. When they do arrive they are no more than a twig in dirt, little to get excited about. Telling people that they have invested several thousand pounds in the “potential” of two tones of soil, with a lot of free black pots is not really a motivating experience. December gets hijacked. I lost all free will and time in late September I think, time just gets booked up. Friends, meals, drinks, visits, family. I keep a paper diary, the Redstone press ones, if you are interested. Spiral bound and one week a page. I have a short row of years past on the shelf over my desk, probably ten or eleven years worth. The joy of these is being able to open them and review your lifes appointments, crossings out, stuck in theatre or cinema tickets. And reviewing past Decembers… little has changed, perhaps only my memory. I want to spend the time reading up on books I have bought during the year, photographing frost scenes or playing with some new software. I have had the intention of tagging all of my photos for years.. but I produce them faster than I can label them.. so finding useful plant associations, examples of the pergola I have proposed is getting harder. Speaking of which I became aware that Leica have released their new M9 camera. I tried to see one this weekend but all were sold out. I have a manual M6 (film) which I consider one of the best pieces of design ever created, and now there is a true digital version. Its so far beyond my budget as to forever remain a dream.. but I like the notion of it always being an ambition to own one.. and I would gladly not change my phone/ car/ pc for several years if that was the way to save.
It seems that our Chelsea garden for 2010 will now be postponed. Despite securing ¾ of the sponsorship needed the remainder just proved to elusive. A miracle may still happen, but I am resigned to not having a garden built in 2010. We had put in over 250hrs and whilst this is a lot of effort for no practical output, the design work is not wasted. I hope that it will be accepted, even if a little modified for 2011. Now I have started to think what I will do with May. I have not had a spring that was not devoted to getting a show garden ready for a few years. Perhaps it is a good time to start thinking of tagging those photographs.
December is when Christmas dominates, it always creeps up on me. I forget that nurseries close the week before and invariabley don’t open until new year. That contractors pretty much do the same as the nurseries. So two weeks of the month is spent idle, or at least I wish it was. I over compensate and strat trying to organise deliveries and plant lists for the new year. The last thing on peoples minds are plants. When they do arrive they are no more than a twig in dirt, little to get excited about. Telling people that they have invested several thousand pounds in the “potential” of two tones of soil, with a lot of free black pots is not really a motivating experience. December gets hijacked. I lost all free will and time in late September I think, time just gets booked up. Friends, meals, drinks, visits, family. I keep a paper diary, the Redstone press ones, if you are interested. Spiral bound and one week a page. I have a short row of years past on the shelf over my desk, probably ten or eleven years worth. The joy of these is being able to open them and review your lifes appointments, crossings out, stuck in theatre or cinema tickets. And reviewing past Decembers… little has changed, perhaps only my memory. I want to spend the time reading up on books I have bought during the year, photographing frost scenes or playing with some new software. I have had the intention of tagging all of my photos for years.. but I produce them faster than I can label them.. so finding useful plant associations, examples of the pergola I have proposed is getting harder. Speaking of which I became aware that Leica have released their new M9 camera. I tried to see one this weekend but all were sold out. I have a manual M6 (film) which I consider one of the best pieces of design ever created, and now there is a true digital version. Its so far beyond my budget as to forever remain a dream.. but I like the notion of it always being an ambition to own one.. and I would gladly not change my phone/ car/ pc for several years if that was the way to save.
It seems that our Chelsea garden for 2010 will now be postponed. Despite securing ¾ of the sponsorship needed the remainder just proved to elusive. A miracle may still happen, but I am resigned to not having a garden built in 2010. We had put in over 250hrs and whilst this is a lot of effort for no practical output, the design work is not wasted. I hope that it will be accepted, even if a little modified for 2011. Now I have started to think what I will do with May. I have not had a spring that was not devoted to getting a show garden ready for a few years. Perhaps it is a good time to start thinking of tagging those photographs.
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Our Chelsea garden still being bumped around. It all started so well but whilst I have tried to keep some momentum to the project, not having the needed funding is paralising. We are nearly there as well which doesn’t seem to help!. Not having any funding would at least make me resign to the fact that the garden would not happen, but being over 2/3’s of the way there means that I am still working towards the show. When should I stop? The deadline for sponsorship is approaching and if we are still short by early December then it will be shelved. It is quite hard to let something that is quite personal go. However I would hope to revive it in some form and perhaps a year off Chelsea wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Books I’m reading: olives: superb pity it was 10yr old edition. I always wanted to know about these amazing trees..and this book has just about answered all of my questions and whetted my appetite to try and find oil from different sources. We stopped buying olive oil from supermarkets last year, instead we prefer to buy in a 5L can from Trujillo (one of my favourite places in Spain) .
I am also still working my way through the sketchup tutorials. I thought I knew how to model but this book has taught me loads of new techniques. Search Daniel Tal in the Google Warehouse to see some of the tutorial models.
I have been thinking about a new PC…mine (a HP Pavillion) is 4 yrs old and is creaking. Slow, noisey and sometimes frustrating I cleaned it out and archived everything 6mnths ago but it is still not behaving. I work on dual screens (I like space to wander around in and am rarely satisfied with only one programme open at once) and use several types of CAD (Computer Aided Design) packages. Initial research seems to tell me that upgrading is not going to achieve everything I want. New graphics card, memory and screens would probably cost half the price of a new “kit”, but I suspect that I need more processing power..which would mean a new motherboard….this is as much jargon to me as it is to you.. I can drive but don’t really know or care what’s under the bonnet..type. So it seems reasonable to invest in something new.. I have looked at new Pc’s , custom made, Dell and HP all seem suitable and easily reach £1000. I am not a laptop type of person, there is something to petite and fragile about them..and I prefer to leave the work on my desk rather than even have the possibility of it being able to follow me. I saw the new Imac last week. I didn’t even consider it a contender.. to pricey, wont run my current programmes, not an equivalent spec. Wrong. I am sure I am wading into the Mac vs Pc battle, the eternal struggle of good vs evil, but I was impressed. It does what I want. I can have my software reissued as Mac licenses, I can run windows programmes and it is not that much more expensive. It is also a beautiful machine and the number of cables is at least halved as everything is in the “monitor”. But perhaps the most attractive bit.. is the actual screen. It is virtually 3D in its definition it is stunning and vivid and everything I want a screen to be.. did I mention it is also big..29”. All of this is by way of an introduction to the saga that will slowly play out as I balance what is most suitable for me. I’ll keep you updated.
Books I’m reading: olives: superb pity it was 10yr old edition. I always wanted to know about these amazing trees..and this book has just about answered all of my questions and whetted my appetite to try and find oil from different sources. We stopped buying olive oil from supermarkets last year, instead we prefer to buy in a 5L can from Trujillo (one of my favourite places in Spain) .
I am also still working my way through the sketchup tutorials. I thought I knew how to model but this book has taught me loads of new techniques. Search Daniel Tal in the Google Warehouse to see some of the tutorial models.
I have been thinking about a new PC…mine (a HP Pavillion) is 4 yrs old and is creaking. Slow, noisey and sometimes frustrating I cleaned it out and archived everything 6mnths ago but it is still not behaving. I work on dual screens (I like space to wander around in and am rarely satisfied with only one programme open at once) and use several types of CAD (Computer Aided Design) packages. Initial research seems to tell me that upgrading is not going to achieve everything I want. New graphics card, memory and screens would probably cost half the price of a new “kit”, but I suspect that I need more processing power..which would mean a new motherboard….this is as much jargon to me as it is to you.. I can drive but don’t really know or care what’s under the bonnet..type. So it seems reasonable to invest in something new.. I have looked at new Pc’s , custom made, Dell and HP all seem suitable and easily reach £1000. I am not a laptop type of person, there is something to petite and fragile about them..and I prefer to leave the work on my desk rather than even have the possibility of it being able to follow me. I saw the new Imac last week. I didn’t even consider it a contender.. to pricey, wont run my current programmes, not an equivalent spec. Wrong. I am sure I am wading into the Mac vs Pc battle, the eternal struggle of good vs evil, but I was impressed. It does what I want. I can have my software reissued as Mac licenses, I can run windows programmes and it is not that much more expensive. It is also a beautiful machine and the number of cables is at least halved as everything is in the “monitor”. But perhaps the most attractive bit.. is the actual screen. It is virtually 3D in its definition it is stunning and vivid and everything I want a screen to be.. did I mention it is also big..29”. All of this is by way of an introduction to the saga that will slowly play out as I balance what is most suitable for me. I’ll keep you updated.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Life as a garden designer can be lonely. Working in a larger/ shared office or business unit can help but its not a luxury that many can extend to and I certainly cant. So a converted room it is and despite the hundreds of friendly, unsolicited calls I get everyday it is still essentially a job that involves a silent conversation between my head and a piece of paper, whether on the drawing board or in the PC. Getting out to the local Society of Garden Designers group meeting used to be a way to share at least some experiences. I am not a big fan of week day meetings for such things, as they invariably distract from my work and always seem to coincide with some work that can’t be delayed and whilst professional development is important, time out, unpaid, is a luxury. I prefer occasional weekend workshops and I have seen several on the Society of Garden Designers schedule. I was at one this Saturday. The first for a while and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The chance to meet other designers is always a pleasure. A friend from a different profession once told me that he measures the success of a profession by how much individuals are willing to share with each other. I agree with him. It is pointless holding onto knowledge and very satisfying when burdened with a problem to have lots of support and suggestions. Robin Templar Williams was a motivating speaker. He frequently was distracted away from his subject (impossible sloping sites) by questions on other aspects of his projects or attitudes to design. All of which demonstrated the depth of his knowledge and made for a very rich day’s discussion.
Once you have attained membership of the Society of Garden Designers, you are there for life, if you behave of course. Whilst being a member is something that I am proud of and forever grateful to have achieved, I find that I want more knowledge and to improve myself and how I work. Time, money and distance prevent me and I should guess, many others from becoming a workshop-oholic. I do regret not being able to do more. Looking at other professions, I wonder if there is not something we, as garden and landscape designers cannot learn or adopt. Without dwelling on the details nor without trying to consider all circumstances, I would like to see a requirement for CPD (continuous professional development), based possibly on attending workshops..5 workshops over a 2 year period for instance; or reassessment every few years
It would be an incentive and perhaps make us learn, when, speaking for myself I know I can be a bit lazy and find excuses not to do things.
Once you have attained membership of the Society of Garden Designers, you are there for life, if you behave of course. Whilst being a member is something that I am proud of and forever grateful to have achieved, I find that I want more knowledge and to improve myself and how I work. Time, money and distance prevent me and I should guess, many others from becoming a workshop-oholic. I do regret not being able to do more. Looking at other professions, I wonder if there is not something we, as garden and landscape designers cannot learn or adopt. Without dwelling on the details nor without trying to consider all circumstances, I would like to see a requirement for CPD (continuous professional development), based possibly on attending workshops..5 workshops over a 2 year period for instance; or reassessment every few years
It would be an incentive and perhaps make us learn, when, speaking for myself I know I can be a bit lazy and find excuses not to do things.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
The Chelsea Show GArden from earlier this year is featured again in this month's Garden Deisgn Journal. Its not a large article and whilst it claimed to "get under the skin of Chelsea designers" it really failed to deliver. So if you were looking for some insight as to how the concrete features and design eveolved, then you wont find it here. Shame really as if the author had given me a call I would have been more than happy to supply information. However it has given me the motivation to write on technical matters and I am pleased to say that my first articles will be for the Garden Design Journal. They wont be published until spring next year and of corse rely on me actually writing them; but I am commited.
Something else that was new this last week was that I took up my role on the Society of Garden Designers Adjudication Committee. I recall the effort and heartache of preparing for my own membership and then day of the adjudication in front of a panel of three was awful. I sympathised with those we saw. It was fascinating to see other people's progress and approach and whilst I joined the panel to try to bring some presence for membership in the Society back to the North West Region of the UK, I realise that I will learn a lot and it can only make my own work better.
Monday, 12 October 2009
It has been a while since I last posted, so I need to catch up with just about everything. It has been fairly quiet, with only a few new enquiries. I think that I have a panic around this time every year. The new year seems to appear like a cliff to which we are driving. I wonder what we will do in the, what happens when the current work is completed and if the phone will ever ring again. In truth, I like to think I should be so busy that I neither know what day it is nor have time to worry about anything other than getting drawings completed and suppliers hounded. We had eight projects on last month and some will continue over and demand time for the rest of the year. It was to many and for the past few weekends it has been bliss to close the office door and stop answering the phone at 5pm on a Friday, not even looking at emails until the following Monday. There is a balance between panic and productivity and getting a few schemes finalised by the end of the year is better than chasing a dozen continually round in circles.
Our Chelsea Show garden has hit the rocks. We have a sponsor eager and waiting, however they are only able to provide half of the amount we need to put on the garden. I have lost count of the letters, calls and conversations we have made and so far, to no avail. Last year things went to the wire, having decided to withdraw from the show, I delayed contacting the RHS until after we’d had a weekend away. It was whilst in a down pour in a muddy garden in Granada in late January, that a sponsor called and the deal was done. We are optimistic.
The number of followers of this blog have recently doubled! So thank you to you both! I am hoping to start adding some more content and links to some of the resources and sites I use frequently.
WWW.shedworking.co.uk is somewhere I recently stumbled on whilst looking for inspiration for a custom shed for a client. Well worth a look if only for the effort and dedication people put into their sheds.. but somehow I think these are sheds in name only….
Our Chelsea Show garden has hit the rocks. We have a sponsor eager and waiting, however they are only able to provide half of the amount we need to put on the garden. I have lost count of the letters, calls and conversations we have made and so far, to no avail. Last year things went to the wire, having decided to withdraw from the show, I delayed contacting the RHS until after we’d had a weekend away. It was whilst in a down pour in a muddy garden in Granada in late January, that a sponsor called and the deal was done. We are optimistic.
The number of followers of this blog have recently doubled! So thank you to you both! I am hoping to start adding some more content and links to some of the resources and sites I use frequently.
WWW.shedworking.co.uk is somewhere I recently stumbled on whilst looking for inspiration for a custom shed for a client. Well worth a look if only for the effort and dedication people put into their sheds.. but somehow I think these are sheds in name only….
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
I grew up with Lego. It is an endearing and familiar part of my childhood, multicolour castles and space ships longer than my bed. Through the children I have been able to relive my childhood joy of building; on wet days last Christmas we played Lego Olympics; who could build a set in the quickest time, who made the best space ship from the spares box (it’s a big box, created by the need to constantly replace bits that mysteriously disappeared). I resort to Lego sometimes to build bits for gardens. Despite the efficiency of 3D cad and the speed with which I can model a space to the closest millimetre, there is something more essential in a model, of seeing the space for real (even if it’s in miniature). I have just noticed that Lego have started to make architectural models..The one that attracted me is “Falling water” a model of the Frank Lloyd Wright house. It’s not available in the UK yet but I am sure it will be. It’s a thinly veiled way to get enthusiastic about a toy.
Before leaving for our summer holiday, I submitted my design for next year’s Chelsea Flower Show- urban garden. (That is the middle sized 7x5m gardens). We have just been informed that the design has been accepted (it will appear on the website this week, promise!). The contractor has been working on costings and plant lists have been issued. It’s a huge relief to get the thumbs up from the RHS, however the elation lasted about 30 secs as the realisation then hits that it will never be realised unless we get sponsorship. So now we are calling, writing, and selling the design , to get the funding in place. Last year we were scrambling around in late January for funds ( its was a very "tight" year), so whilst it should feel more relaxed this year, the truth is that knowing what is coming makes it even more of a priority to get it sorted as soon as possible.
We never plant between July and September. Nursery stock is in full growth, plants are easily damaged and transport costs go up as stock is naturally at its largest. The weather is unpredictable and a dry spell will annihilate plants struggling to come to terms with their new home. This July however we were forced to plant two gardens. Circumstances meant that the stock was ready and both clients promised they would accept the risks and be able to water their gardens daily. That hardly seems to have been necessary in hindsight, but I can happily report that both gardens are lush and full of vigour. I think that there has been only one fatality, and the effect is that the gardens look like I might have expected them to, next year. I still don’t intend to make a habit of planting midsummer but whilst it’s been a season for us to tdream of hot Valencian gardens, the plants there would wish they were here.
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Alton
As reward for a day being dragged around plants and parks, the family “fee” was for me to be dragged around roller coasters. The day after Trentham we travelled sideways a bit and parked up at Alton Towers. I get more enjoyment from watching roller coasters and seeing how they are built than from riding them and I personally don’t relish long queues for 15 secs of thrill. Alistair shot off whilst Jane and I meandered across the park. We found ourselves in the “derelict” house (that is slowly being renovated) it is huge and the chapel has a ceiling that was very unexpected. There is a formal lawn with clipped “bells” and it seems a quiet haven from the park, barely a few metres away. The integration of the ‘coasters into the landscape is very good, although moving about the park can be frustrating as signage and directions are “loose” The highlight, for me at least was the valley garden and in particular the old glass house. I don’t think that I have ever come across a more photogenic structure. The lantern glass is missing and falling out, the paint is peeling off frames, the interior stonework stained in rust and soil, the colours are muted and earthly and you could probably spend all day peering in at windows. Around this structure (and I hope that any restoration is subtle rather than a full reconditioning) is a series of terraces and lawned areas set into the valley side. The planting is only noteworthy for the clipped arches, almost Alice in wonderland-esque. What was impressive was the stone work. The steps, walls and transitions from vertical to horizontal. It is intricate and engineered. The masons did not resort to cumbersome blocks but carved their own pieces for the Lego set that was used to construct the beds. The stone work is understated and sublime and probably mostly overlooked. If you are there, take time and admire workmanship that we are very unlikely to see or afford again.
As reward for a day being dragged around plants and parks, the family “fee” was for me to be dragged around roller coasters. The day after Trentham we travelled sideways a bit and parked up at Alton Towers. I get more enjoyment from watching roller coasters and seeing how they are built than from riding them and I personally don’t relish long queues for 15 secs of thrill. Alistair shot off whilst Jane and I meandered across the park. We found ourselves in the “derelict” house (that is slowly being renovated) it is huge and the chapel has a ceiling that was very unexpected. There is a formal lawn with clipped “bells” and it seems a quiet haven from the park, barely a few metres away. The integration of the ‘coasters into the landscape is very good, although moving about the park can be frustrating as signage and directions are “loose” The highlight, for me at least was the valley garden and in particular the old glass house. I don’t think that I have ever come across a more photogenic structure. The lantern glass is missing and falling out, the paint is peeling off frames, the interior stonework stained in rust and soil, the colours are muted and earthly and you could probably spend all day peering in at windows. Around this structure (and I hope that any restoration is subtle rather than a full reconditioning) is a series of terraces and lawned areas set into the valley side. The planting is only noteworthy for the clipped arches, almost Alice in wonderland-esque. What was impressive was the stone work. The steps, walls and transitions from vertical to horizontal. It is intricate and engineered. The masons did not resort to cumbersome blocks but carved their own pieces for the Lego set that was used to construct the beds. The stone work is understated and sublime and probably mostly overlooked. If you are there, take time and admire workmanship that we are very unlikely to see or afford again.
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
I have been pencilling a visit to Trentham for a few years, but being a few hours away for us it’s always fallen off the calendar in favour of days out with less petrol. I have tried to avoid creating any expectations, I hate superfluous reviews and being influenced by someone else’s agenda, so knowing that I was going and how to get there was about as much research as we did. The entrance is well disguised amongst the mini shopping village. Big, much bigger than I expected and the plants were impressive. I saw virtually my whole plant portfolio assembled before me and not just used singularly but how they should be planted, en masse. Stipa gigantea were back lit by the sun and created golden explosions in the Italian garden. It was a stunning effect. The garden, at least the planted areas, is divided into two main areas, the Italian, geometric beds and the “flower maze” of irregular beds. This area worked better for me. The planting was on a more human scale and the perennials more varied. There were great combinations and rhythms of colour (there were also very jarring arrangements of colour/ form, or are they intentional juxtapositions?) Definitely the right time to visit, I would like to return in winter and on an overcast day, the strong sunlight did not help my pictures.
Just south of Madrid is a small town, Aranjuez. Built around a royal palace and of course its gardens. It was astonishing to wander through and encounter less than 10 other tourists. The principle gardens are large but monotonous, comprising of long avenues punctuated with fountains, most of which were switched off. In their prime they would have been stunning, but the box hedging now looks tired and the overhead canopy is so dense that whilst it gives welcome shade the falling leaves and shadow are killing the effect below. (The effect as it was probably attended is better seen in Valencia, at Jardines de Real (Viveros) - lots of arty hedge clipping. The approach to the entrance of the palace is through a vast square. Some attempt at a contemporary border has been made at one end but sadly it has been neglected and looks beyond repair, however, opposite this is a gateway through into a large courtyard and if you like lavender it is worth the diversion. I have seen it when in flower as well as later in the summer, and when in flower it is stunning. Huge beds of chest high plants radiate from the square’s simple centre, a simple but striking use of repetition and rhythm.
Monday, 24 August 2009
Within Valencia itself there are numerous small gardens. The botanic gardens are worthy of a stop for an hour or so. 5 mins walk from the river bed gardens, and budget busting €1 entry. They are easy to miss as the entrance is through a lobby that actually houses the gardens researchers. Most botanic gardens in Spain are weary, parched, neglected, devoid of plants and inspiration. Stray cats stalk you and you quickly realise that you came at the wrong time to see anything alive. Like many the botanic garden in Valencia is divided into section (water plants/ grasses etc) but the difference here is that virtually everything was lush, beds were full, plants recognisable and the whole space a pleasure to be in. The boundary walls of bamboo were superb, the cactus and agave area was excellent and obviously a work of passion. A well spent €1 (tip, at the entrance lobby.. look up!)
www.jardibotanic.org
www.jardibotanic.org
I love driving in Spain. Despite most “motorways” only having two lanes they are much more relaxed and courteous. But it’s not the roads that enchant me it’s the scenery. Whether intimate verges full of plants we can only dream of growing, fields of weeds like fennel, hills full of sun flowers or whole days of only driving through olive trees. (How do they harvest so many trees?) One year we drove for over 100kms and saw only olives, estimating a spacing of 10-15m apart.. that was a lot of trees!
We had never been to the East coast of Spain, so having spent a few days on the outskirts of Madrid, drove over to Valencia. The greenness of the area is striking. The olive gives way to the orange (and lemon) the soil is like copper and it’s hot. Family protests meant my time indulging in wandering through anything that looked green was limited (I’m not the kind of guy to abandon them to pursue a pleasure). But we saw a lot and they slept well after. Through the centre of Valencia runs a strip of greenery, the turia river bed gardens. It’s actually more than a river bed, as the soil level seems to have been raised considerably in order to build it, but it is approx 400m wide and 9km long. Comprising of a series of set pieces, open colonnades with fountains, tennis courts, open lawns, rows of palms and innumerable water features (all of which were working) it is a breath taking achievement and very well constructed. The plants looked great and well watered, there was no vandalism that we saw, and it was patrolled by mounted police and exuded a feeling of pleasure and security. I could have spent all day there. We probably only walked 1/3 of the length, from the old town to the science park. At the harbour end of Turia are several buildings that immediately place you on a different world. They are huge, dwarfing and immaculate. Surrounded by water and very novel planters, Cypress grow in donuts within the ponds, pennisetum grasses spill from planters, an elevated walkway has palms and shrubs, all in lawned and green landscaping. The whiteness of the structures hurts the eyes and the scale boggles. The Turia must rank as one of the world’s greatest parks.
We had never been to the East coast of Spain, so having spent a few days on the outskirts of Madrid, drove over to Valencia. The greenness of the area is striking. The olive gives way to the orange (and lemon) the soil is like copper and it’s hot. Family protests meant my time indulging in wandering through anything that looked green was limited (I’m not the kind of guy to abandon them to pursue a pleasure). But we saw a lot and they slept well after. Through the centre of Valencia runs a strip of greenery, the turia river bed gardens. It’s actually more than a river bed, as the soil level seems to have been raised considerably in order to build it, but it is approx 400m wide and 9km long. Comprising of a series of set pieces, open colonnades with fountains, tennis courts, open lawns, rows of palms and innumerable water features (all of which were working) it is a breath taking achievement and very well constructed. The plants looked great and well watered, there was no vandalism that we saw, and it was patrolled by mounted police and exuded a feeling of pleasure and security. I could have spent all day there. We probably only walked 1/3 of the length, from the old town to the science park. At the harbour end of Turia are several buildings that immediately place you on a different world. They are huge, dwarfing and immaculate. Surrounded by water and very novel planters, Cypress grow in donuts within the ponds, pennisetum grasses spill from planters, an elevated walkway has palms and shrubs, all in lawned and green landscaping. The whiteness of the structures hurts the eyes and the scale boggles. The Turia must rank as one of the world’s greatest parks.
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