Louise Nicholls – Adventures in horticulture
"The love of gardening is a seed once sown never dies" – Gertrude Jekyll
A mini diary blog as promised about the challenges of organizing the present and future, from planting espaliers to managing stress, teaching new staff and trying to manage expectations in a walled garden. I find joy in sowing seeds and look forward to addressing soil issues.
The past months have been tumultuous, with travel, family discoveries, and personal loss. Despite all this I’ve found solace in gardening and the support of friends and volunteers.
The future is exciting and new gardening projects are on the horizon!
Time to sow the seeds!
On a cosy New Year’s day, amidst the rain, I reflect on the past year and plans for the year ahead. Feeling inspired to share thoughts and experiences, I dream of how we shall continue to improve on our success with new flowers. Can I commit to the challenge of a weekly diary?
ive offered to write for Garden Help, an online magazine featuring gardening information and competitions. id like to know what you guys would like to see in their articles, I worry about originality and avoiding mundane topics. let me know your thoughts…
Challenged with revitalizing an old estate area, shaded by mature trees & full of decaying wood, remnants of an old fence. Rather than impose modern designs, I chose to create a ‘stumpery’ – a Victorian garden feature using tree stumps, ferns, and other shade-loving plants, as was popular during the Picturesque movement of the 1800s. Inspired by the inventiveness of the Victorians, the team collected interesting pieces of wood and root systems to use as the basis of the stumpery, adding a diverse selection of plants and creating a space beneficial to local wildlife.
To bring back my writing mojo I’m going to look at a few inspiring plants and here’s the first.
Helenium speaks to me of summer days and its the perfect opportunity to add one to your garden
Its been a tough start to 2021, we’ve gone from biblical rain to freezing ice with a relentlessly grey sky in between! Chin up though it cant last forever, lets make some plans…
Catching up after my bout of the lurgy, Feeling anxious, growing veg and fighting a losing battle with clay soil. This is how my April is going, how about you?
A quick look at what we will be doing in the garden in March at Ulting Wick, weather permitting, and a few ideas for yourself at home. Sowing seeds, veg gardening and hoping for a bit more sunshine!
Another year has passed in Ulting Wick and what a year! Gardening has never been so challenging with our extremes in weather. That aside, there’s been good things, scary things and exciting unexpected events!
Writing this has given me a chance to go through it all in my head, how has your year been?
Running out of time?Stuck for ideas? Here’s a few that won’t leave your gardening loved one grimacing! From tools to courses give them something they’ll love this year and appreciate for years to come…
A quick look at what’s new at #glee18 the horticultural & gardening trade show
Pots and tools that caught my eye. @woodlodge_uk & @BurgonandBall stood out from the crowd
Louise Nicholls - Adventures in horticulture 