Song by Johnny Flynn from the soundtrack he made for the 2011 film “Bag of Hammers”. Paintings by Beverly A. Mitchell. The soundtrack was only released for one day on LP in a few stores! Here’s the lyrics as deciphered by plenixfyre. (any better lyrics anyone?)
‘Flowers in my garden
birds in all the trees
this is where I’m rooted
still I’ve got to leave
yes I must be cut now
and yes I’ve got to go far
for bread and wine
nautic stover mead(?)
and sainted wing
in every key
jumping and changing
roman girl
lopping, laughing
cockney proud
I’m in the small things with the loom
and you can’t give me any new
except the small things you give me
to beat around you when you listen
and it could be with Juliet
but we’re on this long troddener
and we might be familiar
were it not for them that day last time
and were it not a separation
brought in by an in-congregation
the eyes were given, give a sigh
of one another in the lye
and in the doorway of a dark cafe
and just before I fall asleep
and dream of you
and wake to find you in another day’
This beautiful tropical garden is located next to the Palace of Belém (the Portuguese Presidential residence). The 15 acre garden is a charming, yet often overlooked spot that has maintained a number of ponds, towering palm trees, and many hundreds of species of tropical plants that it had when it was created in the early 1900’s. The Tropical Botanical Gardens (Jardim-Museu Agrícola Tropical) are also known as ‘Jardim do Ultramar’ (‘Garden of the Colonies beyond the Sea’) or ‘Jardim das Colónias’ (‘Garden of the Colonies’) as most of the plants come from old Portuguese colonies.
The entrance is an avenue created by huge California Fan palms and Mexican Fan palms, and on each side you can see several ‘living fossils’ – species that have not suffered any mutations for millions of years. On the left, Ginkgos, Dawn Redwood and Monkey-puzzle trees go back to the age of the dinosaurs. Close to the lake you can see Sago palms, native from Japan, and sacred figs from south east Asia, also known as the Buda tree. There is an oriental garden that shows off the Chinese Hibiscus.
Created in 1906 by royal decree (King D. Carlos I), and located in the grounds of a former zoo, it was opened in 1912, the presence of natural water influencing the choice of location. It sits on the slopes overlooking the River Tagus in Belem, one of the most interesting of Lisbon’s districts. It is one of three botanical gardens in the Lisbon area, the others being the Ajuda Botanical Gardens (also in Belem) and the Botanical Gardens near the Science Museum in central Lisbon.
The garden has rare tropical and subtropical trees and plants (many of them endangered species) from all over the world, such as Dragon Trees from the Canary and Madeira Islands and Brazilian Coral Trees. Most of them are labeled, so a visit here can also be a learning experience. It is a tranquil place regularly visited by leading international scientists and botanists. Its scientific work continues today and in its grounds you will find a seed bank, greenhouses, in-vitro culture laboratory and a xylarium (wood collection).
A highlight is the Macau Garden complete with mini pagoda, where bamboo rustles and a cool stream trickles. Young children love to clamber over the gnarled roots of a Banyan tree and spot the waddling ducks and geese.
It is a joy to amble along its palm – lined avenues and discover the grottos and ponds, the oriental garden and the topiary accompanied by the friendly birds. A welcome, peaceful, shady retreat on a sweltering summer’s day!
The famous ‘Pasteis de Belem’, a sort of custard tart, can be found nearby!
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post and others on this blog, why not comment and join others by signing up for automatic updates via email (see side bar, above right ) or through an RSS feed (see top of page)?
Many gardeners are beginners. I see this from the number of gardening bloggers who say so, and from my experience living in and about a large city where people work constantly and are afraid to plunge into having much of a garden, because they don’t know how to put one together or how to look after a garden once they have it.
People constantly say that they don’t want to be tied to the maintenance of a garden–they work, they are away in the summer–and that is why they give up the joy of having their own personal piece of paradise.
One easy way to have a garden look after itself is to know what the conditions of the various areas of your property are and to plant only plants that love to be in those conditions. An experienced garden designer would never do otherwise!
Our children’s best memories of playing outdoors include careering down a muddy hill on an old bin bag, snowball fights, splashing in muddy puddles, running around in torrential summer rain and drinking hot chocolate in their den on an icy night winter picnic.
You may be surprised that most of these activities weren’t done on a perfect sunny day but on cold or wet days when most of us would probably choose to stay indoors. But wild weather days can offer the best, most exciting and thrilling outdoor adventures, so with the aim of inspiring more children to get away from screen based entertainment and get outdoors, The Wild Weather Book was born.
So get dressed up in your wild weather gear and rush outside any time of the year to discover the joys of the rain, the snow, the ice and the wind and get in touch…
‘Everyone has Hostas’… OK so you may think them unfashionable, but I love them… the whole growth process – new shoots spearing up above the soil surface (right now in Old School Garden), the unfurling leaves, the full blousy foliage and the delicate flowers of pinks, lavenders and whites.
Otherwise known as the ‘Plantain lily’, Hostas come originally from eastern Russia, China, Japan and Korea. They are very hardy. Most of the 40 – 70 or so species (there is disagreement over the exact number) and over 7000 cultivars are grown for their foliage, though for many the flowers are also noteable. True perennials, their foliage dies back and they descend underground over winter, to send up new growth spears in spring and achieve their full glory in summer with some varieties flowering into early autumn. Some species also give a second, albeit brief, display in autumn.
Hosta ‘Ginko Craig’ flower
Hosta fortunei ‘Picta’ flower
The leaves vary between round, ovate, lance or heart – shaped and are between 12cm and 50cm in length. They come in all shades of green, some solid in colour others with margins or centres variegated in shades from white to golden yellow. Flowers range from bell to trumpet shaped, and are held in one-sided racemes or ‘scapes’.
‘Bette Davis’ eyes’
‘Fried Green Tomatoes’
‘Sweet Sunshine’
Hosta ‘Bressingham Blue’
Hostas will grow in full sun to full shade – they flower better if in the sun and the yellow-leaved varieties also do better in full sun. Overall, however, they tend to do best in dappled shade and where they are away from the hot noon-day sun (the blue – green leaved varieties have more intense colouring in the shade). They need moisture at their roots and this is even more the case in full sun – so they need watering in dry spells and generally do best in moist ground which is rich in organic matter and neutral to slightly alkaline . Foliage will start to wilt if they are too dry. They can be easily propagated by division at almost any time of year – a sharp spade or knife thrust down to split the roots is all that’s required.
Slug and snail damage
Pest problems focus on slugs and snails which can nibble the emerging shoots – such damage can scar the leaves for the rest of the season, so preventative and quick action to remove slugs and nails is crucial, especially in early spring. Sometimes, especially in water – logged ground, the plants can be susceptible to ‘crown rot’ and if this is the case they should be moved to a more suitable site. Hostas have low levels of allergens. Some Hostas are edible, their young shoots being forced and harvested in the far east, eaten sauted or rolled in proscuitto!
Hosta border edge
Hosta grouping
Hostas and Lillies
Mixed Hosta planting
Hosta ‘Royal Standard’ flowering
Hostas look good in groups around ponds and damp areas, and are particularly useful in areas of medium to light shade. Their foliage makes for a bold texture so they are good as focal points, contrasting well with grassy – like leaves and stems. They are also good in containers where the leaves and flowers can be seen close up. I grow most of mine this way, in black planters in our Courtyard Garden – the black provides wonderful contrast to the rich greens and yellows of the foliage. But it’s important to keep them well watered once growth starts. Other ideas for using Hostas include:
‘Plant different varieties in large masses or drifts for reliable color and texture in the garden.
Brighten shady garden areas with gold or variegated hostas.
Use hostas to bridge gaps in seasonal perennial bloom.
Variegated hostas with white or cream margins paired with other white flowering plants glow in “moonlight gardens” when homeowners arrive in the evening from work.
Hosta leaves emerge just as spring bulb foliage starts to fade, hiding it from view.
A single hosta in a container is dramatic and sculptural. Hostas look great in containers paired with other foliage plants or annuals. Remember to provide adequate water.
Plant fragrant hostas close to paths and walkways for best appreciation.
Use small hostas for edging along walkways and flower borders.
Hosta leaves and flowers are attractive in floral arrangements.’
The Courtyard at Old School- a complete refurbishment of a once ‘unloved’ space
Old School Gardener
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post and others on this blog, why not comment and join others by signing up for automatic updates via email (see side bar, above right ) or through an RSS feed (see top of page)?
It is always pleasing but rare these days to see new funding opportunities to support environmental and community improvements come into being. Many grants schemes have either disappeared, have been cut back, or if they do survive are often heavily oversubscribed by potential applicants. Or perhaps worse still the grant funds that do exist don’t actually fit what you want to raise money for in the first place.
Well, all is not lost, crowd funding is the new kid on the block and a phenomena that deserves further investigation. Crowd funding is essentially online fundraising, with its roots in the United States, it has over the past few years typically supported a whole range of start-up businesses and one of projects such as in film, music and art.
Crowd funding is now big business, with crowd funding platforms having raised $2.7…
Our children’s best memories of playing outdoors include careering down a muddy hill on an old bin bag, snowball fights, splashing in muddy puddles, running around in torrential summer rain and drinking hot chocolate in their den on an icy night winter picnic.
Old School Garden 