Old School Garden

On my return journey to Scotland from our trip to the Cotswolds in September (see my write-ups on Snowshill and Hidcote), I stopped off at Levens Hall in Cumbria on the recommendation of my mother. Levens Hall has the oldest and most extensive topiary garden in the world, and since topiary is my spirit garden […]

via Two Topiary Gardens — Edinburgh Garden Diary

There’s a place in the centre of Ottawa that just screams play to me. It’s like an invitation to make believe, to climb, jump, lounge and generally have fun. It’s not designated as a play space but does that really matter? There is a truly inside out aesthetic going on here with what is in […]

via Urban Play Space — PlayGroundology

Growing awareness and evolving values are driving Government, businesses and individuals to demand greener, more affordable and socially acceptable energy technologies. As an essential part of both the challenge and the solution, it is up to all of us in the building services industries to forge a plan together and ensure we’re ready and fit…

via Key Drivers Forcing the Green Gateway Agenda — Specifier Review

Susan Georgiou, 61, has lived in Birmingham all her life and worked for the Department for Work and Pensions for the past 43 years. Now semi-retired, Susan finds plenty of time to indulge her passion for photography at Winterbourne. Prunus ‘Kanzan’, photograph by Susan Georgiou “I have always taken photographs but it was the digital…

via Snapshot: Susan Georgiou — Winterbourne House and Garden

One of my first great adventures was exploring England, nearly ten years ago. Very high on my England Travel wish-list was definitely the much speculated about Stonehenge. It is one of the mystical places where it seems nobody actually knows what it was used for or by whom it was built. It is surrounded in […]

via Stonehenge, Home of Magic, Druids and Pagan Rituals — Janaline’s world journey

Designing for Urban Childhoods takes the language and tools of progressive urban planning to argue that children should be central to shaping the future of cities around the world.

via New Arup report places children at the heart of urban planning — Rethinking Childhood

Stuart Hicks from cold-applied liquid waterproofing specialist, Kemper System, discusses the rise of green roof applications and specification best practice. The green roof market is quite literally growing – in 2017, the annual market growth rate was revealed at 17%, according to ‘The UK Green Roof Market’ report produced by Livingroofs.org. This year alone, the…

via Key considerations for green roof specification — Specifier Review

One good thing about growing older is ….. nope, I’m struggling. One thing about growing older is that the physical graft of professional, full-time gardening becomes harder. An obvious insight but one I mention nevertheless as it has become increasingly noticeable during my working day. My back aches more than it used to, my joints […]

via Greyer Hair, Whiter Finger — The Anxious Gardener

Park Güell, located in Barcelona and designed by famous architect Antonio Gaudi, is one of the most impressive public parks in the world. It is one of the most important sights in Barcelona and one of Gaudi’s masterpieces. It was an extremely hot day in Barcelona when my friend and I got to explore this […]

via Gaudi’s impressive Park Guell — Janaline’s world journey

It you come to Lisbon by boat or by plane As soon as you land, you must go to Belém For there you can try sweet pastries so fine They serve them in heaven since 1837 There’s an old monastery, majestic and faery And a tower that’s built with such precious marbles Fish jump from […]

via A rhyming guide to Lisbon — Salt of Portugal