Garden Glimpses

The above close-up shows the planting in Paul Hervey-Brookes's Biodiversity Garden this year at Chelsea; combining beauty and usefulness, with plants and colour spectrum chosen to attract bees (the garden attracted more bees than any other I saw, and very happy they seemed too). The most peaceful spot at the show was, in my experience, this little garden-house with a portico, like a miniature classical temple - also delightfully practical as, if you look closely, in the eaves of the portico, you can see shallow funnels for birds' nests and thin tubes for solitary bees and other insects to hibernate.

Everywhere in the garden there were concealed shelters for wildlife (shaped like an upturned boat and made of wooden strips, the hedgehog's den reminded me of currachs on the beach in Ireland). Sitting in that garden, I felt as if I was on holiday, and the lush planting alone was so beautiful you could lose yourself in it.

After the last marathon routine on Japanese gardens, just to say I'll be posting slightly shorter epistles from now on (thank heaven for small mercies, some may say . . .). There have been a few technical hitches publishing postings the last few so it makes sense. Enough people have said they've read them (voluntarily) to keep going. So this is for you, and here's to you . . . though shorter routines, mostly of the don't miss, last chance to see, why not see for yourself/try this yourself kind. Plus 'one to watch' alerts, as this time. So worth your while tuning in now and then.

As for me, it's been an enjoyable experience writing about gardengoing, though you can't say it all in short (or too lengthy) postings, I've discovered - inevitably, perhaps, though it's come as a surprise to me, I'm going to write a book about it. If/when it sees the light of day, it'll be another book (like 'Elizabeth . . .') that's come about via a series of fortunate events. Beginning, probably, with going to gardens as part of research for a PhD on Alexander Pope and his friends and on to visits with students and research trips for book proposals, books, articles and routines and, of course (the best kind), gardengoing purely for pleasure.

Next routine: a Hove jungle