Gardening
Jardin Botanique du Villa Maria Serena, Menton: « la petite Afrique »
Visiting the fabulous gardens of the Villa Maria Serena in Menton-Garavan which border the frontier with modern Italy but are within sight of Monte-Carlo and Menton old town across the Bay of Garavan.
Amazing to see in close proximity: cactus, cycads and palms, citrus and succulents, pines and bananas alongside fabulous colours of tropical blooms. This works because of the sunshine, shelter, abundant rainfall and almost complete lack of frost in the micro-climate of this favoured location between the towering limestone cliffs and the Mediterranean Sea. The French nickname “The little Africa” is a bit far-fetched as the specimens come from all over the world but an inspiration to see what can be done with a mature garden in a site like this.
One can only imagine the scenes of hospitality that have enjoyed the backdrop of this magnificent garden in a magnificent location.
More photos: Jardin Maria Serena, Menton: « la petite Afrique »
Hedges in my garden in Keswick turn out to be like grass anywhere else, they all need a trim at least once a month plus a major cut twice a year to stop the spiky look. Otherwise I loose my views of the fells beyond. Much easier with power cutters than by hand, even so it’s a lot of work to maintain the illusion of the garden merging with the countryside. The shredder’s essential as well: I distribute the chippings around the garden, it breaks down surprisingly quickly in Cumbria’s cloud forest climate to a mulch that drives more growth.
The Long-tailed Tit visitors are new ones for me, lovely little balls of fluff at the moment. Turns out I’ve been growing nettles to head height as well!
Small and nice, Acorn Bank walled gardens near Temple Sowerby in Cumbria enjoy a site established by the Templiers, which was bought by the Dalton family in 1543. The house was renewed in the 1930s by the Yorkshire poet Dorothy Una Ratcliffe, then passed to the National Trust. The orchard at Acorn Bank has a fine collection of apple and pear trees including some rare ancient varieties. We’ve visited Acorn Bank garden many times and it continues to be an inspiration.
A pleasant surprise on opening my kitchen blinds these mornings: a touch of the Mediterranean in West London! The flowers are Nerium Oleander, commonly known as Oleander. You see these pink flowering shrubs all over the Mediterranean area so they are also called the Mediterranean Rose, although horticulturally Oleander are not at all from the rose family. Note the King of the Pippins apples coming on well.
Plenty to trim after 200mm of rain in May has allowed a lot of growth in my cloud forest garden in Keswick. This is my fourth summer working this garden and the shape is now largely how I want it; so, this time round, it’s trimming new growth only. The hay fever season is well in swing; those masks we all have left over from 2020 turn out to be useful in limiting the hay fever symptoms
