I’ve Been on My Hols

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On a grey, damp February day I went to see the wonderful exhibition at The Royal Academy  ‘Painting the Modern Garden – Monet to Matisse’ and was transported into a world of  horticultural delight. There was so much to love that playing my usual game of which one I would take home  (if I could!)  remained unresolved.  Although strangely, if I really had the choice, I would choose the one non-floral painting – Gertrude Jekyll’s Boots by William Nicholson. Those worn old boots speak of the labour involved in making the gardens that inspired the painters to capture them on canvas.    Every time I looked at the painting, it would summon up the glory of this exhibition.  Do go – it’s on till the 26th of April. www.royalacademy.org.uk  

They have been Framed The deep frames surrounding the window panes either side of the front door are perfect for displaying little horticultural treasures. At the moment Muscari have pride of place. In a few weeks it will be Auriculas.

There have been times in the past several years since I planted the apricot tree that I have seriously considered chopping it down. It has produced very few fruit and I did wonder why I gave it space in the garden.  Not this year though.  Last month I had to thin the fruit, so laden were the branches  and now the remaining fruit have swelled and are weighing down the branches with hundreds of glorious golden fruit. As far as possible, I have covere

Best of all (for Sissinghurst) there wasn’t a single coach and, although it was the middle of the Easter holidays, it was easy to find a quiet corner. The current head gardener, Troy Scott Smith is definitely making his mark with some noticeable changes happening – the hazel in the Nuttery has been thinned to open up the view, boundary hedges have been taken down to connect the garden with the wider landscape and areas of grass are being turned into wildflower meadow

The Garden Museum’s first Literary Weekend has just taken place in the glorious setting of designer Tom Stuart Smith’s own garden – a place of such idyllic perfection in such perfect summer weather that I’m in great danger of running out of superlatives. A Garden, A Book a

A blazing red or a deep wine lipstick looks amazing on your puckers, but not so flattering when it ends up on your favorite dress or your lover’s shirt. You might also forget to close the lipstick cap properly when you’re in a hurry and end up smudging your purse. And if you have kids at home, you just never know what they might be drawing on while playing around with your lipstick.