Welcome to your Summer magazine: a wealth of reading for you to enjoy this holiday season.
I’ve been very lucky to have learnt from dozens of wonderful gardeners around the world. Some I haven’t met, despite how much they inspired me; some became lifelong mentors and many are dear friends today.
We have some of these exceptional people in this magazine.
You’ll meet my friend, botanist and scholar David Mabberley who has co-authored ‘Joseph Banks’ Florilegium’. Colleague and landscape wizard Michael Bates invites us into his private garden; we wander around the very influential Gravetye Manor in Sussex with its Head Gardener Tom Coward; and go behind the scenes of gorgeous West Green House in Hampshire, the garden of Aussie-expat, Marylyn Abbott. Our favourite floral designer Nga Bui inspires us to try something different in a vase; neighbour and plant passionister (or is that passionistriss?) Deirdre Mowat shares her experience of daylilies; and world-renowned Australian photographer Claire Takacs’ looks at Piet Oudolf’s garden in an extract from her amazingly beautiful ‘Dreamscapes’.
Our garden travelers will want to check out Robin’s visit to RHS Wisley’s vast estate to look at their new rose garden, and Linda’s notes on Matsue, the home of peonies in Japan.
Feel like getting your hands dirty? We have tips on geraniums, hydrangeas and summer herbs, lists of things to do in the kitchen and picking gardens, and a primer on using humates, a secret ingredient for success.
From all at The Garden Clinic Club and Ross Tours we wish you a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.