Tag: gardening

Chelsea Flower Show – finally off my bucket list

Published on by Seema Rampersad1 Comment

I have been meaning to go to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show since the mid-1980s. I recall listening to the BBC World Service programme in Trinidad, where local horticulturalists had presented and won a gold award at the flower show.  And although I have been keen on gardening in London since 1997, I still had not visited the show and have only ever looked at the coverage on TV and magazines.  So this year it was a special treat to visit the show and see how it was in real. 

The flower show developed in May 1827 at the start of the growing season for the then Horticultural Society of London.  Moving around different London locations until the Royal International Horticultural Exhibition on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Since 1913, the show has been running there where the familiar name ‘Chelsea’ (rather than RHS) has been stuck. The hospital building is impressive too as you can see the building from parts of the main exhibition areas.  The Chelsea Pensioners who live there, were very visible and celebrities in their own right with several persons taking photos of them – including me!

As I live in London, getting to Chelsea was quite straightforward and it was nice to go through some of the residential part of the neighbourhood with their red brick architecture typical for that part of town.  The show attracts around 145000 people per annum, and there was definitely a sense of excitement as with the 1000s of people who were also at the show on the day I visited. The women especially were dressed up with the best floral or colour themes fabrics on a warm spring day – there was definitely a festival vibe. 

As we entered through the main ticket halls, there was a long arcade lined by trees of stalls made up of creative market stalls with products for the garden, homes, fashion etc. I couldn’t help thinking of how great it was to see all the creative businesses and artefacts if you are passionate about that industry.  We recently just finished landscaping my garden at home, so I also was excited by all the great products on display. 

Once we had secured our flowers show programme with a map, we made our way to see all the large show gardens.  Having seen some of the built-up media coverage earlier in the week, it was nice see the best in show in real for the large show gardens with the enormous sculpture lying on one side. In fact, going around all the large show gardens were fabulous to see – I loved the planting, the use of paths, trees, sculpture, structure and water features.  Several of the gardens were raising awareness of some causes – from the Lady Garden Foundation ‘Silent no More’ for gynaecological cancers that claim the lives of 21 women each day in the UK; The Children’s Society Garden with an urban landscape reimagined to offer young people the care and reassurance they need during the most formative years of their lives; and the Parkinson UK’s garden inspired by a workshop for gardeners living with Parkinson. The Parkinson society also launched a scentless rose for the charity to highlight a common symptom of the loss of the sense of smell.  The Sightsavers Garden which aimed to raise awareness around inclusion while also championing disability rights. And DKMS who were creating a new rose ‘Stems of Hope’ to encourage people to join the stem cell register. I was pleased to see that there were messages and causes by the garden to raise awareness and to support those communities.

I could also spot some of the more tropical palm tree on display, but even I am aware that some of these do survive the harsh British winter. There was an international element with the Japanese garden designed Tokonoma Garden Sanumaya no Niwa by Kazuyuki Ishihara and Paul Kenko Tange.  The garden was simple with understated Japanese aesthetics with foliage for changing season, moss baubles used for carpeting a wall, and building structures to represent going into a home and rooms.  There was also a representation from Barbados which I saw – unfortunately I understand that Trinidad did not exhibit this year.  The Barbados showcase won Gold with their ‘On de Road’ garden,  which had very similar tropical plants and flowers displayed that reminded me of the Caribbean from orchids, anthoriums, bird of paradise plants and heliconias. It was nice to have a chat with Barbadian representative who told me that Grenada were also in the show. In the Pavilion, it was stunning to see the flowers on display from peonies (which I had in abundance about over 25 years ago), orchids, roses, sweet peas, tulip, succulents and daffodils.  There was a lot more to see, but it was a very hot day and the Pavilion was really hot and humid for walking around.

The Balcony and Container gardens were really beautifully displayed and popular with the attendees. They were small but perfectly formed – full of inspiration and fun.  Some of these were sponsored, such as The Whittard of Chelsea Garden which celebrated 140 years of the simple pleasure of enjoying a unique tea blend with the design and sound of pouring the perfect cup.  Another was the ‘Little Garden of Shared Knowledge’ sponsored by cruise company Viking, with a London townhouse garden designed for a well-travelled retired couple who have downsized  – “it reflects a lifetime of learning and exploration and a desire to share knowledge and experience with others”. This area was good to see what is possible in smaller, urban spaces and different (like on riverbanks) locations.  In terms of colour, the Seasalt Painted Garden had bold colours and used recycled materials. The North African inspired planting, water features and mirrors where also used to show small courtyard designs.  The container plants again where great to see from the geraniums, nasturtium, alliums, stachys, herbs and some vegetables like tomatoes.   The gardens in this area were smaller but were there to inspired showgoers to take the ideas back to their own spaces.   

Sustainability and the reminder of the importance of gardens to our ecosystem for all living things and beings was apparent at the show.  We need plants and trees for our oxygen, food, and other raw materials – with wildlife considered in garden designs.  I did not see many vegetable gardens but there was a use of herbs, and some gardens used recyclable materials and features.  The Whittard Garden had all materials from recyclable pipes to copper container built into the design features. There was one arid garden design that reminded us of hotter climates and how the planting reflected this.

As the site was large, there was time to walk around…but with breaks.  We stopped for some coffee and a snack in one of the cafes, and at lunch time it was too hot but a cold drink was very welcomed.  I also like that there were picnic areas but they were really packed especially in the hotter lunchtime session.  There was entertainment throughout the week and the day I attended had a choir and a 1950’s vintage all female singing band.  It was great to take in the sounds, the sunshine and sights whilst enjoying an ice cream. There were champagne bars, and lots more to keep you entertain. 

The show had a lot of ideas for creating your own gardens but there were also lots of businesses from ornaments, materials, designers, plants and everything horticultural. I saw some beautiful sheds in various colours, and it reinforced my ideas as the next day I was actually going to be painting my own shed at home.  I loved a shed on display which had a bar, a couple of sofas and a vinyl player.  It was perfect for a warm barmy afternoon in my own garden! 

We could have easily spent the whole day there but we left after a few hours. I would recommend it but would say that it is very busy with people if you don’t like crowds. I certainly would visit sometime in the future and plan the day out a little more now that I know what to expect. There is good handy guide from Visit London here. Most of all, I was struck with the plants and flowers chosen, and the designs of the beautiful gardens and these will stay in my imagination and memory for a long time.

Home sweet Home

Published on by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

We have all hear or seen these beautiful words to remind us of the place where we live or feel most comfortable.  The ‘happy place’ or ‘forever home’ are some of the more modern words that I see on social media.  I do have a sense of home and had to learn it the hard way when I left my happy home as a teenager to study in London.  I missed my parents, my friends, the socialising, family gatherings small and large, the space, the plants and the loving home in my formative years. I eventually got used to being a country and new home very far away from what I was used to on a tropical Caribbean Island.

I decided to write about homes this month as we are in the third cycle of doing ‘stuff’ around my home and garden.

I have been spending a lot of time looking at gardens, plants, interior designs and furniture. I always had a love of these things having helped my parent clean and care for our home.  I distinctly remember loving the plants and cutting flowers for vases and although I don’t do that so often in London – I have an appreciation of gardens and obviously interior designs.  I also recall doing a project for Home Economics when I was about 14-15 years on bedroom designs where I had some beautiful images from a catalogue belonging to my friend’s mum on soft furnishing and fabrics. I really enjoyed doing that essay or booklet but in those days in the 1980s, being an interior designer or gardener were not even discussed as a career choice, never mind encouraged. I do believe that times have changed with more opportunities for commercial interior designs and landscape gardening.

So although I am having to navigate around the mess the last couple of months have brought to my home, I am researching some of my favourite things and looking forward to when it is all completed. One of my favourite tip is using my local library card to access Libby for looking at online versions of some of the best homes and gardens magazines. Some of the well-known ones like House and Garden, Country Life and Good Housekeeping are free to view electronically with my local library login! However, I know printed copies are more leisurely for browsing but they are rather expensive to buy now.  I do sometimes treat myself if I have lots of leisure time but it is very rare then I do have so much spare time.  Talking about Country Life – I used to love looking at all the beautiful home in the magazine when we circulated it in printed copy in the 1990s.  The prices then for large expensive home is the price you probably pay for a tiny flat (apartment) in London.  However, I recently visited another library and the staff said that it is still very popular with their patrons!

I recently saw that the Open Gardens Scheme is running and it is now easily able online. I went a long time ago in my local area and was inspired by some of the creative gardens that Londoners do in smaller spaces.  I was also impressed with some long and narrow garden who had divided areas in made it interesting to explore.  I hope I can visit some gardens this Spring and Summer in and around London again.  As part of my research, I have been looking at local Estate Agents to see gardens for homes that are up for sale.  I do live in an area that has been ‘gentrified’ and have skyrocketed in value (like most parts of London), so the homeowners seem to have money to invest their lovely homes.  I recall in the 1990s having to get homes information in paper format from your Estates Agents and some of the conditions of the home then were appalling! The internet has definitely made homeowners proud of the visuals, buyers have more visual choices in requirements they need, and it may even shame you or devalue the price if your home is terrible to a prospective buyer. I know this is not the care for all homes for sale but I love getting inspiration from real homes that are on sale too.

This brings to mind those who do not have homes or who cannot even afford to buy their own homes.  I know different countries have different lifestyles – like renting in Germany, flats in Italy and massive homes with basements in North America as it is so new compared to Europe. There are also different climates and access to outdoor spaces depending on where you are in the world.  There are also a lot of people displaced in the world due to war, political or economic challenges.  I remember a friend who lived in a war-torn country but she said that her mum made sure that she was clean at bed time in the temporary home as it was part of their routine.  This has been resonating with me recently we don’t have a washing machine, cooker and kitchen sink whilst our new kitchen is being installed. We are adapting to microwave meals, a launderette and eating out for a few weeks whilst we cope with these changes.

Taking Five – Five ways to spend downtime

Published on by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

Take Five – used to tell someone to stop working and relax for a short period of time

Source: Cambridge Org – https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/take-five#google_vignette

In the last few weeks I have been taking some time away from work to help me relax and spend some downtime at home.  I didn’t get to spend much time at home last year so I truly embraced the time.

1. Get Gardening – I few weeks ago we had our garden redesigned and this was difficult in the wintery months but in recent weeks, it has become more Springlike and I was looking forward to checking out plants and working with the new minimalist style.  I have always been fond of gardening and miss the tropical plants and trees I grew up around in the Caribbean as I like in London.  However, with almost 30 years of understanding British gardens and plants – I now know what will thrive in my garden and have a list of my favourite plants and love research them online or checking them on social media. Therefore, I was armed with a list of plants to source in recent weeks.   I have visited about four garden centres in the last two weeks and spent a small fortune getting the plants I want.  I don’t mind spending money on plants if they are perennials and will keep on giving in future years.

Some of the plants I listed were not yet available from the shops, such as Echinacea.  However, I am sure to visit some more garden centres again.

I have noticed that younger homeowners are really into plants too so there are several new florists and plant shops in my neighbourhood.  I think plants and gardening definitely have wellbeing and health benefits – the only risk is hurting myself with too much physical gardening! However I am looking forward to the imminent blooms. And last but not least, I am really pleased that I have booked two special garden visits already with close friends and looking forward to the Chelsea Flower Show in May.

2. Savour Good Food – I love cooking and experimenting with new recipes.  My family are real foodies and I come from a rich heritage of cooking, baking and…eating! I know I am good at various recipes and have had real masterclasses from my Indo-Caribbean mother and Italian mother-in-law.  Whilst I was on vacation (as the North Americans say) I have baked, make dishes that take more time, spent time browsing shelves in local food stores and tried some new restaurants.  I recently visited a restaurant that does amazing brunches and they also have a special Mediterranean brunch.  It was really good and I am looking forward to taking some of my female friends there for lunch.

I also went to the famous OXO Tower restaurant again for lunch on a very beautiful sunny day as a special treat.  The dishes and the flavours were delicious and the ingredients are so innovative that it is good to savour the meal.  I love the way that great chef out together creative dishes and have all the admiration in the world for them!

3. See some Films – I was just beginning my downtime at home when a family member started a series on Netflix.  Normally I try to avoid series as I don’t have the time to look at time or the patience to deal with soap opera.  However, I certainly got hooked on the series that I was looking at and it became the highlight of my evening to relax and discuss with my family and friends.  The same thing happened at Christmas and actually… I think it great that we have this technology at home to enjoy great films.  I always have things I want to see on a ‘normal’ weekend but sometimes don’t seem to fit them into my relaxing schedule but this time I certainly was able to enjoy a series.

I also went to local cinema to see the film Midwinter Break.  I was one of the youngest persons in the cinema as it was about 3pm and all the other customers seemed to be pensioners as the film story was about an elderly couple visiting Amsterdam on holiday.  I sometimes forget to go to the cinema as we didn’t have one locally for years but I hope that I can make time to see film in the cinema more often as the bigger screens and sound systems definitely add a bit of magic to films.

4. Window Shopping – I couldn’t get away from having some errands in my downtime so I had to go into town to see the optician.  I was pleased to go to the nearest shopping mall near me at Westfield.  I really appreciate having this about 30 minutes away as I used to have to go to Bluewater in Kent, which was about 1 hour plus away.  I was able to check a couple of my favourite fashion shops and ended up ordering a dress that was on display but they did not have my size in stock.  I had to turn away from all the bargains as I have too much clothes already. 

I was able to admire all the lovely stuff in the homeware department at John Lewis and guess what…. I was able to buy some garden furniture that I have been researching for the last two months! I saw a table in stock that I did not see online and as my husband was with me – he agreed that it was good and we were able to buy it there and then.

I will be honest and say that I really am a natural online shopper now and I love click and collect for my favourite shops but it is great to still have retailers where you can still browse, touch and feel if you really would like to buy something.  Anyway, a little retail therapy is good for the soul!

5. Going out for fun – As we go about our busy lives, there is a difference in taking time for leisure and fun things.  Lately I am having to remind myself of this and having downtime has reminded me that sometimes I don’t have to go far to find fun things to do in my neighbourhood.  There multiple pubs, a few museums, theatres and creatives venues a little future in central London. I have recently been to some local entertainment gigs but I will have to be more proactive and see some bigger and ‘more expensive and famous’ acts in the near future.  I know the Spring weather is only starting and therefore there is a sense of making best use of the extra daylight time in the next few months.  This is definitely what I intend to do to make sure I have quality downtime.

Gardens – a piece of heaven on Earth

Published on by Seema Rampersad1 Comment

I have been keen on gardening since a child and remember pulling out weeds and picking flowers for vases when I helped around my home.  There was a time when I didn’t have access of a garden and I guess that made me appreciate it more than ever.  Since the late 1990s I have been keen on buying plants, going to garden centres to buy plants, and getting inspiration for visiting gardens and other wonderful use of plant and floral displays with garden designs.

A few months ago, I joined a library and information visit and tour to RHS Wisley in Woking, Surrey.  It was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss event though it was an early start to get to South of London.  It was great be where gardeners are trained and how one becomes qualified in the facilities there.  The older building still had a functional library but they had recently built a new office area, library, restaurant and engagement area on the ‘hill’.  I was impressed and love the plants, Wisteria arch, nursery, glimpse of the tropical garden and some of the woodlands that I could see in the distance.

The library show and tell was a great experience for showing some of their special collections from 1500s and the development of our interests in gardening.  There reference and borrowing collection were amazing with books, journals and information for members who are interested or studying in depth about gardens.  There was also an area for children to engage with the subject.  There was more to explore such as the herbarium and a section on sustainability for ideas to take back in our daily lives.  It was amazing to see the new office area with beautiful plants (obviously!) and to hear some of the reference enquiries that they receive from garden who want to solve some of the problems they encounter in gardens.  The best part of the visit was when an ex-colleague came to say hello at the end of the tour.  I was so happy to see her! It was definitely a lovely surprise and such a great library to work in.  I didn’t have a long time to stay to chat or wonder more as I had to make my way back to the office for an evening shift, but it was definitely worth the visit.

Talking about going back to the office, The British Library where I work has an exhibition on until August called Unearthed.  It is a great name as it exhibits all the fabulous books and story of gardens, gardening and the importance of plants in our lives.  I attended a webinar this week and had a quick look at the exhibition.  The curators highlighted the early gardens designs from housewife manuals to clergy records.  It was also interesting to see the history of plants recorded and documented as well as the importance of plants for food, medicines and other things we take for granted such as trees.  I particularly like the stories of the European encountering potatoes in Peru and the various types of potatoes that are available.  When potatoes were introduced to Europe, the general popular were actually sceptical about it but soon gained momentum and became a staple in our diets (no pun intended).  Potatoes played an important part on our history as well as the nutrition it provided for the population after they were encourages to plant potatoes in Europe.  I love potatoes and find it very versatile.  I just have never grown it as yet but who knows – maybe I will try to do so one day.

Another aspect of the exhibition I liked is the innovation that has developed over time for gardens – one example is the lawnmower.  There is a great display of an early lawnmower and recently I was looking a vlog were there are those mini mobile lawnmowers that look like a gold cart.  I don’t think I would ever need one but garden equipment and designs are innovating all the time.  I recently met a passionate garden at work who has obtained all her qualifications and does not mind the physical hard work that goes into creating her garden business.

There were images and stories of allotments and community gardens in the exhibition, which reminded me that I should try to find time to help with a community garden we created but now need some weeding and care. I think gardening brings people together but also give you time to find peace and reflection in a place of natural beauty.  I don’t have time for an allotment but it great for people who do have them to spend outdoors and to perhaps grow their own vegetables and plants.  I remember our relatives in Rome had an allotment in a convent garden with amazing tomatoes, vegetables and plants. 

Another way that libraries help with the love of garden and gardening is by providing access to magazines and books on the topic.  I recently renewed my library card at my local library and it gives me access to several electronic magazines which I can access on my own device from home.  I have recently checked out some of the beautiful garden designs in them and it is great to see the many types of gardens across the world. I have some gardening books at home and have not bought some recently but it is nice to have access to the magazines from the library for when I have time to read them.

Every year I gear myself up for gardening in Spring and look forward to tidying my garden after the brutal effect of winter on my plants.  I know it is a cycle of life and care with the climate where I live.  I do remember that it is much easier to grow plants and flowers in Trinidad as the climate is tropical and therefore plants thrive longer.  The seasons are still interesting to observe and I have grown use to spending a little fortune in plants and refreshing my garden every spring and summer.  This is ‘everyday gardening’ that I do but I do look forward to it.

By this point, you should know that gardens and plants are crucial for our wellbeing and helps us to think and practice sustainability. I love small city gardens to large wandering green spaces.  From tropical gardens to those that we find in Europe.  I also love the butterflies, caterpillars and lizards in the garden at home that I remembered as a child.  All of which is important to our mental health and the rich ecosystem that we live in.  I also know that urban development has impacted a little bit on this but I hope we can find ways to improve our environment and surrounding area with the knowledge we have of how important gardens, gardening and plants are for us.  And at this time of year, I wish you many views and exploration in gardens where ever you are in the world.