Category: e-newsletters
Garden Visits and E-News/Blog Plans
March 10, 2012
Winter sunshine in the walled vegetable garden at Knightshayes Court, Devon
Having just returned from a business trip to Devon in the last couple of days, I want to share the usefulness of visiting gardens for inspiration, ideas and even growing tips. This was not the purpose of my visit down to the southwest, but with a few hours to spare, I was able to enjoy the spectacular National Trust kitchen garden at Knightshayes Court, just outside Tiverton. I had read that “the restored and fully productive kitchen garden is a treat for everyone who enjoys local produce.” Yes indeed, but so much more, even in winter – and this was a good example of what can be gained from many of the National Trust properties that are presently bringing their former kitchen gardens back into use. This one just happens to be more developed than most.
Herbs and Herb Gardens
February 10, 2011
- High summer at ‘The Kennels’, in the herb garden not long after it was first established.
In my days off since last blogging, and writing the Dobies February e-newsletter, I have been travelling – indulging in one of my passions: herbs. Down to the Goodwood Estate near Chichester, discovering a fascinating little herb garden, and a little of its history. Even in Winter, the magic is there; bare earth, mulched and cosseted, plants sleeping in geometric beds: just a hint of the culinary pleasures to come, once Summer arrives. And then imagine the plucking and snipping, the chefs taking only a few short steps from ‘The Kennels’, across the road and into a sun-kissed walled garden, returning with handfuls of fresh leaves to chop and garnish, releasing their saviour and fragrance in delectable dishes.
Hello and Welcome
December 30, 2010
This new blog comes to you under the auspices of ‘Dobies of Devon’ by whom I am already engaged to write a monthly e-newsletter, and now weekly postings on this blog. Everyone on the team decided that a single monthly communication could not convey as much useful information as we would like to do, and so this ‘gardening companion’ has come into being. It will incorporate a number of garden-related topics – not just activities within the garden, but out and about, introducing you to places to visit.