Fill your town or city with flowers, because in these dark times, it’s really important to pretty up your area. Back in the 60s, architects designed the Hertfordshire town of Welwyn Garden City. Home to pretty villages, often ‘new towns’ don’t work, but this one does apparently. It’s all rose-surrounded cottages and leafy avenues, although The Guardian says it looks like a ‘town laid out by your mum’.
Pretty City London is a lovely book about discovering London’s beautiful places. Go beyond the city’s famous landmarks and discover the hidden gems, the less-appreciated areas. This stunning guide also includes tips on how to plan and photograph your own prettycitylondon experience, whether on foot, or dreaming from far.
Many flowers are toxic to pets, so it’s important to only plant safe flowers for visiting dogs and roaming cats. Cherry blossom, wisteria and all bulbs (including daffodils and rhododendrons) and many wildflowers (including poppies) can all harm animal friends. See how to make gardens safe for pets, to learn of pet-safe floral options.
Keep pets away from cocoa mulch (toxic), pine mulch (can puncture) and rubber mulch (can choke) and also keep fresh compost away (contains mould). Many trees are toxic to horses. See indoor houseplants to avoid near pets (brushing a tail against a Swiss cheese plant, sago palm or lily can harm). Avoid facing indoor plants to outside foliage, to help stop birds flying into windows.
A London Floral is an illustrated fragrant trail map to find 85 markets, botanic and physic gardens and the best rose and herb gardens. Presented in an attractive slip case, this makes the ideal gift for a local or visitor. Take a floral trail of London’s key flower destinations, including places to dine among flowers or see them transform urban architecture. Divided by area.
‘Cherry’ Ingram is the amazing story of the Englishman who saved Japan’s cherry blossoms. Collingwood Ingram was born in 1880. As a young man, he travelled to japan and learned about sakura, the amazing cherry blossom.
After witnessing frightening changes back home in 1926, he began sending rare varieties from his own English garden to Japan, with an network of ‘cherry guardians’. This eloquent portrait of an extraordinary man, shows that the legacy that Japanese and English people enjoy each spring, is all down to this one man. Let him take his unsung place in botanic history.
After visiting Japan in 1902 and 1907, Collingwood discovered 2 magnificent cherry trees in the garden of his family home in Kent. In 1919, he dedicated much of his life to their cultivation and preservation. Whilst visiting Japan in 1926, he was shocked to find so little diversity. He had a prime example of the best native Japanese cherry tree in his garden, so decided to return it to its native home. Today, Japanese cherry blossom is revered the world over, and it’s mostly thanks to this man from Kent!
