THE GARDEN MUSEUM NEWS …the UK

Sow, Grow Eat A new programme for teenagers to explore horticulture and cooking Do you know any teenagers aged 13-17 based in South London who might be interested in dipping their toes in the career of a gardener, food grower or chef? We are looking for up to eight teenagers to join our free ‘Sow, Grow, Eat’ programme, which involves spending one Saturday a month at the Garden Museum for ten months. Participants will learn sowing, planting and gardening skills in our greenhouse and gardens, then in our studio kitchen we’ll do hands-on cooking sessions using some of the produce grown throughout the year. No prior experience necessary, just an enthusiasm for plants! Apply by Monday 13 February Programme runs March – December Find out more Life Drawing Class Lucian Freud: Drawing Plant Portraits Back for a second session by popular demand! Lucian Freud is infamous for his gritty, fleshy nudes, and so inspired by our current exhibition Lucian Freud: Plant Portraits, London Drawing Group will be offering a life drawing class like no other. Set against the soaring backdrop of our central nave space, and nestled amongst a backdrop of lush plants, our incredible model Lily will be posing in, with and amongst our leafy friends. Tickets include access to the exhibition, guided instruction and bespoke drawing exercises throughout our Life Drawing class. Fri 24 February, 6.30pm – 8.3pm £30 Standard, £25 Friends / Young Fronds Book tickets Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-77): View Across the Rooftops of Lambeth Palace A rare 17th century sketch of the view from our medieval tower is currently on auction with Sotheby’s. We take a closer look at what we can learn from the sketch in this article, reproduced from ‘Sotheby’s New York January 2023 Catalogue: Master Works on Paper from Five Centuries’: Wenceslaus Hollar’s bird’s eye view of Lambeth House (Palace), official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, is a splendid example of the artist’s dynamic ‘on the spot’ sketches. It has not appeared at auction since the drawing was discovered in a sale, in 1931, by the art historian, Iolo A. Williams. Its re-emergence, as a work by Hollar, provides a wonderful opportunity to delight and delve into the world of this fascinating Bohemian artist, whose drawings rarely come to the market. Born in Prague in 1607, Wenceslaus Hollar was a prolific draughtsman and printmaker, who is perhaps best known for his visual records of mid 17th century England. His drawings and prints of London before the great fire of 1666 are historical documents of great importance, as well as aesthetically appealing images of a bygone world. Keep reading

Lucian Freud: Plant Portraits Exhibition Catalogue Can’t make it to see our Lucian Freud exhibition in person, or want to find out more his artistic relationship with plants? The exhibition catalogue is available now in our online bookshop! Beautifully illustrated with examples of Freud’s plant paintings and etchings, this catalogue includes interviews with Freud’s longtime studio assistant David Dawson and daughter Annie Freud. Order your copy for just £20 Buy a catalogue Call for papers! Visions of Welfare Conference This May we are hosting an international conference discussing the role of women in the creation of the spaces of the post-war Welfare States, co-hosted by the Women of the Welfare Landscape Project, the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain and the Women in Danish Architecture project. The importance of quality open spaces for health and wellbeing has been highlighted more than ever by the Covid-19 pandemic. And historically the provision of well designed, accessible, open public spaces was a crucial part of a wider concept of economic redistribution. While previous research has uncovered the work of many individual ‘heroines’ and celebrated iconic design projects by women, this conference invites abstracts that consider the role of women in creating the spaces of the period internationally with the aim of looking beyond individual achievements and professional boundaries. Abstracts of 200 words are invited and should be submitted online by Monday 30 January 2023 Tickets to attend the conference will be available soon Find out more Object of the Week: Illustrated Letters in the William Shute Barrington Archive By Alice Ridgway, Archivist January 16th marked ‘Blue Monday’ the most melancholy day of the year. However, mine was brightened by discovering some charming drawings in the William Shute Barrington archive, which we hold in the Archive of Garden Design. The archive contains correspondence, plans, plant lists, sketches and paintings between 1920-1940 relating to the gardening career of Viscount William ‘Bill’ Reginald Barrington (1873-1960). After a career in the military, Barrington restored and redesigned gardens at a number of stately homes in East Sussex and further afield. His gardening philosophy aimed to give the illusion that a garden had existed forever, stating that ‘its relationship to the surrounding fields, hills and buildings should have a naturalness borne of scrupulous attention to detail’. The letters I found were sent by Guy Roderick Falkner, an unknown gardening friend of Barrington. They thank him for his plant cuttings and hospitality and give short updates about his horticultural projects. My favourite drawing features two cartoon birds – most likely a depiction of the tame pair of starlings that lived with Barrington alongside his partner, Violet Gordon Woodhouse. Keep reading Images: Sow, Grow, Eat illustration by Ross Bennett; Plant Life Drawing photo courtesy of Luisa MacCormack; Visions of Welfare Conference © Fortepan / Szabó Gábor

Garden Museum 5 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB gardenmuseum.org.uk

Sewing Spring Seeds….growing!

I have my very own collection of new seeds for spring planting. I’ve found in the past, that if I wait until early  spring (April 1st) to make my selections, they are very picked over, and often I miss out on the ones I’m really looking for. So last week I made my “picks” and purchased them all at my visit to the nursery. I’m so excited. 

First on my fav”’ list is:

Sweet Peas………Lathyrus odoratus

Sweet Peas are of several varieties. I’ve selected the “Bouquet” blend.  They are referred to as a Spencer type, ideal for cutting, because of their extra large flowers, longer and sturdier stems, and they produce a larger number of blooms each year. The are ruffled, lightly scented and are a “romantic” flare. I bought them to be able to cut and bring in the house. I love a tiny vase of flowers near the kitchen window, one on the bathroom sink and one beside my pillow. Sweet Peas aroma is very light and delicate. Can’t wait!!

I have also selected four other seedlings this year, to include Cosmos, Nasturtium, Fireball Zinnia and Sunrise Morning Glory.

My sweetheart and I have a connection with Sweet Peas, so I’m certain I’ll be putting a few of these puffy/curly flowers under his chin, in hopes that the aroma will spark a little feeling of amorous adoration. What a lovely thought and anticipation…..Amen!

“Contessa” says……it is such a lovely and sweet thing to do!

Prairie Moon Nursery

Our spring native seed catalog has arrived. We are happy to lend. Just give us a call and we can drop it off. Some very nice grouping selections. Prairie Moon is very reputable, with tenure in the seed business, and in fact most of these seeds are found at the  family farm in Marshall County, Iowa.

This copy is 48 pages….and in full color

We are happy to lend to you for one week. We can then pick it up and pass to our next interested seed enthusiast.

Enjoy! 

“Contessa”

THE GARDEN MUSEUM News, the UK

Sarah Price: Designing a Cedric Morris-inspired Garden For the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, The Nurture Landscapes Garden built by Crocus and designed by Sarah Price will be inspired by artist-plantsman Cedric Morris’ garden at Benton End. To find out more about what to expect from this exciting project, we had a few questions for Sarah:How did this project come about? Nearly four years ago, I was lucky to visit Benton End, and spend time immersed in the garden. It was April and demure fritillaries and Anemone pavonina scattered the long grass like a beautiful tracing. Entrancing, and as close to a medieval mead as I’ve ever seen, this filigree was a physical and enduring memory of Cedric Morris’ plantings. This visit to Benton triggered memories of Sarah Cook’s mesmerising display of Benton Iris within the Pavilion at Chelsea in 2015. The poise of the Iris and their wavering hard-to-describe colours were pure, visual pleasure! Together with Cedric Morris’ paintings, these two experiences helped to build up a picture of Benton End as a place of astonishing creativity; a place latent with inspiration for a Chelsea garden design. Knowing that the plants and materials of a Chelsea garden could support the reimagining and reopening of Benton End gave the project added depth and longevity… Keep reading Merry Christmas from the Garden Museum! This is our last newsletter of the year, the next Garden Museum News will land in your inboxes early January. If you’re planning to visit the Garden Museum over the festive season, please make a note of our Christmas closure: Garden Museum: last day open Wednesday 21 December, re-opening Monday 9 January Garden Café: closing after lunch Friday 23 December, re-opening Monday 9 January We hope you all have a restful break, and look forward to welcoming you back in the New Year! Plan your visit

Object of the Week: Christmas Tree Growers, c.1912 This photo from the 1912 publication One & All: Gardening Annual of Amateurs & All Garden Lovers shows two men pulling up the year’s Christmas trees, location unknown. Gift of Tony Elphick Explore our collection online Images: Illustration for The Nurture Landscapes Garden courtesy of Sarah Price Landscapes

Garden Museum 5 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB gardenmuseum.org.uk

Indoor Bulbs for Christmas (REVISED)Jan 4th – 9 am – Wed

(REVISED) – Jan 4th – 9 am – Wednesday 

ta….da!

How exciting and pretty. Today all three blooms are at peek.  It was worth the wait. We have now learned the planting/growing/blooming cycle. Again, we planted Nov 30th, so if we want full bloom for around Dec 24th, we need to plant approximately November 15th. We also believe we will plant a larger planter next year because a collection of say  8-10 bulbs will be so lovely.

They are so easy to care for and the amount of water is so small. Plus securing them well in the planter is so important. Our success this year is so gratifying. We will enjoy these blooms most likely for one full week. It’s been so much fun! We are thrilled

• •••••••••••••••••••••• •

We planted our three “paperwhite bulbs” on November 30th. We have watered with just a dropper. We water every day.  Our saucer doesn’t hold that much and frankly you don’t want your bulbs swimming in water. The tiny pebbles secure the bulbs in place, and only the tiny roots at the pointed end need the moisture to grow.  

So here they are today. Poking themselves upward. Once they begin to breath indoor air their growth takes off pretty quickly. We haven’t had many sunny days, so it may take them a little longer to grow. That’s ok though, because pretty “pure white” blossoms for Christmas, might be our “joy.”  Perhaps signifying the birth of the babe…. On our Christmas Day! We will continue care and watering until then….. in anticipation. 

Paperwhites

(REVISED) 12/28 – Wed – 8:36 am 

Today we have a bloom on our Paperwhites that we planted Nov 30th. So that tells us that it took almost 30 days to produce a blossom…. Meaning that if we want pretty white blossoms for Christmas next year, we probably need to plant them about the 22nd of November. ✅

We have included some photos from just this morning. We did tell you they grow really tall and that it’s best to tie them with a ribbon once they start to grow, so because we see the other buds will most likely bloom in the next couple days we have moved our ribbon tie to secure all three sprouts. And our last photo shows the pretty blossom, which smells divine. With the heat running in the house…make sure to add a little water a couple times a day. Our blossoms  shoukd last about one week. It’s a miracle….!  Beautiful pure white fragrant blossoms in December.  Such a treat, And with our sun shining so brightly this Morning, and news on the weather this morning,  we are already just beginning to have longer days each day ahead. The promise of “spring.”  Alleluia!

••••••••••••••••••••••

And…..every year we grow our Red Amaryllis outdoors and it produces several very tall green fronds. We prop it up with reeds, tied with pretty ribbon, knowing that it’s growth is all part of the process of “new flower growth” come the winter season.

So in late October we bring it indoors, add some fresh soil and cut back all the green… all the way down to the dirt. Yes you got it. Because, within about ten days to two weeks the bulb starts producing a new green shoot. And…..here it comes. It’s such an amazing process. The plant knows it is winter and that it’s time to produce its beautiful flower. It’s very exciting and we always look forward to its arrival. The timeframe can vary slightly…. But it never fails us. It’s reassurance to us that if we do all the right preparation, we will reap the rewards of new growth and gorgeous red blossoms.

Amaryllis

“Contessa” says…. It’s a very good thing!

Client Requests

Yesterday we were called to complete a final tidy for a garden that is very close to being ready for winter. Our client  is used to a very crowded bed….prior to us removing all the “green” crowding, and creating a flower garden. He was not mentally prepared for sparsely populated beds in the fall leading into the winter season. But we have prepared the beds gradually, so as to postpone the “shock” factor to his Psyche. He has now adjusted and we are about half way there, in completing populated flower beds. It’s coming along and in the spring, which we both look forward to…we will both look forward to adding new flowering perennials. It’s going to be fun to watch things return and to once again make plant selections. I must say he does his own research in to plants that he thinks he likes. And with our help….together we make the picks. Sun is a huge determining factor. But he is pretty specific about what he wants. We enjoy the process. And we of course have the delightful task of recommending placement and completing the planting. It’s rewarding….and I think that now as we prepare to enter year two together,  we will create an even more lovely Garden this year. He has a very nice spot and enjoys entertaining his friends and colleagues in his lovely garden “oasis,”  Very Nice, and we look forward to spring.

“Contessa” says…it’s a very good thing!

Gardening Ad for Jan/Feb/March, 2023

Today we transmitted our newest Gardening Ad to our community Newsletter editor for publishing in the Jan/Feb and March 2023 publication. It reads as follows:

THE GARDEN CONTESSA, former owner of Contessa’s in DelRay is offering “winter/clean up/tidy“ appointments for the months of Jan/Feb/March. As always our Fall/Winter  “bed cleanup” continues. And as long as temps remain favorable you can still be in touch with us to complete work for you now. Our late fall business was very robust, as more and more of you were planting new things this year. Which means we are getting more requests to help with “putting your beds and plants to bed” for our short Virginia winter period. We will garden, temps permitting, on our warmer sunny days. Please don’t hesitate to call us. We frankly never stop gardening. In March….we start early with your spring garden projects. Spring seems to come earlier every year. We offer (1) FREE 30 minute consult to all Parkfairfax residents. Txt – 703-548-1882 for an appointment. Gardening is our passion. We do it all, large or small. We have been in business since 2005, and as a Parkfairfax preferred vendor, our fairly large client base is friendly and generous, and they will be happy to provide referrals about us, and our variety of services. Contact us by email is you prefer at: ContessasHome@gmail.com
We want to also let you know that you can find us on our BLOG via: Contessas.net. You will enjoy gardening tips and lots of information about plants and gardening, cooking, plant selection, nursery visits with us, and personal reflection and inspiration. And we feature BEFORE and  AFTER gardening projects right here in our community. Please do check out our blog at: http://www.contessas.net

THANK YOU to all our clients for a wonderful 2022 gardening season.

……………

”CONTESSA” says….. it’s a very good thing!

“ROUNDS” and our CONTESSA Signature Services

“ROUNDS”  What are they?

We provided ongoing maintenance on a regular basis for several of our clients this year. This service is what we call our “Rounds.” You don’t need to call because we automatically come round to provide services.

Today is our last day of “Rounds” until Spring. We will be visiting each current “rounds” client today to make sure they are tidied and ready for winter. We completed late fall clean up for all of them. This included a fresh mulch application at the Final. Their beds were tidied and watered regularly. In some cases additional work such as planting winter bloomers and bulbs and everything needed additional trimming. These projects are scheduled as “work” by appt  and are billed at our regular hourly rate.

If you’ve interest or an inquiry about “Rounds,” as we are out-and-about today, be sure to give us a shout. It’s not too late to sign up for spring. Our “rounds”

service means you will regularly be visited. Tidied, Watered and personally looked after and visited. Your Flowers will be dead-headed and you’ll be notified if we feel extended work is needed.

This is a unique ongoing spring/summer service that we now offer. A subscription is offered at a minimum of six months. We do not offer summer short term watering for vacations.

Each year the number of clients has grown .So do let us know if yoyr interest as soon as you can. We just last week added a new residence to our list. We will adjust staffing needs accordingly depending on how many of you we will have…,going forward. So far for next spring, we have six households enrolled. Payment by the month is available for six month sign ups. Folks pay via VENMO, check or cash

We appreciate all of you. You are fantastic clients and we do enjoy serving you.

Please remember that during our winter months of Dermber January and February, on warmer sunny days into the new year, we can still provide some services. Please keep that in mind.

Thank you for a busy and very rewarding 2022!

“CONTESSA”

 

Paperwhites

Today we planted up three paperwhite bulbs. We are using a receptacle that is typical for planting them. Now is the time to purchase your bulbs and go ahead and get them planted. All you need are the bulbs and a bag of tiny stones meant for this planting. Usually at this time of year the bulbs, stones and planters are right near the counter in most nurseries. We plant them every year. If you don’t have a small oval planter a vintage bowl can suffice. Gather your stones and make a layer in the bottom. Peal any brown loose skin from the bulb, just like you do with an onion. Place them in your container and hold them in your desired pattern. Pour the stones into a small bag that you can pour from easily. This helps control the flow of the stones into your planter. You want very little of the bulb poking out at the top of your the container. And the reason for this is, once they begin to grow, they can get rather tall, and if they are firmly planted in the stones, it will help to hold the bulbs in place. Otherwise they could top over. Paperwhites are very pretty and so typical to the holiday season.

This is our version. Small, but it will be very lovely with beautiful white blossoms, and the aroma is so sweet. Paperwhites are very much a Christmas tradition. You can see the bulbs are very embedded into the tiny stones. Water daily with just enough to make sure your saucer has a little water in it. They grow quickly when the heat is on in the house, so we recommend a cooler spot away from a heat source. They like sunlight but prefer a cool window setting. Enjoy!

Sharing: THE GARDRN MUSEUM – U. K.

Sybil Phoenix: A Guyanese-inspired Garden For our Sowing Roots project exploring the stories of south London gardeners of Caribbean heritage, we are grateful to Woodrow Phoenix for being interviewed on behalf of his mother Sybil Phoenix. We share her story here: Sybil Phoenix OBE was born in 1927 in Guyana, which was at the time ‘British Guiana’ and is part of the Caribbean. Guiana means ‘land of water’. The country gained independence from Britain in 1966. Guyana is on the northern mainland of south America and most of the population live along the coast, as it is cooler than inland. Sybil came to the UK before independence in 1958, moving to Brockley, Lewisham with her husband in 1963. Sybil would go on in due course to be Mayoress of Lewisham and receive the honour of being the first black woman in Britain to receive an MBE in 1973 for services to the community followed by an OBE in 2008. Sybil started gardening as soon as she had her own garden. Plants in her garden include palms, a fig tree, Japanese maple, a cherry and apple tree and various roses. Woodrow says, “For her the garden is really a place just to unwind and relax… she’s one of these people that can grow anything. People would give her plants that were dying, and she would resurrect them, and people are always saying how amazing she was at being able to grow anything. It’s like she didn’t have a green thumb, she had like green hands…” Keep reading Film: Lucian Freud’s ‘Small Fern’ (1967) This unusual composition encapsulates the originality of Lucian Freud’s approach to painting plants. Placed on the floor and seen from above, a Boston fern sits snug in the modesty of its terracotta pot. In this film, curator Giovanni Aloi explains what we can learn from this seemingly simple painting. Lucian Freud: Plant Portraits is open until 5 March Digital partner: Patch Plants Explore the online exhibition Bookshop Christmas bundle offer! Buy one get one half price Buy the Garden Café Cookbook and Fashioning the Rose exhibition catalogue together for just £15 in our Christmas bundle! The perfect gifts for the food or fashion lovers in your life, or to add to your own bookshelf. Buy a bundle Beautiful & Useful Craft Fair Stallholder: Kiran Ravilious Just one week to go till our Beautiful & Useful Craft Fair! This week’s stallholder spotlight is Kiran Ravilious:  Kiran Ravilious is a pattern designer who uses lino-printing to develop her designs for textiles and paper goods. Her designs have a hint of the tropics to them as she was raised in Singapore. While never strictly botanical, her work is a unique fusion of very different inspirations: the lush tropical growth of her homeland with the delicate patterns of English nature. Her style draws on both the age-old hand printing techniques of South East Asia, and the legacy of her husband’s artistic family. Sun 4 December, 10.30am – 5pm £7 Standard, £6 Young Fronds, Friends go free Book tickets Christmas Wreath-making Workshop Join us to create a beautiful bespoke traditional Christmas wreath from scratch using fresh materials and dried fruit and berries. Florist Elaine Fisher will teach you the techniques and guide you in making your own wreath to hang on your front door or even use as a table centrepiece. Tues 29 November, 7pm £60 Standard, £55 Friends Book tickets Object of the Week: A WW1 Soldier’s Collection of Pressed Flowers, c.1917 These pressed flowers, including a poppy, were collected by George Marr whilst serving as a soldier on the Eastern Front in Greece during World War I. Some of the flowers he posted from Salonika to his sweetheart, who later became his wife. On his death his daughter, Georgeann Slater, found a notebook he had kept during his service in Greece. Georgeann said: When I opened the notebook, and flowers were pressed on just about every page, I thought how beautiful it must be for a young man to be so taken with this country. And the thought that I might go to Greece and see these lovely wild flowers was a great encouragement to me. I went to the plains above Salonika, where my father was in 1917. To think that he was walking among those wildflowers, such a sweet gentle man, is a lovely memory of my father. The collection is made up of Convolvulus althaeoides (Mallow Leaved Bindweed), Agrostemma githago (Corncockle), Adonis annua (Pheasant’s Eye), Papaver rhoeas (Field Poppy), Hedera helix (Common Ivy), Echium plantagineum (Purple Viper’s Bugloss), Rosa sempervirens (Evergreen rose), Daucus carota (Wild Carrot), Cyclamen persicum (Florist’s Cyclamen), Campanula ligulata, Consolida regalis (Forking larkspur) and Juniperus Phoenicia (Phoenician Juniper). These wartime wildflowers from our collection inspired jewellery Phoebe Walsh’s project Flowers from the Frontline, using flowers from the new frontlines in Kyiv. Find out more Images: Sybil Phoenix in her garden, photo courtesy of Sybil Phoenix; Cards, tea towel and dish by Kiran Ravilious; Christmas wreath photo courtesy of Elaine Fisher Garden Museum 5 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB gardenmuseum.org.uk

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