The perfect gift?

I seem to be running into peak birthday season, so was out to a late lunch yesterday with some wine shop owners.

Great wine (1982 Australian John Riddoch Wynns Coonawarra) and an ok lunch (The Hill , Greenwich).

As for a present, well I haven't had much time to go out shopping so.... images from the detailed area, hastily pasted into a frame I had hanging around...Who's a cheapskate?

Dickie

Getting Closer

From Masterplan at 1:1250 down to 1:50. It's all becoming clearer!

Dickie

Chelsea 2006

With Jamie's comments ringing in my ears I headed off to SW1 and the show grounds.

Personally I love Chelsea, the only thing that I find slightly suspect is the plant combinations that have been achieved by forcing/holding back certain plants (tulips with fully flowering stipas for example), which you would never be able to recreate naturally.

I don't even mind the crowds too much - it's all part of the experience. There was a great comment made to the show organiser Stephen Bennett which made me laugh - "You know dear, if it wasn't so crowded they'd get more people here" - priceless!

I love the show gardens, my favourites this year were the gardens by Sarah Eberle, Tom Stuart- Smith, Cleve West and Flemings Nurseries.

Here are two small details from the Cleve West Saga Garden (I love the colour in the concrete 'spinning top' being matched with that of the dianthus? flower).

I also liked the width of the deck boards which perfectly matched the adjacent pavers, and the corten steel tanks/wall with the clipped Virburnums, in Tom Stuart-Smiths Daily Telegraph Garden (the planting was stunning too!)

Dickie

Blooming Britain

As a diversion from the drawing board, and having got completely obsessed with The Chelsea Flower Show, I've entered their 'Blooming Britain' photograph competition.

Here's my effort. Fingers crossed!


Dickie

Weekend Break

It's been great to have some time away from the drawing board and to get on with some gardening.

Here are some Welsh poppies looking good against a backdrop of ferns

Dickie

A sign from above

Just seen this lovely rainbow from the window...a good omen for tomorrow?

Good luck everyone.


Dickie

New Airbus

Wow, just seen the new airbus fly over flanked by a fighter jet - very impressive... and comparatively quiet (welcome news for those under the Heathrow flight path).

A much needed diversion from the detailed drawings!


Dickie

I love wildlife but....

These fox cubs are driving me mad...

Every morning from 4am onwards - five of them, tearing around the garden...let me sleep!

Get me a gun someone


Dickie

Let me tell you about my day

Up bright and early to get the 'money shot' at Barrier Park for my precedent images... a view of the cafe with people outside enjoying their surroundings (a rare event, the place is always devoid of humans whenever I'm there).

Remember my camera and a couple of spare batteries. As I'm approaching the Blackwall Tunnel, I feel something burning in my pocket. Fish out a set of keys that have been burning into my leg. The batteries had touched my keys, reacted together and super heated the keys. As I dispose of the batteries fearing that they will explode, an overheight lorry enters the tunnel causing a monumental jam. As I wait patiently (wishing that I'd got the drawing board in the car with me) a motorcyclist hits the car behind me, causing a further jam.

Arrive in Barrier Park just as the sun disappears behind clouds. Cut my losses, snap away and drive back through the tunnel to be confronted with a road block and a lorry in flames on the flyover.

Hours later I return to the drawing board having wasted half a day....

Dickie

p.s. 17.21 A client has just emailed to tell me the Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' I supplied has died (cost £125 plus VAT). Just gets better and better!

Chelsea tickets

The tickets have arrived, but can I spare the time?

Dickie

National Gallery Paving

Checked out the York Stone paving in front of the Gallery. I blame the Sultan's Elephant (see Martins blog).

St Jame's Park Cafe

Before and after, this afternoon in St James's Park (didn't even have a coffee)- I have to say I still prefer the before image- to me the empty tables and chairs are more emotive, but what the hell - the boss knows best.

Dickie

Seasonality

Last minute seasonality sketches.....


Dickie

A five minute break

Had a break to have a wander in the garden. All this rain has changed everything dramatically, it's all racing away...

Anyway, here's Rubus 'Benenden' (I think, my neighbour gave it to me) just coming into flower. A lovely member of the bramble family.

Ok, back to the grindstone.

Dickie

Euphorbia rigida

....By the way, look at my Euphorbia rigida now (no photoshop tricky involved!).

If anyone would like seeds, let me know.

Dickie

If climate change continues...

This would be a good combination, Aeonium 'Zwartkop'with the tulips.

Dickie

Final tulips

Here are the last ones to come in to flower. Tulipa 'Queen of the Night', looking great with Cerinthe major.


Dickie

Swifts have arrived!

Just back from a manic trip to the art shop for more pencils.

On my way, heard my favourite sound in the world....swifts, back from their wintering grounds in Africa. A small party of them in the sky along with some house martins. First ones I've seen this year. They really are remarkable birds, eating, sleeping and even mating on the wing, only landing to nest.

Cheered me up no end!

Dickie

Sections

Having just looked at them on the blog, It's obvious the trees in the background need to be different shades which is what I'm going to do now!

Dickie

Sections

Have spent the last few hours colouring the sections.

The result, I hate it - just a load of green on a page. Can't see any improvement at all.

However, no time to do anything else. On to the next task.

Dickie

One tiny step

Hooray!

I've actually finished something... the planting plan is done, finito.

Thank God for that. It's only taken me the best part of two weeks. The text in parts is so small you can't read it, but what the hell.

To celebrate, what else but another tulip picture, this time Tulipa 'White Triumphantor' just coming into bloom.

Dickie