Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society.

February came and went in a blink of an eye and so much has happened over the past month. I got to visit Stowe gardens, Kew gardens and Woburn gardens. I also had the huge honour of receiving the Carter-Patterson Memorial Medal from the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society for my achievements as a student of horticulture in Scotland.

It was a fantastic evening meeting key individuals in Scottish horticulture. I am truly humbled to have been chosen for the award.
The best memory I have from school is being given a single broad bean seed by my biology teacher as a project. We all placed our seeds in a glass of water and for the next 6 weeks studied its progress as it developed roots and a shoot. I think this sparked my interest in nature and the surrounding outdoor world.
Not long ago I visited Kew Gardens where they had an exhibition with some of Mark Frith's drawings of trees on the late Felix Dennis's estate. Beside these drawings there was a quote from a poem written by Felix Dennis. "Whosoever plants a tree, winks at immortality". I have never had a quote speak to me so much before. It puts so plainly exactly how I feel about plants, trees and the wider world. In my career, I want to bring gardening and the environment to the forefront of teaching and work together with people to create a better world for everyone.
 I am very thankful to my family for pushing me in the right direction, and to the tutors throughout my life who have seen the passion I have for horticulture. Who have given me the opportunity to work with knowledgeable people and have amazing experiences which I can take with me through the rest of my career.
 I would like to thank the Caley (RCHS) for having the awards ceremony to recognise those people, from all walks of life, working within horticulture and botany. These people deserve all the praise that we can give for their enthusiasm and commitment to horticulture. It is a huge privilege to have been nominated.

I highly recommend if you are interested in having a career in horticulture, whether you are a career changer or first career, checking out these sites below as they have all helped me hugely:

https://www.sruc.ac.uk/

https://thecaley.org.uk/

 http://www.pgg.org.uk/

http://www.rbge.org.uk/education/home


http://hbgtp.org.uk/

Woburn Gardens

Hi Everyone,

A couple of weeks ago I visited Woburn Gardens with a friend from Work. We were blessed with beautiful sunshine and the rain held off all day.

http://www.woburnabbey.co.uk/gardens/

A an interesting and eclectic mix of horticultural curiosities, Woburn did not fail to disappoint. However, the gardens are very much laid out to achieve the maximum effect during summer so I will definitely be returning to see them again then.

Pictures from the day:

Watering can pots at the entrance to the gardens.

Bog Garden

Temple at the rear of the garden.

Conifers in the gardens.

Large conifer in the centre of a circular courtyard.

Sculptures at the side of the Chinese dairy.

Kew Gardens - Orchid Festival.

Hi Everyone,

Last weekend I got the chance to go to Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London to visit their Orchid Festival. The festival was mainly situated in the Princess of Wales Conservatory and showcased spectacularly the garden's collection of Orchids.

White Phalaenopsis.

https://www.kew.org/

A beautiful and colourful arrangement of Orchids from the classic Moth Orchid, Phalaenopsis species, to Cymbidiums and Cattleyas: The festival celebrates the Thai Orchid Festival with plants, food and performances. Thailand has over 1100 Orchid species with more being identified every year. The Princess of Wales Conservatory was adorned with vibrant Orchids, jam packed excited children and captivated parents. The sheer number of people bustling about around you sometimes made it difficult to appreciate what you were looking at but the care and detail of the displays shone through brilliantly. Intermittent information panels give you just enough information to peak your interest and keep you moving forward throughout the glasshouses.

Traditional Thai cart on loan from Thailand's embassy in London.

The cost of entering Kew Gardens is quite steep at £16 for an adult but this also covers the cost of the Festival so there was no extra hidden charge. There is a small amount of free parking around the outside of the gardens but I recommend travelling via London underground or bus to avoid disappointment and heartache. The gardens were surprisingly busy even though it was a cold bitter day with no sun shining for miles and wind that chilled my bones to the core. A testament to the popularity of the gardens. The prices are high but the quality food and items make up for the extra money. 

Rice paddy scene with orchids.

A wonderful day out with Orchids drippings from every crevice and a great day out with friends.
Although the orchid festival is only on for a short amount of time I recommend a visit to the gardens at any time of the year.  They are a true endorsement that the importance of natural spaces and gardens will flourish in the coming years.
I hope everyone is staying warm in this snowy weather.
Thanks for reading. 😄

Additional photographs:

Vibrant Orchid tunnel.

Vibrant orchid tunnel viewed from inside.

Traditional Thai boat filled with orchids.

Orchid archways behind Bromeliads.

Bromeliads in the Princess of Wales Conservatory.

Exquisite Orchid Palace.

Paphiopedilum species (Slipper Orchid).

Stowe Gardens - National Trust

Hi Everyone,

A few weeks ago I got the chance to visit Stowe Gardens - a National Trust Property in Buckinghamshire. I drove a few work colleagues and myself to the garden on one of our rare sunny winter days. It was bitterly cold but the sun made it well worth visiting.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stowe

View from the public entrance to the gardens.

Stowe has a large car park which is managed on busy days by helpful parking attendants who point you in the direction of a parking space. We were welcomed in by friendly staff who gave us a map and leaflet containing a brief history of the property and grounds. At the entrance to the property there is a clean well kept toilet, a gift shop and a cafe. Despite the cold weather the grounds were very busy with many members of the public enjoying a walk and tourists taking pictures of the house. As part of the National Trust's winter walks, Stowe was taking part in 'Stowedrops' encouraging visitors to come to the grounds to view carpets of snowdrops.

Snowdrops in the grounds.

Stowe is a fantastic landscape garden and a great example of a Georgian landscape.  The gardens were influenced and worked on my many of  England's most prominent garden designers such us William Kent, Sir John Vanbrugh and 'Capability' Brown. Each of these men left their own impact on the grounds which can still be identified today.

Temple at Stowe Gardens

Temples, bridges and grottoes provide spectacular long distance views. Each of these well cared for striking buildings are remarkable examples of Georgian architecture. The grounds are adorned with traditional Laurel and Yew. Yellow Dogwood gave a great pop of colour which grew your eyes towards the serpentine lake at the public entrance to the grounds.

View towards bridge across Serpentine waterway.

 The large house at the centre of the property is now a public school after being sold off between 1921-22. The house was then adapted to provide classrooms and accommodation for students. The grounds were gifted to the National Trust in 1989.Unfortunately I did not get a chance to participate in the tour around the house as I did not have time.

Stowe School

Overall, visiting Stowe was a great day out. I will definitely visit again in the Summer.
I hope the recent snowy weather isn't affecting any of you too badly. 
Thanks for reading. Stay warm. 😄

Additional pictures:

Roman wrestlers statue

Temple overlooking the lake.

Shell and stone grotto. Patterns on the inside show classic astrology symbols such as Aquarius, Cancer and Leo.