Dede Sophie

Famous for his contribution to evolutionary biology, Charles Darwin brought many of his theory’s to life through experiments held at his family homes private garden. Though not truly a secret, the important, groundbreaking work carried out here in the grounds and the glasshouse is little known. After a number of years as all-girls’ boarding school it is now open to the public so anyone can walk in the steps of this scientific giant for the price of a ticket! So join us as we walk around the walled orchard and kitchen garden as well as visiting the ‘laboratory’ with is Darwin’s potting shed and lean-to green house. If you would like to see more content like this then check out our YouTube channel ‘Walking talking Gardeners’. It is absolutely free to subscribe to and you can unsubscribe immediately at any time. If you would like to ne notified whenever we publish new videos then click onto the notification ‘bell’ icon

In Washington DC, the capital of the United States, you can expect to find a quantifiable amount of historical sights and exciting new cultural activities. Depending on the season and time of day you visit, you will be able to find different tours and stays. It is a beautiful city and it is different from any other in the world. History If you are a history buff or just want to appreciate how the nation was formed, Washington DC is the perfect place. You can visit the Lincoln, Jefferson, and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials and appreciate the detail and structure of the buildings. Book a free tour of the United States Capitol Building and check out the original Declaration of Independence. Walk around and take a stroll past the White House.  Take in all of the forty four presidents who have lived there. Remember the times and the sacrificed lives of young men and women who served their country. The Vietnam and Korean War Veterans Memorials are very touching and heart breaking. Both are...

Stapelia schinzii (otherwise known as the Carrion Flower) is a wonderful looking specimen and native to SW. Angola to Namibia. It is a succulent subshrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrublands often under the light cover of larger plants. It was first discovered for western science in 1908, its findings published in the German publication Vierteljahrsschr. Naturf. Ges. Zürich 53: 491 by A.Berger & Schltr. It is the largest flowering Stapelia in the Namibia (but not within the entire genus) with a bloom reaching upwards of 20cm. The  size is important as it is fly pollinated and required the surface area to produce the pungent carrion-like odour to attract them. As an ornamental specimen it can be grown as a glass house specimen or outside during mild weather as either groundcover or as a hanging basket plant. Careful watering is required over the summer months but keep them dry over the winter with a minimum temperature of around 10 degrees.

Ok, so I accept that ‘why I hate exotic gardens’ is a bit strong in this context (especially the ‘hate’ part) but I do get really frustrated in the Spring by the lack of seasonal interest in tropical effect gardens. Of course Lorna does not agree with me but I feel I have made a decent case against what appears to be the current fashion. If you are going to plant up a strictly exotic garden then you will have a long wait until you have a rich and fulfilling display of plants. In most cases this won’t happen until about June which means you have to wait a good three months while your plants sit and wait (mostly underground) until it is warm enough for them to emerge, sprout, blom etc. This is all well and good in a public display, where you have set you certain arbitrary parameters, as you have a choice not to visit it. However when you trying to achieve this in a private garden you are going to have to get used to a desolate show for the entire spring! If y...