"The Beauty of English Gardens"
Prince Charles certainly has. He took on the house at Highgrove some years back and has now produced a book about the renovations of the beautiful gardens surrounding the manor house. You can find the book at Amazon where it is sometimes available at a discounted price.
Maybe it's the rain, maybe it's geographic location or maybe it's just that us Brits are incredibly creative! :-) Whatever it is, english gardens really are superb. Okay the odd garden may grow old washing machines and car engines, but on the whole these are rare. Every garden, worldwide, has it's own personality and character and some even have a theme running through the whole area.  The secret is to work with what you have and always tweak and improve. If you're starting your garden from scratch ( english style or not ) , consider climbing plants to cover ugly fencing or boring brick walls ground cover plants to contain weeds and bring lots of colour, wild flower patches to encourage bees, butterflies and pollination. This Cornfield seed mix is available at Thompson & Morgan (UK) Libraries are full of garden books and the newsagents shelves are stacked with gardening magazines. Nobody has to be an expert to start their own garden. The wonderful thing about gardening is that however expert you are, there is always something else, something more to learn. There's no limit to this extraordinary hobby. Check out fruit, veggie and herb growing possibilities to keep your family healthy. Scroll down for details of must-have books, which grew from my own experience of bringing up a family 'off-the-land', where I created my own 'english garden' in France! ( More about me here.)
Scaled down and in proportion to the average household, a small garden can provide a crop of fruit, some solid veggies, and a wonderful environment for your family.  Even if you don't have a garden or backyard or even a balcony, you can still benefit from fresh herbs and flowers - use a windowbox or just grow plants that like an indoor environment.
Whether you want to follow the style of 'english gardens' or create your own dream paradise - the tools, plants and equipment are available to do it - if you're so inclined! To help keep you motivated and focused on your project, make a rough plan before you start. Get hold of as many catalogues and garden books you can lay your hands on and absorb ideas, colour schemes and themes, after that you are only limited by your imagination. :-). There are a few catalogues you can order online here..Garden Catalogs and lots of books here....Gardening Books  Happy Gardening! Grow Your Own Winter Food: A good diet incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is a must if you want to stay fit and healthy and keep the bugs at bay during the cold winter months. Growing your own winter food is just one way of ensuring you get the freshest, tastiest produce packed with goodness straight from the garden to the kitchen table. This easy-to-follow self-sufficiency book shows you how to grow your own fruit and vegetables for winter use and includes facts on each fruit, vegetable or herb as well as nutritional value, recipe ideas and storage suggestions.  Grow Your Own Winter Food is perfect for those with limited gardening experience, with gardens big or small who are looking to become more self-sufficient. ("Keep your english gardens growing right through the year!") Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow Your Own Winter Food Grow It, Cook It!: Many crops, including herbs, can be produced in a relatively small space with a little pre-planning and organizing: in containers, on a balcony, and indoors. Herbs are perfect for enhancing the flavour of cooking, treating minor ailments, and preventing colds and flu. Your own back garden will not only produce the best food on the planet for you and your loved ones, it is also economical, environmentally friendly and more fun than shopping. Gardening is more than a hobby; it's a way of life. .  This book provides all the information you need to keep your family and friends healthy, fit and enjoying life to the full. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow It, Cook It! Grow Your Own Pharmacy: If, like me, you want to be able to eat the best food on the planet, grow your own!  • Clear instructions on planning, planting, growing and harvesting the fruits, vegetables and herbs required for a healthy vitamin intake. • Recipes and menus to help incorporate the fruit and vegetables into your daily diet. Grow Your Own Pharmacy Herbs and Spices: Some herbs grow vigorously, some are tender and need special growing conditions, some are annuals, some perennials, some you can grow indoors, all can be grown in pots or directly into the ground. There are also certain spices, such as chillies, that can be grown in temperate climates.  This clear and concise directory of herbs and spices provides all the essential information to help you grow a selection of these flavour-enhancing foods in small or large spaces. Ideas for which herbs and spices go best with which foods also accompany each description, so that you can really enliven your repertoire of recipes. Order it now direct from the publisher... Herbs and Spices Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense is packed full of great ideas and tips. Granny brings traditional home-making up to date with cooking, gardening, needlecrafts and even games to play with the kids...Click on the link below to order your copy.  Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore and preparing nourishing home cooked meals for the family will certainly keep them away from the goodie shelf. Gardening encourages physical exercise and a good healthy dollop of fresh air. And you can get the kids involved too. Before the days of computer games and electronic pets, children used to have fun without rummaging about in the fridge every five minutes. Enjoy a few rainy-day games and crafts of yesteryear with today’s kids. They’ll love it and so will you! Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense Back To Garden Ideas Back To Flower And Garden Tips Homepage Click Here To Subscribe to "Creative Gardening" - Your FREE monthly ezine! www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/englishgardens.html |
This stunning potting shed will really enhance an english garden setting. Taylors Garden Buildings UK have an extraordinary range of garden buildings. Find them here: