RAMBLING GARDEN BLUES
An Occasional Series by Frank Bangay .. The Punk Gardener.
RAMBLING GARDEN BLUES no1
Hello and welcome to the first episode of rambling garden blues. A stroll through the seasons, and the things that nature is up to in our parks and botanic gardens. The suggestion for this came first from Clive. I thought the idea was great. Barry agreed with me. Clive also suggested the title, but again it appeals to me, though these are happy blues, reflective blues, or a way to find peace of mind in this often troubled world.
This first episode takes in July and early August. This should be a good time for gardeners. However this year has been a bit different due to the unpredictable weather. I took a trip to Kew in early July, Trying to be an optimist I took the blue sky for granted and didn’t take a raincoat or umbrella. My trip was then cut short by a heavy thunderstorm that caught me strolling in the Rockery. However I returned to Kew on Wednesday for what ended up being a far more enjoyable day. Again I spent some time in the rockery which is a delight from spring to late summer with all the alpine flowers that grow amongst the rocks. Also a treat is the new modern Alpine House. At first glance smaller than the old one. But it is a lot easier to read the plant labels. Also as well as the regular planted display there are the plants they bring out when they are in flower. For me one of the most beautiful plants both planted and on display are the Campanulas (bellflowers) so called because the flowers look somewhat like bells. They come from Italy and other parts of Europe. (Italy being the most notable place. They are often called Italian Bellflowers.) They grow on cliffs and are quite hardy. Though experience has told me that they don’t like being moved about too much. I grow Campanulas in window boxes on my balcony. Their flowers are often blue in colour, but are sometimes white.
Every year Kew plant succulents outdoors in the summer. For me some of the most notable of this years succulents are the Echeverias . Their rosettes come in many different colours these particular ones being near white in colour. Echeveria are a family of succulent plants from Mexico. From the Crasulace family, they are related to the popular money plant, though that comes from South Africa. After that I decided to take a stroll in the grounds. This unfortunately was cut short, partly due to my left foot hurting me. Old age creeping on? But more importantly because of the continuous drone of aircraft flying overhead. At certain points in the day Kew becomes on the flight path for Heathrow Airport. . But don’t let this put you off Kew is still well worth visiting. And it is accessible by public transport. It is a bit on the expensive side. (I am a friend of Kew and renew my subscription every year.) My advice is to try and get there in the morning, and spend the whole day there. Visit the Greenhouses first as they can get crowded as the day goes on . Especially on Sundays.
On we go. My other garden visit recently has been to the wonderful Cambridge Botanical Gardens. A place that I truly love. It is easy to get there from my part of London (Hackney). Just get a train from Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale, (an interchange with the Victoria Line). The train then goes up the Lea Valley, Through Angel Road station, (an industrial area .) Through Edmonton, and Ponders End. Then on to Cheshunt the birthplace of Sir Cliff Richards, then on to Harlow the birthplace of Sir John Ottway.
The train goes up through Hertfordshire , Essex, and Cambridgeshire, arriving at Cambrige just over an hour later. Apart from the industrial bit around Angel Road and Edmonton the train passes through some nice countryside. After the Lea Valley we get fields and rolling hills and little bits of woodland. Many beautiful plants grow by the railway line. I would like to learn more about the names of our native plants. The gardens are just down the road from Cambridge station, and over the other side of a main road. Admission is £3. They only do concessions if you are a student. They used to do concessions for disability but I was once told that the government stopped these things, it is well worth the £3, so I won’t grumble. The greenhouses are currently being refurbished though the section on Australian and South African plants has been finished and looks really interesting, as does the main corridor. The rest is still a work in progress. Having seen the greenhouses before this work started , I look forward to seeing the finished results. But there is much of interest in the grounds. The limestone rockery is quite small but wild. It was full of flowers. Growing amongst the alpine plants was a prickly pear cactus (Opuntia). It survives the winter because it’s roots are covered by other plants.
There was some common stonecrop (Sedum Acre) growing out of dips in rocks with very little soil. Leading on from the rockery there is a bit on alpine plants that grow by streams and ponds and rivers. More on this subject in a future edition. A little further on are the systematic beds. They are a delight with all the different flowers. There was a Campanula with large flowers. (larger than usual.) Some thistle type plants with beautiful flowers. Generally it was a delight of different coloured flowers. After this I went through a wooded bit that I always think I will get lost in. This is where I expect to meet the Cheshire Cat sitting in a tree giving directions.
At the other side of the wood are the fenland plants. Another wet area. Then there is the limestone mound , and the chalk beds. This gives us a chance to see wild British plants growing in their natural soil. It is easy to overlook the beauty of our wild plants in favour of more exotic plants from abroad. But more and more I am learning to love the beauty of our wild plants. The sort of plants that grow wild on railway embankments or on our local commons. The sort of plants that we see when we venture out into the countryside. The limestone mound is rather overgrown as some plants have got a bit out of control but it still has it’s beauty. There is a lot more to be said about the Cambridge Botanical Gardens and I will return to them in the future. But for now I will mention the scented garden which is a treat. Lavenders and Scented Pelargonium and much more.
And the winter garden which contains outdoor plants that either flower or have attractive bark or foliage during the winter months. When the gardens close someone comes round on a bicycle ringing a bell. They caught me staring at a flower bed feeling peaceful. I would like to think that in his later years Syd Barrat might have taken strolls in the gardens. Perhaps getting inspiration for his paintings. Perhaps he did.
Next time I will tell you about the Chelsea Physics Gardens and wherever else my garden wanderings take me .
Peace and Love
Frank
Cambridge University Botanic Garden www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/
Botanic Gardens Kew www.kew.org
Some of our friends' websites
cliveproduct.com
kevincoynepage.tk
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trashville.co.uk
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