Sofias Country Gardens

A year ago I had an operation to help with my back problems which meant that the whole of last years gardening season went to waste. It...

This New Year 2025 I woke up in New York, as you do when life continues to throw random curved balls at you and so much of what you do is...

There is an old saying in Finland that Rowan berry trees can't carry two, which means that if there is a good rowanberry year the...

As May turned into June I found myself living in the slow lane, easing into summer at a snails pace. I am not a patient person by nature,...

After a very, very long winter spring finally begins to emerge. All throughout April the weather has played tricks on us, and each time...

I think Dylan Lewis sculpture garden in South Africa is one of my favourite gardens in the whole world. This is saying a lot, considering...

This time last year I was lucky enough to get away to West Dean College, UK, for a weekend to re-charge my batteries and enjoy the early...

One of my favourite botanical gardens in the whole world - Kirstenbosch - lies nestled in the foothills of Table Mountain, Cape Town,...

In the last days of November the ground froze deep, and soon after it began snowing. It is not so common to get a deep layer of snow so...

I used to say how quickly time goes when having fun. Nowadays I just think that time passes in lightspeed regardless of what I'm doing....

Living in the country I often think about the nature of light. In a town there is so much artificial light that it becomes a question of...

August has crept up on me quietly like the nights that keep getting darker and longer. Unlike spring that tends to arrive with a dramatic...

As I always seek perfection it is rare that I feel satisfied with my garden, and yet there are so many parts of it that are absolutely...

We've had the longest dry spell this summer, with six weeks of no rain. I've been looking at the gardens drying out week after week, and...

An extempore trip driving through Germany last week ended with the welcome respite of visiting another botanical garden. Having spent...

My friend Maria and I have a habit of consoling each other with the words "this too shall pass" when things aren't great, and sometimes...

Back in February I got an email from Leonie Norrington who asked to come visit my garden when she was in Finland in the beginning of May....

This years winter was long and rich in snow, but suddenly, in just a few weeks, it all melts and spring arrives for real. Lulu the snow...

A few weeks ago the snow had thawed and I was happily looking forwards to spring, and then... it started to snow again. "Hurrah!" said...

As I have said this winter was tough, and so it was with a special kind of joy that I took a little holiday to West Dean College in...