What’s new, what’s growing and what’s going on this month
Favourite flowers
If you were asked to choose a single flower, what would you pick? For the writer, and fine-art and fashion photographer Juergen Teller it would be a petite wild strawberry, while conservationist Isabella Tree would choose a head of ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris). Both of their choices are included as images in Kate Friend’s evolving exhibition As Chosen By… in which the artist asks creatives and public figures to select a single stem that holds a special meaning for them and then photographs the plant in the chooser’s home or studio. “Relinquishing some control encourages me to relate to the flower in the moment,” says Kate. “By putting myself in a spontaneous environment I use all my senses to find my way to the final work.” The result is a series of portraits of single painterly flowers, which together create a unique viewpoint that you can currently see at the Tithe Barn, at Thyme in Gloucestershire. Signed and numbered C-type colour prints of artworks from the exhibition are available to buy, with prices starting at £3,500. Until 25 September, 10am-5pm. Admission free. thyme.co.uk
Love your soil
As we are increasingly aware, the health of our soil underpins everything we do as gardeners (see also part two of Alys Fowler’s continuing soil series). It’s a subject that has long been occupying the thoughts of Bridget Elworthy and Henrietta Courtauld, known collectively as The Land Gardeners, who over the past ten years have been developing and trialling composts that feed and nourish the soil. The end result, Climate Compost, is a biologically active compost that is filled with the microbial life needed to build a healthy soil capable of storing carbon, water and minerals. Climate Compost is akin to a soil inoculant, so a little goes a long way. Use a pinch under your seedlings, work into a thin layer just below the surface of your soil or use it to create a liquid feed. A 2L bag of Climate Compost costs £12. thelandgardeners.com
Green-fingered gear
Elegance and functionality are at the heart of a new collaboration between menswear brand Oliver Spencer and Japanese tool manufacturer Niwaki. Made from durable organic cotton, the collection of stylish workwear is designed specifically for the garden with plenty of handy pockets for tools, seed packets and clippings. Shown from top, Hortus Gardening Jacket, £319; Arbor Gardening Smock, £159; and Scion Gardening Gilet, £249. oliverspencer.co.uk
Golden flight
Ajuga is a genus of around about 40 ground-hugging species that make a wonderful groundcover for brightening up shady corners. This month, the Feathered Friends Series, which launched in the USA last year, reaches UK shores with several exciting bird-themed cultivars. Look out for ‘Fancy Finch’ (top), with elongated coppery leaves and purple flowers; ‘Fierce Falcon’ (above left), with large, deep-purple leaves that appear almost black; and ‘Parrot Paradise’ (above right), with vibrant yellow leaves that have copper highlights. Find plants at Dobbies and independent garden centres. dobbies.com
Mastery of folk arts
Court House Farm, a restored medieval manor house in Somerset has launched a series of residential retreats that are designed not just to help you refresh and revive but to get your creative juices flowing. This month, award-winning textile artist Anne Kelly, is leading a five-day Folk Art retreat (13-18 June) that will introduce you to techniques needed to create your own folk-art-inspired textile collage or doll. The four-day course also includes a visit to the nearby American Museum in Bath, to take inspiration from its collection of folk art and quilts, and a chance to learn some simple floral-influenced printing techniques to create the textiles for your project. Prices start at £1,650, which includes five nights’ full board, including elevenses, afternoon tea and dinner with wine. During your stay you can also enjoy the beautiful summer gardens, and a range of relaxing activities, such as guided yoga sessions and flower arranging in the on-site flower farm. More retreats are planned for later in the year with a gardening retreat on the cards. courthousefarm.com
Glasshouse makeover
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is one of the oldest in the UK. Originally founded as a physic garden in 1670, it now houses 13,500 plant species from 157 countries. The glasshouses at the botanic garden are home to a third of its collection and contain some of the world’s rarest and most-threatened plants, including many that are extinct in their natural habitat. Thanks to a £4 million-grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the garden is restoring its glasshouses, and create a new visitor experience. The horticulture team has already removed all the plants from the two Victorian palm houses and placed them into temporary storage for work to begin this summer. Over the course of the seven-year project, the team will have to move approximately 40,000 plants to temporary homes. “It is a massive and complex project,” says Sadie Barber, research collections and project manager for the glasshouses. “And one that we have never tackled before, on quite this scale.” The team hopes to have a partial reopening of the public glasshouses in 2027. rbge.org.uk
Future floristry
‘The Future’ is this year’s theme for the Garden Museum’s annual British Flowers Week exhibition (9-13 June). Five top British florists – Kate Wren Flowers, Frida Kim, Harriet Parry, McQueens Flowers and Wagner Kreusch – will be creating sculptural flower installations using seasonal flowers.
“The future is for us designers to work sustainably,” says Kate Kashiri (above) of Kate Wren Flowers, who will be creating a display inspired by her childhood garden, which was filled with greenery and flowers climbing up metal poles. Admission £14. gardenmuseum.org.uk
Summer surprise
A chance seedling found at Knoll Gardens in Dorset was launched last month as Sesleria ‘Summer Skies’ to coincide with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The new ornamental grass has a compact habit, soft blue-green foliage and spires of creamy-white flowers through summer. Perfect for filling a dry sunny spot in the garden, this clump-forming grass is ideal for meadow-style planting schemes or growing in containers. Available in 2L containers for £11.99. knollgardens.co.uk
3 FOR THE GARDEN…
Outdoor rugs
DESIGNER
Orla Kiely Linear Stem Outdoor Rug, jade green, £229-£709, The Rug Seller, 01618764566, therugseller.co.uk
ALL ROUNDER
Moretti Circle Indoor Outdoor Rug, blue £55, Dunelm, dunelm.com
CLASSIC
Andalucia Paloma Rug £130-£510, Weaver Green, 01548431902, weavergreen.com