Tag Archives: Gardens

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine-January 31, 2024

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Country Life Magazine – January 30, 2024: The latest issue features How British Rivers Got Their Name; Where to find a really wild man; Miniature collecting and more…

‘Still glides the Stream, and shall for ever glide’

From the Piddle and the Polly to the Yox and the Yeo, the meanings behind the namesof Britain’s rivers run deep, as Vicky Liddell discovers

Call of the wild

The protective, stick-wielding Wild Man that strides through much medieval art has taken on fresh meaning in recent times, reveals Susan Owens

Chainsaw gardening

Taking a blade to our gardens may seem drastic, but a severe pruning sometimes leaves plants and trees in better health, suggests Charles Quest-Ritson

There is wonder in the little things

Huon Mallalieu puts miniatures under the microscope and finds a world of small marvels celebrating power, loyalty and love

Allan Mallinson’s favourite painting

The military historian chooses a moving First World War scene

Murder most pitiful

John Goodall investigates the dramatic events that shaped the history of 18th-century Gilmerton House in Lothian

The devil makes work for idle hands

As dedicated craftspeople fashion a revival in the art of needlepoint, Matthew Dennison can see a pattern emerging

‘Full of a watchful intentness’

John Lewis-Stempel embraces the ‘faerie enchantment’ of the heath as he visits the inspiration for a classic Thomas Hardy novel

Interiors

Matthew Dennison celebrates the Soane chimneypiece that is still hot property after 200 years and Amelia Thorpe’s selections keep the home fires burning

Lord of the rings

Ben Lerwill meets Simon Turner, an arboreal artist who creates wonderful ceramics using the contours and curves of trees

Luxury

Hetty Lintell on high fashion in the Highlands, switching off the stress and astonishing rubies, plus some of McFly drummer Harry Judd’s favourite things

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson knows her onions, giving an understated kitchen staple a starring role

Ireland’s call

The well-oiled Ireland winning machine can repel France’s strength in depth to retain rugby’s Six Nations Championship, argues Owain Jones

And much more

Gardens, Travel, Videos, Views

Cinematic Japan: Renge-Ji Temple Garden In Kyoto

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Yurara Sarara Films (January 20, 2024) – Renge-ji is a small temple in the north-east of Kyoto city. It was founded in 1662 by Imaeda Chikayoshi but other sources state that it was originally near the current location of Kyoto Station, and that Imaeda-san only moved it here and “revived” it long after its total destruction during the Onin war (1467~1477).

The main hall garden is of the “pond” style, formally known as “chisenkai kaiyuushiki garden” (池泉回遊式庭園). The only island stone of the pond represents a ship and is called “funaishi”, which means… ship stone 😉

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine-January 17, 2024

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Country Life Magazine – January 17, 2024: The latest issue features ‘Floral Fireworks’ – The National Collection of Dahlias; The Bridges of Britain; and the Arts-and-Crafts masterpieces of Madresfield Court, Worcestershire…

Floral fireworks

Kirsty Fergusson visits the new home of the 1,700-strong National Collection of Dahlias and reveals which blooms to order now for late-summer colour

The Bridges of Britain

Our greatest bridges span the ages and have the power to inspire both awe and admiration, as Jack Watkins discovers

Cold cures

The beautiful and practical cast-iron Victorian cloche is making a comeback. Tiffany Daneff investigates the revival of the miniature glass house

Twist and shout

Tiffany Daneff visits Morton Hall Gardens in Worcestershire to discover the secret of its owner’s intriguing new clematis-training technique

Why, why, why weigela?

New forms of this easy-to-grow garden shrub have repeating flowers in wonderful colours — no wonder they are hot sellers, suggests Charles Quest-Ritson

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine-January 10, 2024

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Country Life Magazine – January 9, 2024: The latest issue features ‘Walk This Way’ – England’s secret sunken roads; Return of the curly-coated retriever; Tom Parker Bowles on the comfort of pie; Britain’s most poisonous plants, and more…

Curls, curls, curls

The intelligent, powerful curly-coated retriever was favoured by the Victorians and is still winning plaudits as a working breed, discovers Katy Birchall

Rolling in the deep

Ben Lerwill follows in the foot-steps of our ancestors to explore the history of holloways, those sunken and often secret routes criss-crossing the countryside

Little crop of horrors

From hemlock and henbane to giant hogweed, Britain is home to a host of poisonous plants. John Wright reveals how to spot the dangerous and the deadly

Why we all cry for pie

Tom Parker Bowles earns his crust with an ode to the enduring appeal of this humble, yet oh so heavenly savoury creation

Lady Violet Manners’s favourite painting

The broadcaster chooses a poignant work that speaks of absolute parental devotion

A distant horizon conquered

Fiona Reynolds explores the ancient Wiltshire Downs, with her sights set firmly on the far-off landmark of Cherhill Monument

The future as a footstool

The landmark 1980s restoration of London’s Liverpool Street Station is under threat from new proposals, argues Ptolemy Dean

The Midas touch

In the first of two articles, John Goodall investigates the early history of Madresfield Court, Worcestershire, which has been in the same family for 900 years

I can’t believe it’s British butter

Butter is making a comeback in a welcome celebration of our dairy heritage—Jenny Linford meets the artisan makers who are helping to spread the word

The good stuff

Tackle the snow in style this winter with Hetty Lintell’s pick of the best skiing accessories

Sweet dreams are made of these

The gardens at Villa Durazzo-Pallacini in Italy are Heaven on Earth for Charles Quest-Ritson

 ‘I have seen a very pretty thing…’

Lucien de Guise reveals how you can add a true touch of Ottoman opulence to your home

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe selects the hottest new stoves, fires and range cookers, and Giles Kime examines the growing range of options fuelled by bioethanol

Money for old rope

Deborah Nicholls-Lee looks at how hemp can help in the battle against climate change

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine – January 3, 2024

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Country Life Magazine – January 2, 2024: The latest issue features ‘The Very Best Of Britain’; Marylands, a Surrey country house with a Spanish influence; artist Anne Wright’s miniature Daffodils and snowdrops at her small nursery in North Yorkshire; and how January weather can set the tone for the year to come…

The foul-mouthed Miller and the prim Princess

Geoffrey Chaucer created his Canterbury pilgrims more than 600 years ago, yet his band of travellers speaks across the ages, finds Matthew Dennison

Let’s hear it for Britain

Carla Passino bangs the drum for the British Isles with 50 things to make the nation proud, from code-cracking to clever dogs — and everything in between

Snow magic

Mary Keen is mesmerised by the array of rare and highly collectable snowdrops that artist Anne Wright is breeding at her small nursery in North Yorkshire

Keith Halstead’s favourite painting

The chief executive of the Royal Countryside Fund chooses a work that sparks memories of his childhood in rural Norfolk

Thought for the year 2024

Carla Carlisle enters the new year with a determination to remain positive, fortified by the sentiments of W. H. Auden

A fairy house

The glamour and glitz of 1920s stage and screen is rekindled as Clive Aslet puts the spotlight on Marylands, a Surrey country house with a Spanish influence

Baby, it’s cold outside

In the first of a new series on weather lore, Lia Leendertz reveals how January can set the tone for the year to come

Interiors

The bathroom of a Somerset house is restored with a nod to its historic roots, finds Arabella Youens, and Amelia Thorpe shares ideas for creating your own luxury bathing sanctuary

London Life

Start the year with an exhibition, says Charlotte Mullins, while Carla Passino assesses architect Richard Rogers’s contribution to the London skyline and Gilly Hopper looks ahead to the year’s big events in the capital

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson on sweet and nutty Jerusalem artichokes

Travel

Mary Lussiana stays at a land-mark luxury hotel in Marrakech while Luke Abrahams explores Athens in the snow and James Fisher dons his skis and discovers the Dolomites

New series: Arts & Antiques

Carla Passino investigates the centuries-long British passion for collecting antiquities and finds that all roads lead to Rome

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Dec 27, 2023

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Country Life Magazine – December 27, 2023: The latest issue features ‘This Splendid Land’ – Landscapes, Landmarks, Houses and Gardens; The Art of Knot Tying; Winston Churchill’s interior-design tips; A unicorn in the garden – fantastic beasts tamed…

Figs, wisteria, and the roses that ‘are ridiculously easy to grow’

Country Life’s 10 best gardens stories of 2023

By Toby Keel

The rose variety that’s ridiculously easy to grow: ‘Stuff some cuttings into the soil and two years later, they’ll be flourishing’

Long-standing Country Life contributor Charles Quest-Ritson is literally the man who wrote the book on roses — specifically The RHS encyclopedia of Roses — and back in June, he shared some tips on sharing and planting cuttings which proved enormously popular.

Culture, Gardens, Travel, Videos, Views

Views: The Zen Beauty Of Japanese Gardens In Kyoto

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Yurara Sarara Films (December 15, 2023) – Collections of the beauty of Japanese gardens in Kyoto. There are many types of Japanese gardens, from the karesansui dry rock gardens that replicate the flow of water with rocks, to the strolling gardens that are built around a pond. Because of the relation these gardens have with Zen and the Japanese concept of wabi and sabi, they are most often found at temples, so this, of course, means there are many Japanese gardens in Kyoto.

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Dec 13, 2023

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Country Life Magazine – December 13, 2023: The latest ‘Double Christmas’ issue features How the Bible’s nativity story has influenced artists; the beauty of the gardens of Rockcliffe in Gloucestershire; In literature at least, the fox will come out on top in almost every brush with confrontation, and more….

Away in a manger

Love, pain, power and hope are all embodied in the Nativity. Michael Prodger examines how the Bible story influenced our greatest artists

The Bishop of Winchester’s favourite painting

The Right Revd Philip Mounstephen chooses an arresting Caravaggio

On the night watch

As darkness falls, the wild things emerge from the shadows. John Lewis-Stempel embraces the night

Prodigy or eccentric?

John Goodall explores Bristol Cathedral, a building of international importance

When Christmas was cancelled

Always winter, never festive: Cromwell’s directive cast a pall, laments Ian Morton

Made with love

Cast your eyes down next time you’re in church to admire the hassock you kneel upon, urges the Revd Colin Heber-Percy

’Tis the season to be busy

There’s no rest for the farmer, the baker or the cheesemonger at this time of year. Ben Lerwill champions the people who make Christmas happen

So, this is Christmas

Queen Victoria would feel quite at home in any of our houses this season, believes John Mueller

It came upon a midnight clear

Come one, come all, says Kate Green, as the villagers gather once more at the big house

The Editor’s Christmas quiz

Pit your wits. The only prize is glory

Luxury

Christian Dior, David Gandy, dinky toys and Sir Chris Hoy’s favourite things

Cold comforts

Frost-dusted and fleece-wrapped, the beauty of the gardens of Rockcliffe in Gloucestershire enchant Tiffany Daneff

It’s a wonderful life

Carla Passino travels the world for Christmas traditions, from Swedish tomte to Japanese KFC

Christmas conundrums

Turkey or goose? Stocking or sack? Port or Sauternes? Giles Kime poses the big questions

Think outside the fox

Clever and agile, Vulpes vulpes is frequently on top in literature. Kate Green turns the pages

Back to black

The Périgord black truffle is worth the price for Tom Parker Bowles

The peel-good factor

The rich scents of citrus permeate Deborah Nicholls-Lee’s Christmas

Sugar, spice and all things nice

Carla Passino builds a gingerbread house

On top of the mirey, merey moor

John Lewis-Stempel tucks his chin into his scarf and sets off into the frozen wastes

Native breeds

Kate Green advocates heritage turkeys

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Dec 6, 2023

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Country Life Magazine – December 6, 2023: The latest issue features ‘George Harrison’s Garden’ – Friar Park rescued by the former Beatle; Folklore of the Rowan ‘Wizard’s’ tree; the best and worst gifts in classic literature and Travel – From the Caribbean to Concorde….

George Harrison’s garden: All things must pass

Charles Quest-Ritson visits Friar Park in Oxfordshire and marvels at the topiary garden rescued by former Beatle George Harrison

Native breeds

Kate Green meets the distinctive and much-loved Belted Galloway

Never knowingly undersold

Country Life advertisements in 1923 capture Britain’s evolution, as Melanie Bryan discovers

Neptune’s wooden angels

Harry Pearson takes to the high seas to chart the fascinating history of the figureheads that keep ships safe in stormy weather

A kind of tree magic

The rowan tree is a symbol of safety across the world — Aeneas Dennison delves into the folklore of the wizard’s tree

Native breeds

Kate Green meets the distinctive and much-loved Belted Galloway

Never knowingly undersold

Country Life advertisements in 1923 capture Britain’s evolution, as Melanie Bryan discovers

Neptune’s wooden angels

Harry Pearson takes to the high seas to chart the fascinating history of the figureheads that keep ships safe in stormy weather

And that’s an unwrap

From cursed jewels to diamond-encrusted tortoises, Felicity Day reads up on the best and worst gifts in classic literature

Travel

Lady Glenconner’s Mustique memories and much more, plus Rosie Paterson uncovers the real Barbados and Pamela Goodman goes supersonic

Melanie Vandenbrouck’s favourite painting

The gallery curator loses herself in an expressive, exuberant work

The life of a naturalist

Carla Carlisle reflects on the legacy of the Irish poet Seamus Heaney — ‘a truly good man’

Taking account of the past

Steven Brindle is full of praise for the refurbishment of Chartered Accountants’ Hall, an architectural jewel in the City of London

Not so jolly old Saint Nicholas

Ian Morton examines how Father Christmas was transformed from a sozzled figure riding a goat into the jolly fellow we know and love

Interiors

Pheasants, leopards, parrots and reindeer are all welcome at Melanie Johnson’s festive table

The good stuff

Editor Mark Hedges picks his favourite luxuries of 2023

London Life

The capital’s Christmas lights dazzle Emma Love (page 83), Gilly Hopper shares her must-see seasonal suggestions (page 86), Carla Passino views London in a new light with Sir John Soane (page 92) and Emma Hughes hails the survivors of the restaurant scene (page 98)

Travel

From the Caribbean to Concorde

A case of mistaken identity

Ian Morton looks at the merits of ground elder and ground ivy, an unloved and misnamed duo

Gardens, Landmarks, Museums, Tours, Travel, Videos, Views

Miami Views: A Tour Of The Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

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Christopher Putvinski Films (September 16, 2023) – A short tour of the beautiful grounds of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens,  the former villa and estate of businessman James Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune, on Biscayne Bay in the present-day Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida. 

Filmed in September 2023.