Insights • Inspirations • Destinations • Design

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Heart Gardens


Just because it's Valentine's Day...

Don't you love a garden with a (horticultural) heart?


The astonishing Knot Garden at Villandry Chateau, Loire Valley, France. One of my all-time favourite gardens. {Image by Janelle McCulloch; this is my pathetic attempt at copyright but you're all more than welcome to forward these images if you link back and credit.}



The charming kitchen garden at Lady Bamford's Daylesford Organic estate, Gloucestershire (The Cotswolds), England. {Image by Janelle McCulloch}



The magnificent Prieuré d'Orsan Garden (the Medieval-inspired Priory Garden), in the Berry region of France. {Images by Janelle McCulloch}


The enchanting Van Buuren Museum and Gardens in Brussels. {Via the fantastic photographer known as Dan@94. www.flickriver.com/photos/93340}



A beautiful heart-shaped gate at Petersham Nurseries, in Richmond, London. {Images by Janelle McCulloch}


A delightfully simple heart-shaped gate in the USA. {Via themagictutu.typepad.com}


A lovely plan of a country house garden, complete with heart-shaped beds for tea roses. Designed by the magnificently named The Hon. Frances Wolseley, Principal of the Glynde School for Lady Gardeners in Sussex. Drawings by Miss M. G. Campion. {Via the book Every Woman's Encyclopaedia and chestofbooks.com}



Tricia Guild's sublime townhouse garden in London, with its square of pleached limes. The heart-shaped leaves of limes (tilia cordata in particular) are so pretty in spring, it's no wonder it's one of my favourite trees. Paul Bangay loves this tree as well. Good man. {Via telegraph.co.uk}


Rather fond of this little garden. Wish I knew where it was. {Credit source unknown. Please notify me if you know the credit.}


The Heart Garden, a great story of art patron Sunday Reed and her famous garden at Heide. Interestingly, the gardeners at Heide recently uncovered a heart-shaped garden that she had created for her lover, the artist Sidney Nolan, which was hidden under lawn for years. I think it perhaps should have stayed there, as Sunday and Sidney's secret. (NB I love the name Sunday, and was so pleased when Nicole Kidman chose it for her daughter – a decision inspired by the life of Sunday Reed.)


A heart-shaped trowel. How I love this. Be still my beating heart! {Via thegardeningwebsite.co.uk}


Better get back to writing books now or my fiercely disciplined, whip-wielding readers will have something to say.

9 comments:

  1. Loving all your photos here Janelle....we have been to so many of the same places. I love that! Speaking of Sunday, have you met Sunday Taylor at Ciao Domenica....I think you will love her blog too.
    http://ciaodomenica.blogspot.com/
    Enjoy!!

    Jeanne xx

    PS...loved your previous post with NYC bistros...this is the third post of yours that I have printed out as a follow up. I went back to The Old Cinema in Chiswick today...and bought something...one of these days I will get to posting all about it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. another introduction....
    http://jenningsandgates.blogspot.com/

    Have I thanked your for your wonderful note on my blog?? You are a sweetheart, I left you a message on my post.. :) xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice series of photos...

    Love is in the air.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Jeanne,

    Please these posts are being useful. The Old CInema is great, isn't it? At first I thought that was Colin Firth's store but then learned his and his wife's boutique is elsewhere. But The Cinema is still amazing for vintage stuff; one of the best in London.

    Thanks for the link to Sunday Taylor and Jennings and Gates. You always have great taste so I'm sure their blogs will be lovely!

    And you're welcome for the sympathy note. I know how difficult it is to be an ex-pat. I've lived in several countries and was terribly lonely in London while my ex-husband worked a lot. I used to wander the streets too... Hampstead, Chelsea, St John's Wood, South Ken... which is how I discovered so many places! So perhaps it has an upside?

    Janelle xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks Nana. Lovely to hear from you.

    And my sincere apologies to The Library's regular readers for my PS on the end of the Heart Gardens post. I do hope you didn't take offence. I'm so, SO grateful that you all keep push, push, pushing me along on these books. (Which I hate writing now; it's always like this at the very end of the process.) If it were not for your stern, motherly admonishments, I'd be procrastinating every day! So thank you. My gratitude to Julienne from the blog One Pair Chair particularly. She's obviously a great mother!

    Janelle xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes, we are keeping an eye on you and making sure you get your work done Janelle (whilst secretly hoping that you'll rebel too and do another post!). Looks like we were rewarded again! Gorgeous heart garden photographs. I loved Villandry so much - thought I had gone to heaven when I visited. And thank you for the book link. Found all the information about Sunday Reed fascinating when I visited Heide. And Daylesford is amazing - just gorgeous. Now, off you go back to your study! No peeking at blogs ! S X

    ReplyDelete
  7. That first image is incredible, I wonder if my gardener could do that for me? Oh meant to say before, your blog header is just glorious.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes, I love that pic too Tabitha. I'm not sure of the source though, so hopefully the owner will contact me with a link and the proper credit. And thank you for the compliment re the blog header. Faux Fuchsia liked it too. You must both be pink girls! If you ever want me to whip up something for you, just let me know. I'm happy to do a sample for free using some of your photos.
    J

    ReplyDelete
  9. OK, OK I promise no more rousing and secretly I am very pleased to get home after two long days of 14 hours each and find another post! I have to be honest and say I was not looking forward to two weeks without a visit to the library so you are totally allowed to procrastinate I will not say another word!!!!!!
    xx
    P.s Do you know you can watermark your photos with your name and then they are always yours? J

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by. It's always lovely hearing from The Library's readers.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...