The Botanic Blonde

First time giving blood in years! staff at the Gloucester site were just so lovely, couldn’t have made the experience better 🤗

YPHA members, and Eleanor Wilde spoke about wellbeing and mental health in horticulture on a panel, which was organised by from the RHS Youth Engagement Panel last Sunday 🌿

festival

Putting my willow weaving skills to good use! Thanks to Mel and for teaching me this beautiful art 🤗 they are SO useful and look gorgeous as an added bonus!

It’s rhubarb season! This is the most delicious home-grown rhubarb and almond sponge cake, perfect hot out of the oven with some cold custard 😋 can’t share the recipe because I never follow one 😅

https://www.itv.com/watch/news/alan-titchmarsh-and-garden-designers-share-tips-and-tricks-at-rhs-malvern-spring-festival/2jvt2r9

Slowly but surely we are getting there 🤗 this wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of my team of fabulous award winning volunteers! Thank you in particular to .mollyparkin who has shared her incredible planting knowledge and expertise

A tad soggy and muddy today 😅 in true fashion we have had thunder storms, scorching sunshine, torrential rain and gale force winds 😂🤦🏼‍♀️ keeps us on our toes!

It’s coming together 🤗 thanks to the fabulous chaps Dan and Ryan from for all their hard work, such lovely gents!

I love this stage 😂 this has to be the quickest turnaround from design to construction ever! Gave my design to the client and a week later foundations and paths dug 😅🙌🏻 she wanted a formal area for growing herbs and cut flowers whilst out of site is a sheltered dining area and nature pond making the most of those amazing views across the Severn estuary!

Needs must 😅 the only plasters I could find 🤦🏼‍♀️

A great couple of days planting trees round 🤗 the larger hawthorn is from my 2023 show garden and the smaller ones are donated by the forest scheme!

My wonderful Mum truly excelled herself today for my little boys 3rd birthday party. These went down an absolute storm!!!!!

I mean…what?! Off piste I know but was outraged when I discovered the state of the butter that my husband left behind. I mean first world problems and all but everyone has their limits. What kind of psychopath spreads butter like this?

Can’t wait to get these in situ! They weigh SO much 😅 took 4 of us to carry each letter through the corridors and wards ofCheltenham General Hospital. Going to fill with log rounds to be main focal point for those going into Oncology.

Some little sneak progress peeks of my build at the Winfield Private Hospital in Gloucester. This are is a little side are for staff and part of a much larger sensory garden for patients in the neurological centre. Getting the hard ltd scaling done as phase 1 and then pause 2 is the planting. Shoutout to the fabulous who, as always, make this part of the job super easy whilst also looking super smart.

Got completely sidetracked by looking at this stunning patterns and textures whilst chopping and stacking wood for winter 😅 I know you’ll get it

3 x double yolkers this morning for our breakfast 🍳😋

Every year, just before my flower go over I deadhead them and dry the petals for future projects! These are for a very dear friends wedding next year. Remove the petals from the flower head, spread on a tray and leave somewhere dark and dry for a few days. Then pop in some Tupperware preferably with some silica gel that you saved from a recent purchase/covid test and then store somewhere dark till needed 🥰

So excited to be doing a talk at Grow Fest in Cheltenham! Come along if you get the chance! Ticket details below…

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/growfest-cheltenham-tickets-676643879057

Had to trim back my unruly bay shrubbery 😂any suggestions for recipes/uses for any as I have tonnes!!!!

Looking like a good harvest this year! My grape vine has completely taken over the garden but I LOVE IT!!!

For once my baking worked out how it should of 😅 my gorgeous friend had an early birthday treat weekend and it was a pleasure to make her birthday cake! Home grown elderflower, raspberry and lemon cake decorated with a mixture of bought and home grown and home dried flowers 🥰

Double parked 😅 it’s been one of those kind of nights 😴

What’s your view from your kitchen window this morning??? My hollyhocks are supercharged this year 💪🏻 reckon the middle one is at least 10ft and still growing! as are the brambles 😂

First batch of blackcurrants harvested!!! 😋

Honestly some days working at the wonderful NHS are especially special 🥰 as part of the celebrations I am planting 75 trees around our two hospital sites. Some of these are the beautiful trees from here being planted by some gorgeous kiddiwinks from the nursery at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. This tree is going to be part of the new Baby Rememrbance Harden which we are building a little later in the year with help from

Proud to be a new member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture 🥳

How stunning is this geranium?! Looks like it’s been spattered with purple paint 🥰🎨🖌️

Lovely seeing my 2 favourite ladies at the multi RHS medal winning what a treat looking around the balcony gardens with you both and a sneaky Pimms in hand . Love you both x see you soon