Tag: garden design courses

The Great Vine

On By janeIn The gardens at Hampton CourtLeave a comment

If you go to Hampton Court…. or should I say when you go to Hampton Court… you have to go and see The Great Vine.

On our first day at KLC we were given a tour of the Palace gardens. And as part of our tour we went to see this venerable plant.

The Great Vine was planted in 1769. That makes it 254 years old…..

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The Great Vine has its own glasshouse – and a dedicated expanse of richly fertile looking soil outside the glasshouse where the roots of the vine are fed and watered.

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The Great Vine also has its own specially designated carer, a charming lady whose job it is to look after this ancient plant. She took us in to the hallowed glasshouse and told us all about its history. I thought she looked remarkably relaxed. Because if it was my job……

The Great VineHas she seen The Little Shop of Horrors? How does she sleep at night? If there was ever a plant with attitude this is it.

And even if it doesn’t turn round and look at her like she’s dinner, what happens if it starts looking a bit peaky? This vine is the largest grape-vine in the world. It’s 254 years old.

That’s one hell of a responsibility…..

A Room with a View…

On By janeIn The gardens at Hampton Court, The KLC CourseLeave a comment

… remember that thing at school.

It’s half way through double maths. Stuffy classroom, logarithms and algebra, boring teacher droning on –

It feels like hours – no, make that days – maybe even weeks –  have been ticking by while you count down the seconds until the end of the lesson. You gaze out of the window. The view outside is as uninspiring as the view inside. Tarmac paths, red brick, classrooms….

Well, it’s a bit different at KLC.

For one thing we never have time to be bored. But if we ever did have a moment to look out of the window…

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And in the snow….

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This is one view I will never tire of.

Suddenly I see…

On By janeIn People, Trips and visitsLeave a comment

… what the sketching is all about.

The tutors at KLC place a lot of emphasis on sketching every week, and keeping up with our sketchbooks. To start with I didn’t really get why it was so important. You might ask…. I certainly did… what sketching has got to do with gardens and plants?

But this course is about design. And design is about seeing. Sketching is a great way of helping us to see. To see how the ordinary and everyday things around us, that we all take for granted, have their own unique and individual form.

I’ve just been to see some great examples of the magic in everyday objects at the Georgio Morandi exhibition at the Estorick Gallery, a short walk from Highbury and Islington tube station. I’d seen a review of this exhibition by Andrew Graham-Dixon in the Saturday papers. If I hadn’t been trying my hand at sketching I would have glanced at it and passed on.  But it caught my attention… and I’m so glad it did.

Here form is created out of shadow. The artist achieves infinitely subtle variations of tone with the simplest of cross hatching. Objects and landscapes spring to life out of nothing more and nothing less than black and white, and light and shade. Lines on a page creating poetry.

Georgio Morandi 3 Georgio MorandiGeorgio Morandi

So I came home and had a go myself.

Sketching

Ok so it’s not great….But I’m new to this sketching lark….And at least I’m having a go…Which is what this year is all about.

So go and see Georgio and be inspired.

Going to School

On By janeIn The KLC CourseLeave a comment

One of the best things about being on this course is the walk to school.

I park the car at Hampton Court station, just over the bridge from the palace, heave my satchel over my shoulder – there’s a hell of a lot of stuff you have to carry around with you when you are a fledgling garden designer – and walk towards the river.

First amazing view……

The palace in the morning
The palace in the morning

the palace stretched out behind a lacy curtain of winter trees. Every day it looks different.

Next exciting thing…..

Going in
Going in

…going through the security gates. I have a pass. That’s right…. a security pass. I love having a security pass.

Every day I walk past the chapel. First thing in the morning there’s nobody about. I can’t help wondering if Henry VIII’s ghost is in there trying to explain the six wives. IMG_0341

At the far corner of the Courtyard there’s a wrought iron gate. This leads to the old grace IMG_0367and favour apartments. And the location of the KLC studio. The apartments are no longer occupied by the fortunate few who once lived there. But reminders of their existence still linger. The basket lowered for supplies from the top floor saved the residents from going to the effort of going down four floors to get the milk.

And Lady Peake. Who was she? What was her history? Did she love being here as much as I do?

Grace and Favour
Grace and Favour

Along the landing to a wooden door. And I’m there. The KLC studios. Let me tell you…. this is a very good way to start a day.