Christmas.

Brand new boots, braces, books -
                               - and a 'Head Gardener' mug.


Absolutely no excuses now, horticultural glory and stardom is surely within my grasp.

Chimonanthus praecox.

For as long as I can remember, my father, my sisters and I have always been taken on twilight walks around the family garden with Mum. New plants and the season's successes are always pointed out - and those with an especially beautiful evening scent. The latter have always been fairly lost on me, due to my decidedly average sense of smell. For a long time therefore I have never taken a particular interest in plants for their scent, rather their visual impact.
     However, walking Cambridge University Botanic Garden I was stunned by the aroma of the Chimonanthus praecox. Naturally, everyone around me was delighting in it - but the fact that I was able to smile and nod along was quite a moment! I immediately jotted down the name, and here I write it down in the blog.

Chimonanthus praecox, 'Wintersweet'.
(Deciduous shrub.)

Planting: Autumn. Moist but well-drained soil.
Flowering: Winter.
Aspect: Full sun, south/west-facing, sheltered.
Hardiness: Fairly hardy.

Notes: Although Chimonanthus is a Greek title ('winter-flower'), it is further into the Orient that this genus has been loved most. In China, its flowers coincide with their New Year celebrations, and it has inspired artistic endeavour for hundreds of years. The painting below, 'Chimonanthus and Birds', is the eleventh century creation of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty.

Corylus avellana 'Contorta'

Continuing with trees from a different world, the Corylus avellana 'Contorta' seems as though it has been dreamed up rather than grown organically. It twists and turns its branches fabulously, appearing to change its mind almost playfully. An extraordinary plant.

Corylus avellana 'Contorta', "Corkscrew Hazel".
(Deciduous tree.)

Planting: Moist but well-drained soil.
Flowering: Early spring.
Aspect: Full sun or partial shade.
Hardiness: Very hardy.

Notes: The first Corylus avellana 'Contorta', from which all others were cultivated, was discovered by Victorian gentleman Edward Augustus Bowles. It still lives outside his home, Myddelton House, which he referred to as "the Lunatic Asylum" - surely there would be no better tree stood before such a place.

Ginkgo biloba.

Although I'm not obligated to enter RHS plant identification tests as part of my apprenticeship, recently I have taken up the gauntlet. Every test includes thirty different plants found in Hyde Hall's gardens, and we have to learn some information on each. We also have to know their respective families, and - in the same way it once amazed me to learn that elephants and hyraxes are related - discovering which plants belong together is completely fascinating.
     Ginkgo biloba, a tree with such otherworldly-looking leaves, is part of the family Ginkgoaceae which is truly prehistoric. The heyday of the Ginkgoaceae was during the Jurassic era, 160 million years ago; dinosaurs walked under their canopies, not humans. It is only this tree which survives of their number, making it a very special species indeed.


Ginkgo biloba, 'Maidenhair Tree'.
(Deciduous tree.)

Planting: Autumn. Moist, well-drained soil.
Flowering: Spring.
Aspect: Full sun.
Hardiness: Hardy enough to have survived about two-hundred million years.

Notes: Having survived ancient climates and environments, the ginkgo biloba is unsurprisingly tolerant to pollution of the modern day and perfectly adept to urban living. Six survived the Hiroshima bomb, a relatively well-known story but something I still can barely believe.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

I am delighted to be writing this post at the house of my family, having returned for Christmas. However, my final day in the south-east for 2014 was a fine one indeed. My friends at Writtle and I went to Cambridge University Botanic Garden with Christine, to be shown the Winter Garden there.

Naturally, many of the plants within the Winter Garden were looking their best: hellebores, birches, and of course the dogwoods - stem colours ablaze in the cold golden sunlight. Some marvellous plants I had not encountered before, and intend to study in a later blog post.

Although I had not been to the garden before, my father revised for law exams in its surroundings during his student days in Cambridge. As a botanic garden, it has also a further use to the university - it plays a critical role in medical research. I would love to return and learn more about this fascinating aspect, something which makes Cambridge University Botanic Garden a place in which there is more than meets the eye - and that is saying something!

Back to school.

Yes, that is a rosette!

     Aside from working among the fine people of the RHS, I've been studying weekly at Writtle College with horticulturalist extraordinaire Christine Lavelle. Every Friday, she takes my class on a tour through a different group of plants, be it trees, herbaceous species, even weeds. We've also been introduced to different forms of propagation and cultivation. Whatever the day brings, it inevitably involves singing, dancing and some skipping around campus.

The tests we sit build towards an RHS Level II Certificate in Practical Horticulture, and I'm delighted to say that they've been going well. This blog was borne of a love of plants, and thus these classes are exactly what I had been hoping for. Aside from the look of each plant, and its latin and common name, Christine also tells us a short account of her personal encounters with it. Naturally this makes things far more memorable and (reinforced by some evening study with a cup of coffee) my confidence is rising with my test marks. As I walk back each time along the River Can, I know a little more about the plants growing on its banks, and it's a wonderful feeling.

Hilltop.

For the last eight weeks, I have entered the ranks of the Hilltop team. Positioned in the more formal area of Hyde Hall, their organisation and professionalism are exemplary - at times other staff mention them with the mischievous wink of a younger sibling whispering about an older one. In actuality there is as much welcome and humour on Hilltop as anywhere in the garden, but it is certainly true that they have taken my horticultural education seriously.

  Although I could talk at length about work in the vegetable plot and the dry garden (both of which have attracted television cameras this year, and understandably so), it is rose pruning which I've learned the most from. Hilltop has hundreds of roses: climbers, ramblers, shrub roses - indeed it has a 'Rose Ropewalk' and a Modern Rose Garden. With many thorns to handle and winter cold setting in, it can be a hard task but above all it has been a golden opportunity to develop my knowledge of a glorious and historic realm of horticulture.

The Beth Chatto Gardens.

On one of the most beautiful days of the month, and entirely out of the blue, came a chance to visit The Beth Chatto Gardens. Andy of Hyde Hall's Queen Mother Garden invited me along as he picked up a few plants from their nursery, patiently allowing me to dash around taking photos and answering my questions on the road home.

As all who have visited the place or are aware of its story know, this is a very special garden. What I admire most about it is that for all its international recognition and awards, it remains entirely personal to one lady and her family. She took this land from nothing, firmly chose her style to create a sense of identity, and selected species which would last. Being borne of one vision and one unique philosophy, a satisfying conviction radiates throughout the garden. Moreover, because it is a good vision and a good philosophy, one doesn't have to be a Chatto to take pleasure in the place. This will certainly inspire my principles as a gardener.

Hyde Hall, so far.

      Two months on from moving to Essex and beginning to garden with the RHS, I think it would be fair to say a lot has happened. All of it has been good, all of it has brought a smile to my face.

     I am living in a very sleepy town close to Hyde Hall with Martine and Hermine, a fellow apprentice and a trainee - both very lovely, and both willing to put up with me singing in the bath every evening.

      After being given a stocking-full of horticultural goodies (secateurs and a holster, a pruning saw, a knife, steel toe cap boots, steel toe cap wellies, a forestry helmet, safety glasses, five polo shirts, two sweatshirts, a fleece, a jacket, waterproof trousers, gloves, more gloves, and a partridge in a pear tree) from garden manager Ian Bull, work began!

    The crew is roughly divided into two teams (Hilltop and Clover Hill), along with several specialists - and it is with Clover Hill that I have spent my time hitherto. Their territory stretches from the nursery to the orchards and the ponds, the Australia & New Zealand Borders and the Tropical Border, the Queen Mother Garden,
the Modern Garden and the Country Garden, and indeed the wider estate. I'll refrain from listing all of the things I have been working on with them so far, but what I shall say is that I have been able to work in all of these areas, much to my delight.

Pastures new and infinite things to learn, this really is marvellous.

The RHS.

My days, it has been a while. I have some news.

In a moment of well-it-can't-hurt-trying, I applied for an apprenticeship with the Royal Horticultural Society.  The Royal Horticultural Society. What I expected was a polite suggestion that I acquire further experience before applying again... but three interesting interviews later, and many hours upon the train, came a pleasant surprise.

I am now an apprentice at RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Essex.