Alternativeeden

LATEST ARTICLES ( 662 )

• Arab Baths in Palma De Mallorca

  

  Whilst visiting Palma on the island of Mallorca, we had a visit to the Arab Baths in the old town.  Dating to 10th or 11th century, these are the only arab bath... Read more

  Posted on 20 January 2023 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Heatwave!

  

  Growing up in the tropics the warmest temperature I've ever experienced was 34C (93F) in the depths of summer (albeit paired up with oppressive levels of... Read more

  Posted on 28 July 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Front Garden Update

  

  No gardening blog year would be complete (I know we did skip blogging a year or two) without us giving an update on our tiny front garden at least once. Read more

  Posted on 18 July 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Mad About Mangave Update

  

  Last year we posted about out little collection of Mangave displayed on our top patio. Time for an update but first a little rescue story:Mangave 'Mission to... Read more

  Posted on 09 July 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• When Self Criticism Leads to Better Things

  

  A few days ago the photo below came up on my Facebook timeline, from around 2015/2016 (I think)...It's quite a significant photo in the sense that it led to... Read more

  Posted on 05 July 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Scheffleras from Taiwan

  

  Let's have a quick look at a special group of Scheffleras with no ID growing in our utility/propagation area. Their background is explained below. Read more

  Posted on 27 June 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Fixing What Ain't Broken

  

  The hard landscaping of our top patio has pretty much been unchanged since we moved into our place back in 2005. The paving is composed of mainly thick... Read more

  Posted on 22 June 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Palm House at the Garfield Park Conservatory

  

  Continuing on from our previous post regarding the Fern House at Garfield Park Conservatory is a feature on the first section you'll see when you go in the... Read more

  Posted on 18 June 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Aroid House at the Garfield Park Conservatory

  

  The Garfield Park Conservatory has several botanical sections with the Palm House and Fern House occupying the largest spaces. The smaller ones are no less... Read more

  Posted on 16 June 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Favourite Plant of the Week - Cyphomandra Corymbiflora

  

  Cyphomandra corymbiflora, sometimes called a hardy tree tomato, has been growing in our garden for well over a decade, going through the poor winter of 2010. Read more

  Posted on 15 June 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Side Passage Makeover

  

  Last weekend we took on a mini project by making over the side passage of the house that leads on to the garden. It had a partial makeover before, when we sorte... Read more

  Posted on 14 June 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Fern House at the Garfield Park Conservatory

  

  A glimpse of what Illinois may have looked like 300 million years ago. That was the vision of landscape architect Jens Jensen when he conceptualised the Fern... Read more

  Posted on 09 June 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Hosepipe and Secateurs

  

  There was an occasion before where a photographer came here and my role as she took photos was to trail behind, with a towel and dust pan to hand. Read more

  Posted on 07 June 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Quick Trip to The Palm Centre

  

  On our way to Kew Gardens last Thursday we popped round to The Palm Centre first as we always did in the past. We haven't been to Kew Gardens for four years... Read more

  Posted on 04 June 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Big Leafed Magnolias for the Garden

  

  As I look at the plants in our utility and greenhouse area, I found myself admiring three of the big leafed magnolias there waiting to be planted. Read more

  Posted on 30 May 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Variegated Beauty

  

  It took it's time but finally it's getting going again, this variegated Brassaiopsis hispida...Brassaiopsis hispida variegatedI shouldn't have been surprised... Read more

  Posted on 30 May 2022 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Mad About Mangave

  

  Well not quite but have spent some time recently potting up some of the ones we have...Mangave 'Inkblot'We've only every grown Manfreda before with moderate... Read more

  Posted on 17 July 2021 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Surprisingly Doing Fine

  

  There's a couple of plants in the garden I want to highlight on this post that are doing fine despite our expectations of just being summer bedding due to... Read more

  Posted on 15 July 2021 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Wollemi Pine

  

  We have grown the Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis) in our garden for over a decade now and despite the set back it experienced in winter 2010, it has recovered... Read more

  Posted on 13 July 2021 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING

• Cordyline Australis

  

  A staple "exotic" plant, and one that we use fairly sparingly in the garden. With a selection of common names such as Cabbage palm or Torbay palm making... Read more

  Posted on 26 June 2021 DESTINATIONS, GARDENING