We had lights, we had cameras…….

The place: Wisley.

The time: 18.30.

The problem: too many small people & Surrey type 4x4 buggies in the dark.

   

Separated at birth

 

One of these is a baobob tree, one isn’t!

Who knows which one isn’t & what tree it is? I know, there aren’t any leaves which doesn’t help this tricky question. The ‘I am not a baobob’ was photographed in Kew Gardens.

Additional picture clue:

Now it’s easy!

 

The answer:

I confess to being surprised that it was a London Plane, common in London & many other cities. I have never seen one with quite such an odd shape; I am used to seeing tall rather magnificent specimens with the mottled bark being a main feature. I wonder why this one reached this particular shape & size.

Stuff & Nonsense

It is quite a while since I ventured to put finger to keyboard to recount to you, my dear reader, the further adventures of a Lazy Trollop. I can only put it down to sheer exhaustion after trying to get the most monthly visits on this blog. Now how ridiculous is that; I don’t really write this for other people but because it is inevitably flattering when people do visit it can sometimes go to your head. I apologise un-reservedly for my lapse. It is even better when visitors read the content & so exciting when they also comment, even if it is just to say ‘crap’**

Since I last wrote a glorious autumn has turned into an early & bloody cold winter; an enormous shock to the system particularly here in a normally balmy SW London. This has forced me into an early hibernation mode as far as gardening is concerned.

We are currently having a new path laid. So what is so interesting about that you may quite legitimately ask. On its own merits not a lot to others, but it has brought to mind the debate which  often simmers in & around organisations like the National Trust & in many discussions about historic houses & gardens; should we preserve them in aspic & restore every tiny detail as it was at a certain period in time or should we try to move forward whilst still reflecting & respecting what has gone on in the past.

Our house is part of an Edwardian terrace with some modest but attractive original features like a stained glass front door & nice detail on the windows. Part of this was the black & white tiled front path which had been patched by us many times but reached the end. It has been replaced by a modern version of the black & white tiles. Was this the right decision or should we have attempted something more contemporary?

This historical accuracy/contemporary conundrum is no doubt constantly in the minds of the custodians of 2 stately homes I visited over the summer; Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire & Chatsworth House in Derbyshire.

Blenheim Chatsworth

Now I will not bore you even more by wittering on about them in any detail & there is lots of ‘stuff’ happening at each estate but what I found most interesting was some of the directions in which they were moving. Blenheim has a new(ish) exhibition in the house using lots of new-fangled technology to bring the past to life & give visitors a real taste of history. Chatsworth has taken a very different tack & is very keen to put the modern in with the historic particularly with works of art both indoors & out. Personally I found Chatsworth seemed to  have more dynamism  whilst keeping true to its historical roots.

           Modern sculpture in the grounds at Chatsworth.

 

*The winter photos were taken at a snow-covered Wisley gardens last week

**For an interesting discussion on the use of the word ‘crap’ to describe, in this case gardens, please look  here, here & here at some related articles on the Thinking gardens website.