Crossrail Place Exotics

It's been a long time since I wrote a blog post and writing one after a period of absence feels a bit strange, albeit nice at the same time.

In the run up to last Christmas we made a special trip to check out the roof garden at Crossrail Place in Canary Wharf, London. It officially opened last May and it is a retail and public space with a 4,160 square meter roof garden. The complex was designed by Foster and Partners to mimic the clippers that once frequented West India North Dock.

As we entered took the escalator up and entered the complex this was first glimpse we had of a very promising public space...

Then looking back...

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Brutally Beautiful

The Barbican Estate is a residential complex built during the 1960's and 1970's in Central London, in an area that was heavily damaged by bombings during World War 2. It is an example of a development with Brutalist Architecture and despite being a relatively new development in its entirety it is Grade II listed hence protected.

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PlantSnapp Launch at Clifton Nurseries

Last week I attended the official launch of PlantSnapp, an iPhone and iPad based plant identification app. The premise of it is that you send a team of people working behind the scenes a photo of a plant you want identified using the app and within twenty four hours receive an answer, complete with care information and a list of suppliers. 

George Williams, CEO and Founder of PlantSnapp warmly welcoming us all

The event was relaxed, well organised, with lovely food and drinks, and I got the chance to know more about the app as I chatted to the team behind it. And they chose a perfect venue too for the launch, Clifton Nurseries which is a long running and well established garden centre right in the heart of London which somehow evaded my consciousness and have only heard of via the invitation to the event.

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The Royal College of Physicians Garden

My alter ego, you know the sort that pays bills, as a clinician has seen myself attending numerous conferences and symposiums hosted at the function halls of the Royal College of Physicians. And every time I attend these gatherings I look forward to seeing their courtyard garden which has a good selection of exotic plants, most of which grow outside permanently, owing to the shelter provided by the walls of the building, as well as by the 'urban heat island' micro climate in Central London. 

With such a favourable micro climate in the city there are so many plants you can grow there that will not do so even if it's planted just outside of it, the periphery of the inner city and beyond. A walk in the city, it's not unheard of to come across large Phoenix canariensis, Butia capitata, Araucaria heterophylla happily growing outside. I've even come across  before Ficus elastica, Schefflera arboricola, Crassula ovata, and so many more traditional houseplants growing as outdoor potted plants on various parts within the core of the city. That's how extra warm in the winter and sheltered it is there.

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Spring, Where Art Thou?

Last Sunday morning I was about to write a blog about a certain a plant and I needed to take some photos of it. But as I went out to photograph it I was greeted by this:

and this

and this

and the plant that was supposed to be featured was this

Nevermind, perhaps some other time once all of the snow has melted and I could photograph this beautiful plant without all that white stuff covering it.

And for those who follow our blog regularly, do you remember when we featured the Koi Grow and Show competition organised by our local koi club Kangei at Avenue Fisheries last autumn? Well, last Sunday was the results day to which all the koi entered were measured again to see how much they have grown and the best performers will win a prize. It was also the day when you take them home to enjoy in your own pond.....

Supposed to be anyway but then again when the date was set we weren't expecting that late March here would look like this...

A very pretty drive towards Avenue Fisheries

Almost unbelievable. The autumn event turned out to be significantly warmer than the spring one!

We were all pleased and surprised how much all of the koi have grown in just a space of a few months and what were all relatively small fish then are much bigger now. The fish I entered grew 6cm whilst the one Gaz did grew an impressive 9.5 cm and was also shortlisted as one of the best developed koi in the bunch. He didn't win the top prize but both of us were pleased nevertheless for his koi to look so good and so well after a few months.

My my they have all grown so well!

The six koi considered to be the prettiest of the lot. Gaz's fish is the one on the top left side.

Alas, as much as how excited we were to take them home we had to leave them both behind. With the cold spell and blanket of snow all over, our pond temperature has dipped down in figures too and would be too cold for them to be transferred in to especially as they are in a much warmer pond now. The big difference in temperature would just shock them hence it was best to leave them behind, to be collected once the weather has warmed up, certainly much more than it is now.

But the question is, when will it warm up here?? Such a prolonged winter this one is, temperature lows may haven't been that bad but this season has dragged on, and on this time.

Spring, where art thou??

And so many spring events this week yet so little spring! Last weekend and this week would have been a very busy period for us, with several spring gardening events happening that we were intending of going to. Looks like we'll have to trim the list down. Oh well, when these events were organised none of us anticipated that the weather will be this cold here.

Even in Central London last Saturday, it was so snowy and cold. Yet looking at the bright (and white) side at least it was very pretty. In Camden Market they were even playing some Christmas songs and a stall was selling mulled wine. A little humour never did harm, and it certainly was appropriate!

Ho, ho ho!

Mark :-)

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Let the Show Season Begin!

The plant show season for this year has officially started with the RHS London Plant and Design Show being held today and tomorrow. And being the first major plant show and fair of the year, this event is something we always look forward to with much excitement as it signals the start of more plant shows in the following months. Not to mention that after many months of winter, where the horticultural scene as at its most quiet, it's nice to see lots of plants again and get the chance to do some plant shopping!

So off to London we drove this morning, an annual ritual for us and is the only time that we actually drive in to heart of this city where the RHS Horticultural Halls are located and where the show is always held.

Early birds gets to queue! We didn't, we stayed on the other side of the street where the sun was shining directly. It was a gloriously sunny day!

Traffic going in to London can be hit or miss, one year the journey is quick, the next year it could be slow and patience testing. Fortunately this year it is was a quick and easy one, and for the first time we were actually there before the gates were opened. It wasn't a long wait though!

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