The garden after eight o'clock

The garden in Richmond reaches its peak in July, when the air thickens with heat and the borders crowd with colour. Lavender spikes stand tall along paths, their purple blooms humming with bees. Roses sag under their own weight. The lawn, if you have kept it watered, glows a defiant green. This is the moment […]

The lavender is out in Richmond gardens and the bees are everywhere. You can hear them before you see them: a steady hum rising from the purple spikes. They work the flowers in a kind of methodical frenzy, dusted yellow with pollen. The scent thickens in the heat. It hangs in the air around benches […]

The shady corner in Richmond gardens becomes a refuge when the sun is at its worst. You find it behind the south-facing wall, where lavender spills over brick and the air smells sharp and sweet. Bees work the purple stems with a low hum. You sit on a bench that has been there longer than […]

What survives a heatwave in Richmond gardens and what doesn’t becomes obvious by mid-afternoon. Lavender stands firm, its grey leaves designed for drought, while the bees work overtime in the purple spikes. Sedums, salvias, and anything with a Mediterranean backbone keep their composure. Roses droop but recover. Hardy geraniums fade to papery wisps. Hostas give […]

The first tomatoes in Richmond gardens are ripening now. You notice them one morning, a flush of orange breaking through the green. The smell hits you when you pinch out the side shoots: sharp, green, faintly chemical. It clings to your fingers for hours. This is the moment gardeners wait for. The fruit has been […]