Well strictly speaking, back to dead trees. Yesterday I walked back through Kenwood Woods and saw this guy. Looked to me just like those sun reddened canyons that John Wayne – or the Lone Ranger – might have been galloping through in pursuit of some gap-toothed evil outlaw…. A bit further on I found these …
Wild flowers on the heath
After the carefully tended herbaceous borders in the kitchen garden last night, I thought maybe we should have some wild flowers. In fact, the heath is not that rich in wild flowers – or if it is, I have totally failed to find them. Maybe they flourish in the wilder parts of the heath from …
Kenwood Kitchen Garden
Alas, for those of us addicted to 19th century walled kitchen gardens, Kenwood’s kitchen garden is no longer a kitchen garden – but it is a totally charming oasis. Not that peaceful because it is so close to the road, but a joy for herbaceous border lovers! Above is the view through the entrance gates …
OK….. trees….
In terms of tree management both the Heath and Hampstead Society and the Corporation of London, who actually manage the heath, both now follow a relatively hands off strategy. Good woodland management, says the former’s Heath Vision, is careful control, balancing planting and replacing trees and shrubs with the equally important thinning and coppicing…. Many …
Trees – or no trees
Regular readers of this blog will know that I spend a lot of time eulogising about the wonderful trees to be found all over Hampstead Heath – and indeed there are wonderful trees on the heath. But not everyone thinks that all of them should be there. Two hundred years ago the upper slopes of …
Swan love
The most delightful story in yesterday’s Times about true love on the Highgate Ponds – with many thanks to one of our readers.