Blog Posts
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Winter Wine Choice
My choice of wine to run over the months of December and January is a Riesling Kabinett, selected for its ripeness, typical of the Riesling grape with a 2007 vintage. As we approach the new year of 2012, I am aware that connoisseuers of this grape will know how beneficial it is to give it […]
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Winter Classical Music Choice
My recommendation for this period is a personal favourite, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy (Chorfantasie) for piano, chorus and orchestra in C minor. Op. 80. This must rank as one of the most stirring pieces of music that is so typical of the grand master, Beethoven. Surely one of the most remarkable concerts of Beethoven’s career took […]
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Plant & Garden of the Winter
PA recent visit to our daughter’s “neck of the woods” in Shoreditch, London ensured some fine exploration. One of the highlights was a walk down Columbia Road on the Sunday morning to enjoy the bustling flower market. I have seldom seen such a frenzy of activity as bunches of flowers, trays of sweetly-scented cyclamen and […]
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Chimonanthus praecox and Galanthus plicatus ‘Three Ships’
Two plants that never fail to give me some winter cheer, include, Chimonanthus praecox and Galanthus plicatus ‘Three Ships’. Chimonanthus praecox or “Wintersweet” is, in my experience, a deciduous, winter-flowering shrub but is often described as semi-evergreen. A native of China, I would recommend planting this species on a sunny wall that is afforded some […]
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Plant of the Month Oct/Nov
Gentiana ornata This autumn-flowering species of gentian was first discovered by Danish botanist Wallich in 1820. He had discovered it in the Gosain Than, C. Nepal. It may have remained in relative obscurity, from a horticultural point of view, until 1930 when it was introduced through Thomas Hay of the Royal parks and Gardens, London. […]
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My Wine Choice Oct/Nov
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Vignobles Gonnet 2008 My wife and I have just (end of September 2011) returned from a short holiday in Provence. This was certainly a special experience and, unsurprisingly included a visit to the famous village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhone wine region. This is the most renowned appellation of the southern part of the […]
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Classical Music Oct/Nov
Krommer Oboe Concerto in F Major op 37 and op 52 The Oboe Concerto must surely be one of the most beloved and sadly, all too rarely performed works in a concert. We frequently hear single movements performed on popular radio stations and thank goodness for that and the obvious exposure that results there from. […]
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Classical Music Aug/Sep
Franz Schubert: Quintet for Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass in A Major, “The Trout” If there are any readers of this regular slot who are a little wary of Chamber music, here’s the piece to introduce you to a marvellous genre of music. Schubert was a genius as a creator of songs and […]
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Plant of the Month Aug/Sep
Gentiana ‘Shot Silk’ Here is an autumn-flowering gentian, widely available in the nursery/garden centre trade and one well within the scope of general garden cultivation across the UK. This gentian was raised by Keith Lever of Aberconwy Nursery and received an AM from the RHS in 1991. Many fine cultivars of autumn-gentian have received names […]
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My Wine Choice Aug/Sep
Oyster Bay Malborough Pinot Noir 2009 New Zealand’s largest and perhaps, most renowned region is Malborough, located at the northern tip of the South Island. Oyster Bay’s Malborough vineyards are located in two valleys: the Wairau and Awatere Valleys and their goal is to grow the grape varieties that are uniquely suited to this maritime, cool […]