insideKENT Magazine Issue 96 - March 2020 | Page 115

HOME+GARDEN THE PASSIONATE GARDENER AND THE SPRINGTIME GARDEN LORRAINE ICKE, OWNER OF THE PASSIONATE GARDENER IN WEST PECKHAM, REALLY IS PASSIONATE. HER BUSINESS EMPLOYS AROUND 13 GARDENERS (CALLED PASSIONELLAS), ALONG WITH LORRAINE HERSELF AND HER PARTNER DIPU. NOT ONLY DO THEY DESIGN AND CREATE THE MOST MAGNIFICENT OUTDOOR SPACES USING ENTIRELY ORGANIC METHODS, BUT THEY ALSO HELP PEOPLE TO MANAGE AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN GARDENS ONCE THE INITIAL WORK IS DONE. THEY MAKE GARDENERS OUT OF EVERYONE AND SPREAD A LOT OF HAPPINESS DOING SO. insideKENT SPOKE TO LORRAINE ABOUT HER BUSINESS AND HER LOVE OF SPRINGTIME GARDENS AND NATURE IN GENERAL. Whilst the benefit of wintry months is that there are no weeds, it can also mean that people tend to stay indoors a lot rather than tend to their gardens. And just because there are no weeds that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get outside and enjoy the fresh air, even if you’re just turning over soil or preparing the garden for the springtime. It’s not only the garden that benefits; you do too. It’s so good for you to get out even if it’s just for an hour a day – it increases your wellbeing significantly. It will make you feel happy, and in the darker months that’s important. Now that March has arrived, that hard winter’s work will stand you in good stead. But it’s not too late if you have left the garden to its own devices; you can always set things right again. The first job to do when springtime comes is to get the weeding done. From having no weeds at all in the winter, you’ll suddenly find that they’ve all decided to make an appearance come March time. The good news is, as long as we haven’t had too cold a winter and the ground is soft, those weeds will pluck out easily. It might be cold on your knees though! You might think this is crazy, but I still plant tulip bulbs at this time of year. You can get them so cheaply, and putting them in now is absolutely fine. I’ve just put 2,000 tulip bulbs in and I had some of our guests help out [Lorraine and Dipu also run Samsara, a holistic retreat for wellbeing that includes yoga. Not only that, but they have a shepherds hut in their grounds where people can stay entirely off grid for as long as they need]. Putting bulbs in late just means that the flowers will be staggered – they’ll come up when they’re ready rather than at the ‘right time’. Next year they will all catch up with each other and be back on track. Really you can plant them whenever you want, as long as it's after the first frost. If your garden is looking a little bleak after winter, there is one plant which gives such utter joy and that’s the hellebore, otherwise known as the Christmas rose. If you want them in your home, just cut them right by the stem and put them in a bowl of water with candles rather than in a vase. I’ve also planted alliums which flower in May. These are great plants because the bees love them, and the big ones can grow bigger than a four year old child! 115