19/04/2026
A Balcony in Kensington on Tour
There are some traditions I like - usually ones built around the pretext of time with friends - and one long established tradition is Easter at my dear friend, Camilla Shivarg’s, cottage in Wendover.
As well as being a hugely accomplished sculptor, Camilla is a passionate and knowledgeable plantswoman. Over the years, I’ve absorbed much practice and some wisdom from her, as she marshalls the seasons in her gardens (her London garden is regularly garlanded with awards).
A bit like cooking, gardening is one of the things one talks about, isn’t it? They come with their own traditions and devout observations. So to spend time with Camilla is to steep oneself in decades of gardening, and experience both hard- and pleasantly earned. I soak it all up, and put what I can into my pots.
Easter in the cottage garden is a quiet moment, before the extraordinary splendour of her summer planting, which is when she spends most time there. So more of that to come, but for now, enjoy the tulips and the fritillaries, the cowslips and the budding wisteria, the birdsong and trickle of the brook that runs along the edge of this beautiful cottage garden.
