Tag: gardening
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London’s Superbloom Is A Summer Wonderland Of Flowers
Press Play Icon To View Video You’ll find peace and serenity walking around the former moat of the Tower of London, a medieval fortress known for torturing prisoners and home of the Crown Jewels. Green space has replaced water. Now a flood of flowers has created a fantastic carpet of vibrant colors.
In honor of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Tower of London’s public caretakers decided to stage Superbloom, a summer-long event that requires a separate ticket purchase to enter. It’s well worth it.
Superbloom planning began two years before the Jubilee. The design team included the Historic Royal Palaces and public and private urban horticulture and landscape design experts. In March 2022, the design was installed. Seeding by hand started once the threat of a freeze passed.
A one-way curvy path immerses visitors through an artist’s pallet of 15 different wildflower mixes. There’s an amplified soundscape produced by a composer to enhance the experience. Various sculptures line the route, including The Nest, a walk-through tunnel made of hand woven willow.
Plant species with names like Toadflax, Pot Marigold, and Viper’s-bugloss attract bees and butterflies. The color mix gradually changes as autumn approaches. Superbloom ends September 18. Though it appears something like Superbloom might become a regular event, since the created natural landscape will remain in the moat as a Jubilee legacy.
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Florida Blooms During A Bitter Northern Winter
Much of the U.S. is under winter’s chill or covered in snow and ice. Here in Florida, everything is popping with spring-like color, defying the calendar. The Sunshine State is basking— some say baking— in temperatures reaching the middle to upper 80’s. Living in the Tampa Bay area this time of year is glorious. I look at my garden and enjoy all the color nature provides. The azaleas are blooming with brilliant purple and pink flowers. My window boxes are overflowing with bunches of impatiens.
Azaleas 
Impatiens Beyond the color, there is the joy of planting vegetables in my EarthBoxes. If you’ve never gardened with EarthBoxes, you’re missing an opportunity to easily grow your own food with less water and fertilizer than conventional gardening.
Cauliflower & Brussel Sprout EarthBoxes 
Tomato EarthBoxes These innovative grow boxes funnel water to a reservoir from which plant roots draw their nourishment. UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund , has shipped EarthBoxes to third world nations challenged by drought to create a sustainable food supply for struggling families. About fifteen years ago I met EarthBox inventor Blake Whisenant at his Ellenton, Florida nursery and EarthBox Research Center.
Blake Whisenant/Photo From EarthBoxes.com At that time Blake was in his mid-70’s and nimble as a man half his age tending to his sprawling EarthBox garden. Blake died at the age of 88 in 2018. This humble farmer left a legacy for future generations to grow fresh healthy food while living in harsh conditions. In my EarthBox garden, cauliflower and Brussels sprout are thriving in Florida’s winter of warm days and cool nights. An assortment of potted fresh herbs, from rosemary and sage to basil and parsley, are also flourishing and adding flavor to my prepared dishes.
The winter harvest is great. So are the blooms. I can’t wait to see what spring will bring!
Geiger Gardens
