62 Comments

I have followed JP for a few years now and absolutely love his gardens!

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Ah I love JP! One of my favourite fellow gardeners! Always great tips and we tend to think alike when it comes to colours and other garden foibles (unless it’s my hubby leaving tools out where I can’t find them!!). I’ve loved following him for some years and watching the fabulous gardens he’s created. This new garden has great bones and I know it will be one I’d love to sit in and enjoy a few wines and double entendres with the delightful green fingered JP.

PS his interiors are a wow too!

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I’ve been gardening for 40 years but this is an inspirational post. Thank you! 🌿

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What a wonderful thing to hear - Leyla is a true inspiration

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Wow, what a wonderful gardening post! I gotta buy some raspberry now, you have me hooked, lol! I've created my own little jungle/botanical garden/paradise in a residential area down here in Nicaragua. By the way, I'm Tarzan and this is my wildlife.

https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/paradise-lost-the-die-is-cast

https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/safari-gullible-travels-south-africa

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Apr 4Liked by Jo Thompson

Oh what a heavenly first-thing-in-the-day experience was reading about your journey in gardening! I am full of delight at the moment with my sublime window box of flaming coral tulips! Not to mention the joyful anticipation of about 15 more pots of them coming out in the next fortnight! I don't do much any veg planting as I spend 3 summer months abroad with my other passion, flaming geraniums in terracotta pots. I would adore having tomato planters as the smell of the skin of homegrown tomatoes is as heady as any Dior perfume. X

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What an image that conjures up - Dior tomatoes! 💚

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Mar 5Liked by Jo Thompson

I feel invigorated and inspired after reading that. Have you ever read something so gently (and sometimes strongly) positive?

The point made regarding the general nice-ness of gardeners was lovely to read and I think well demonstrated by these comments.

Thanks for sharing.

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aww I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Tom!

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Totally agree! Brilliant Leyla

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Her first balcony garden was so inspirational, and I love her take on urban gardening. I think I need to track down The Food Programme here in the US. :)

(Also I'm with her on wanting to meet Monty Don's pup Patti!)

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I'm so glad you think so Rhiannon! And yes you can find The Food Programme wherever you usually get your podcasts from :)

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SO inspirational - and I can't wait to see your Brooklyn balcony transformation!

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What a wonderful read. I’m new to the world of Leyla. Just subscribed!

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Oh hello JP! I'm so pleased you enjoyed this :)

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I really loved reading this interview, Jo. What a beautiful garden and the joy it brings. Spent coffee grounds now going onto the raspberry beds! xo

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Ahh I hope they work! My other hot tip is chopped up nettles around the base of fruit trees at the start of spring, right about now :)

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Thanks Leyla. They're only young canes this year but they're looking very healthy thus far, can't hurt xo

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The joy just permeates through, doesn't it Pip?

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Mar 1Liked by Jo Thompson

What a joyous bundle of abundance your garden is Leyla - thank you so much for sharing…. You have also single-handedly inspired me to plant raspberries in my new garden’s, new ‘productive’ patch… are you able to recommend the actual variety that you grow please, because it’s clearly an absolute winner?!

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Mar 13·edited Mar 13Liked by Jo Thompson

Hi Toni, I'm so glad you enjoyed this! Yes it's Autumn Bliss. However, I treat them as if they were summer fruiting canes. Meaning they fruit on last year's canes. What happens is over summer they throw up a bazillion new canes around the garden. I select about 7 of these that are within this corner (so I can keep them contained) and weed out any other cane. I then festoon these 7 canes (I think that's the correct term, where I bend the cane and tie the tips about halfway down the cane) so it creates an architectural loop. The reasons for this are two fold, it both looks nice and stops the very long canes thrashing around during winter storms. Then come summer, it's these canes that will produce fruit. Once I've picked the last fruit, I cut these canes down to the ground and repeat the process. I hope that helps!

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Thank you so much Leyla! I love the idea of a) architectural raspberries and b) the act of ‘festooning’!! Will order some canes right now!!

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Feb 29Liked by Jo Thompson

This was fantastic, so inspirational! Thanks both!

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Delighted you enjoyed it Catherine!

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So glad!

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This made me smile!

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This is so nice to hear Maureen :)

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It’s full of joy!

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Feb 29Liked by Jo Thompson

Inspirational garden Leyla & those raspberries look sooo good! Especially liked the bulb meadow, bulbs in grass is one of the most beautiful sights & works at any scale ❤️❤️❤️

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Thank you so much Emma! There's always space for at least another 100 spring bulbs.. 😅

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Feb 29·edited Feb 29Author

I'm with you on the bulbs meadows, Emma - just so pretty - little treasures in the grass...

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Feb 28Liked by Jo Thompson

Leyla ur garden it’s a real paradise and the FOXES 🦊😍😍😍😍😍 I love how u transformed ur garden in the yrs and the pond I always wanted one but my zone is already full of mosquitoes in the summer, maybe I could make a seasonal pond 🤔🤔. I rarely use gloves only because every time I’m like a little kid that can’t wait to put the hand inside the mud 😂😂 Can’t wait to make gardening next week with the good weather. Really a great interview full of passion.

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haha THANK YOU Laura! We've had a fox coming in everyday for the past few days. I think it's a female and she's so pretty :)

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Feb 28Liked by Jo Thompson

Holy Macaroni 🤯🤯 (never used this before hope I used well) for sure she is smart she picked the best garden where she could spend time. I’m imagining the fox surrounded by a lot of beautiful crocus 💕

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Indeed and yes you used it correctly! Ive never said it!

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First time for me too. I always use “OMG” I’m trying new ways of saying. I keep note of the: “rabbit in a hole” can’t wait to use it one day.

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Keep us updated with your progress, Laura! Are you based in Italy?

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Feb 28Liked by Jo Thompson

Yes Emilia Romagna is one of the most humid regions of Italy but with great food. And I love gardening since I was a kid even if in those times I didn’t realise that, but I remember the first time I smelled the perfume of a tomato’s plant and I understood how a real tomato should be.

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Feb 28Liked by Jo Thompson

Oh, yes, PLEASE! I really must try again with raspberries. And the garden is a serious drawback to bookkeeping and other tasks of that ilk, too. Nicely written. I enjoyed it.

And I am tasting raspberries.

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I'm definitely tasting raspberries, Diane

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I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Diane :)

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Another fabulous, interesting read - thank you 💚 and those raspberries 🤩 The garden is a wonderful space and nature makes it so interesting. I’ve seen myself at times watching the birds/nature instead of working ☺️

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So glad you enjoyed this Hilary! Like I said, a garden is an occupational hazard... 😅

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I know?! That raspberry haul is IMPRESSIVE. I need to up my soft fruit game for sure

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Me too! 💚🤣

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🤣

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