I used to write a lot of 'garden stories' in conjunction with Charles' photographs. My feelings about writing rather dishonest pieces must have shown, I don't do many now.

Garden stories are boring. They always say that the gardens are lovely, setting visitors to the gardens up for disappointment and disillusion. I have been protesting about this now for some years, and have had some articles about the need for garden criticism published.

In 2004 the RHS Journal, 'The Garden', published a serious review of the Old Vicarage Garden at East Ruston, to howls of protest,("..they've worked so hard..") which put them off for ever.

In November 2006 Gardens Illustrated published a review of Veddw by Noel Kingsbury. (to total silence, which also put them off!)

A step in the right direction, however. I hope for many more reviews of all kinds. One faint whiff on the wind that things might be changing is the publication of 'Vista', edited by Tim Richardson and Noel Kingsbury, published by Frances Lincoln. A collection of serious pieces about gardens, including one by myself on the lack of garden criticism.

And establishing thinkingardens (www.thinkingardens.co.uk) - the begining of serious and intelligent discussion about gardens. A breath of fresh air: "I felt a little like a kid in a sweet shop on discovering thinkingardens..." Amanda Patton.

Articles about garden criticism:

'An Artist's Plot', The Garden.

'Critical Mass', Garden Design Journal

And one on being criticised, in -

Gardens Illustrated: Speaker's Corner.

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Financial Times:

For several years the Financial Times took occasional pieces from me, and they were the greatest pleasure to write. There was no demand to be bland, aspirational or jolly and positive - only "light". (inevitably - this is gardening after all...) So I had great fun, and here they are:

1. An unimpeded vision thing.
2. Beware experts bearing punitive advice.
3. Colour Borders.
4. The earthy delights of having a dig.
5. Meadows of medieval fantasy.
6. No room for unreliable guests.
7. Seeing the wood for the trees.
8. The visitor species.
9. Why more of the same is a good thing.
10. Worth making a visit? Or not.

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Hardy Plant:

The Hardy Plant under its last two editors, Kate Hills and Elaine Hunt, was also a forum for freedom in writing. This was where my first piece was published and where I was able to begin to explore questions that have remained important to me - such as the need for serious garden criticism.

1. The Emperor's New Clothes.
2. Moral extremes in the garden.
3. Thinking in the garden.

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Articles about Veddw House Garden:

I have regrettably written most of the articles that have appeared on Veddw House Garden. Writing them myself means that I cannot praise the garden, so the money has helped but it hasn't exactly promoted the garden much. And they are bland, 'garden story' pieces. Still, they give a picture of the garden and some of my thoughts about it.

1. A Sense of Place, The Daily Telegraph Plants and Flowers.
2. A Wild Welsh Garden, Country Living.
3. The Late Summer Garden, English Garden

And - a couple of garden stories from the English Garden -

Moorwood,

Wyndcliffe Court.