While we all know that we feast with our eyes as well as our taste buds, did you know that that our ears can also affect our eating experience? Research by Professor Charles Spencer of Oxford University has found that playing music from the same country as the food you are eating can ‘sonically season’ … Continue reading
With the West Dean Chilli Fiesta just around the corner and celebrating it’s 20th Birthday this year, it’s all things Chilli! We run through 20 weird and wonderful facts (that you probably didn’t know) about chillies, across 3 installments. Enjoy!… Continue reading
In the 2nd installment of our series building up to the 20th West Dean Chilli Fiesta in August, we take a look at the family entertainment in store… Continue reading
It’s nearly here! With the West Dean Chilli Fiesta just around the corner and celebrating its 20th year of scorching the tongues of countless iron stomached patrons young and old, what better way to begin our build-up of one of the biggest and best chili festivals in our green…(yellow and red)…pleasant land, than with a comprehensive … Continue reading
“West Dean knows how to put on a good show and you can see things growing and learn so much about how to cultivate your own. The place is quietly becoming a national institution. You should see it.” The Times (2014) Sarah Wain, West Dean Gardens’ chilli growing expert, grows around 250 varieties of chillies … Continue reading
Wow! What a difference warm weather makes to a garden! So far this summer the flower display in the cutting garden and on the borders in the Walled Garden is looking fantastic with the rudbeckia trial taking pride of place. Beneficial insects and butterflies are having a field day too. However lots of sun means … Continue reading
June was a wonderful month for a garden visit to West Dean and July looks set to be the same. Plenty of sun filled days after the relentless winter rain have put a skip into the visitors step as they come along to enjoy all aspects of the gardens and there is certainly plenty here … Continue reading
Last winter’s rain has acted like rocket fuel to the gardens, there is fabulous growth on trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials everywhere. As a result the early season wild flower display was floriferous in the extreme – always a glorious sight. Shortly it will be mown down (before it falls down!), however there will be … Continue reading
April was such a benign month at West Dean, mostly rain-free days and glorious enjoyable sunshine. What a blossomy year so far – I feel as if the garden is garlanded with these magical blooms at present. The pear blossom was magnificent in March and April and now the orchard is a riot of pink … Continue reading
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