Posts

Stone Mizuko Jizo statues standing in a carpet of ivy against an urban background

Mizuko Jizō

Posts /

At the southern end of Crossbones Graveyard, a group of stone statues stand with their backs to the City, facing the old cemetery wall. Each statue is about as tall as a toddler, wearing a serene resting expression. The stone folds of their monk’s robes ripple downwards into the sea of ivy they seem to be emerging from. Some of the statues – known as Mizuko Jizōs – wear hand-crotched red bonnets, some fading with the weather, some fresh and bold, while others wear pendants and sashes inked with felt-tipped epitaphs.…

Mizuko Jizō Read More »

a close up photo of a blooming branch from the garden

Buddleia

Posts /

Buddleia davidii is a familiar sight to most Londoners, even to those who don’t know it by name. It might be that gangly tree spurting out of the edge of your balcony, from the top of that warehouse roof, or edging the gravelly banks alongside the train tracks. Given a little time and space, buddleias establish themselves into dense thickets: a single buddleia plant produces many thousands of seeds over the course of a year, potentially over a million.[1]

Buddleia is frequently seen spilling out from behind the hoardings of sites awaiting redevelopment.…

Buddleia Read More »