17 July 2026

 A trip to buy agapanthus in Aalter today turned out to be an unexpected treat. I loved everything about this family-run nursery dedicated solely to growing agapanthus on a large scale.

From the topiary entrance sign -

to the home and office buildings in traditional Flanders style -

screened with a line of trees from the giant white tents where the plants are seeded and grown -

Two contented-looking dogs were roaming around the working hub of the tents -

and a large family of chickens were scratching about on the grass between the beds

This confident and photogenic rooster spent most of his time under the feet of the kindly man who was helping us in and out of the office, crowing loudly to make it quite clear who the actual boss of the place was -

Even the branded van was stylish -

Back home we're feeling hugely pleased with this birthday gift of two aggies, one white and one blue, in their good terracotta pots. They'll probably stay in this spot on the far side of the pool where we can admire them from all angles -