< Previous20 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE and emotion Atmosphere This month we look at the work of Alison Johnson, who loves to express feelings that she deems “inexpressible through words” in her art. L iving in Warwickshire and working from her studio in Coventry, Alison Johnson uses her passion for nature and non-materialistic beauty as a source of inspiration, as she explores the inexpressible feelings and atmosphere of any given place in her works. Fueled by a previous career in nursing, Alison likes combining emotions and thoughts surrounding the struggle of life, ever-changing but constant landscapes, and the relationships between people. These, she captures in atmospheric oil paintings with vibrant and seductive focal points. By expressing the power of light playing amongst the water drops, this artist shows the abstract, surreal side to the natural world. Her seascapes 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2022 14:51 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 21 ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE THE LITTLE RED GALLERY Love art? Then we’d love to meet you, please call in for a cup of tea and a chat. The Little Red Gallery are feeling ‘Love’ with a fantastic range of pieces and perfect gift ideas. follow a deep tradition which Johnson modernizes and brings to a contemporary forefront. Colours sink below a piercing white surface as oceans and landscapes drift in and out of a sweeping hazy mist. The sky appears deep and brooding, the colours revealing a darkness that battles with the flashes of light. When shapes and figures do reveal themselves, they appear lost and fragile against the infinite space of the world around. Such is the atmosphere contained in these works they could easily be viewed as pure abstractions, each detail vital enough to stand alone. Alison’s artwork has been so successful that it has guaranteed her many exhibitions within the UK, Italy, and Paris and is soon to exhibit in the Middle East. Her work continues to reach clients on an international scale. If you’d like to see Alison’s work for yourself, head down to Lincoln’s Little Red Gallery 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2022 14:51 Page 222 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY W e have recently completed a front garden for a client who needed to have a more suitable access from their front door. The garden was on two levels with existing steps but due to the client’s mobility these were not practical. The space needed to be functional but also be enjoyed. The client had a vision of a water feature, and so we used that to design a space that would overcome the access concerns and be an amazing area to sit in and relax. The path from the front door to the driveway sweeps down the side boundary to an initial level area. This is paved and wide enough to put some planters and give you time to stop and appreciate the space and see it from another view. It then continues down and round into the drive. For this path we used CEDEC (gold), which is footpath gravel that forms a firm but porous structure that retains moisture while allowing any excess to flow through. The path frames the central natural water feature which is the main focal point. The rise in levels enabled us to create a flowing rill effect which starts from the top of the path down into the main pool which is level with the bottom of the path. The use of various sized stone adds to the natural look and the planting adds the finishing touches to this beautiful feature. Due to the position of their property, there is no traffic going past their front Ed Fuller from Fullers Landscaping details an impressive recent project transforming a client’s front garden to improve access, install a water feature, and create a peaceful space. A stunning 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2022 14:55 Page 1* If you have clay soil now is the best time to improve it with organic matter and/or horticultural grit * Keep deadheading annuals and perennials to extend their performance * Prune any late summer flowering shrubs such as the rock rose * Prune climbing roses and rambling roses once they have finished flowering (unless they are repeat flowerers) * Raise posts off the ground for the winter by using bricks or ‘pot feet’ to prevent waterlogging * Clear pond weeds and net your pond ready for autumn leaf fall * Divide herbaceous perennials * Pick autumn raspberries * Dig up remaining potatoes before slugs damage them * Install water butts, and keep up with watering of new plants. LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 23 FULLERS Call 01522 868717 or 07867 510544 landscapinglincolnshire@gmail.com www.landscapinglincolnshire.com GARDEN ADVICE door, and so they can use the seating area outside on the top level to sit and enjoy the water feature with peace and quiet. Between the seating area and the water feature are raised beds which provide colour and scents, and new steps mean that this is still an option to gain access to the property. This was a project that we really enjoyed working on and know that it not only looks amazing but has assisted the clients greatly. Specialised Service in Garden Design and Landscaping Backed by a highly-skilled and experienced team, we’ve built our reputation on an ability to provide our clients with professional, tailored gardening and forestry solutions Around the garden 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2022 14:55 Page 224 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY GARDENS F ollowing scorching weather and droughts across the country, many in Lincolnshire will rightly be more concerned for their lawns than normal as they appear the worse for wear. Lawn care is a simple art, so whether you are an avid gardener or casual mower, here Lincolnshire Today offers some tips on lawn care after a summer full of foot traffic. Moving into September and early autumn, it is the ideal time to complete some maintenance and repair. As we come to the end of summer, any long grass can be cut short with a mower - varying your mowing pattern and direction for best results long term - or use a strimmer for smaller and hard to reach areas and to achieve that appealing manicured image. Add cut grass to the compost heap. Over the summer, regularly cutting the lawn will help keep many weeds controlled and encourages thickening, meanwhile as we reach autumn - an important time for grass root growth as energy is stored in roots to be used in the winter - less mowing will be required, as with the weather getting cooler growth rate is reduced. Looking ahead through autumn, it is advised to avoid removing more than a third of the blade to keep roots growing. Raise the cutting height as the temperature lowers to assist your lawn with winter stress. This will also help the lawn withstand the last of the warm weather and keep it resistant to treading when wet weather arrives. Moreover, ensure not to cut grass when wet, soil is waterlogged, or in frosty conditions. If you see patchy or bare areas of grass following significant use in summer, look to rake away thatch and moss, remove weeds and scatter grass seed thinly, watering and keeping it damp. After a month, pick up your lawnmower for tidying up, clipping any sections of overgrown grass with garden shears in the interim period. Even if your lawn has made it through summer healthy, there is still work to be done. It is a great idea to aerate it in September. Many lawns suffer with compaction; when they are constantly walked over, the soil compacts, preventing oxygen meeting the roots. By working a fork into the ground approximately 4 inches deep in intervals of around 6 inches across, carbon dioxide and oxygen are allowed to circulate, and water and nutrients reach down into the lawn root zone. Leave the holes as they are, or sweep in an appropriate mix of sand for drainage, compost for fertility, or leaf mould for water retention for whatever you wish to improve. For those with large lawns a mechanical aerator can be hired, while spiked shoes can also be bought to walk across the garden in, and on clay or waterlogged soils you may want to utilise a hollow tine aerator, which extracts plugs of soil. It is also a key period to de-thatch the lawn - removing decaying leaves and other plant materials built up amongst the roots of grass. If not dealt with thatch can dry out, thicken, and form a barrier that moisture and nutrients struggle to pass Luscious lawns © stock.adobe.com/Saklakova Severe weather is creating more concern for the health of our lawns. There is plenty that can be done to protect and rejuvenate them. Luscious lawns 24-25.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2022 14:49 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 25 GARDENS PEACOCK & BINNINGTON PEACOCK & BINNINGTON BRIGG | CORRINGHAM | HALSHAM | KIRBY MISPERTON | LOUTH | SELBY PEACOCKGARDENMACHINERY.CO.UK Call us: 01652 600 200 Garden Machinery Servicing GeGeGeGeGeGGtttttyoyoyoyoyoyoyoourururururugggggaararararadededededenn n nn nmamamamammchchchchchchinininininererererereeyyyyyyGty Get your garden machinery iciccciededededebbbbby y y yy usussusuususbbbbbbefefefefforororrorrrreeeeesesseseseseesrvvrvrvrvrviiii serviced by us before tting itiitaaawawawaaawayyyy yy fofofofofooorrrr rthththththeeeeeeeput putting it away for the nter, so you can havveeewiwiw winter, so you can have pipipececeeofofofmminid that itpp piece of mind that it wiwilllbbeeeatatiitstsbbbesesett will be at its best cocoomemessprprininggtitimeme!! come spring time! Open: Monday - Friday 8am - 6pm, Saturday & Sunday 8am -4pm (Weather dependent) through, suffocating grassroots. This can be done as part of your lawn scarifying process with a wire rake - a task that should be completed at least once a year to remove organic matter formed around the base of your lawn. Scarifying will additionally lift procumbent growth from trailing weeds and remove moss. Feeding your lawn now will make all the difference come spring and keep it looking green and healthy through the colder months. Fertilising in early autumn helps the lawn begin rebuilding grassroots that were damaged during the hot summer and gives the lawn some protection against winter temperatures and disease. Look to follow up with a further autumn feed six to eight weeks after your initial fertilisation and try to use an autumn lawn feed, which are high in potassium, bolstering strong root growth. It is also a good time to kill lawn weeds, which low lawn nutrient levels may be contributing to, and to control moss as it makes its comeback in the wetter weather, starting with consideration of non-chemical means through raking, good practice in cultivation methods, non- chemical bacteria-based products, and further moss treatments. September is a prime time for lawn care, meeting some of the best conditions for doing most things to your grass - with adequate moisture as it gets wetter, lingering warmth, as well as residual heat in the ground from summer, and fewer weed seeds around. Take advantage of the month to feed, seed, weed, aerate, scarify, and repair your lawn! © stock.adobe.com/Budimir Jevtic 24-25.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2022 14:49 Page 226 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HORNCASTLE 26-31.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2022 14:53 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 27 HORNCASTLE 28 Á This month, we’re exploring Horncastle, the charming market town with a fascinating history and plenty to do for lovers of art, culture and shopping. H orncastle’s history as a market town goes back to at least 1231, when it was first granted a market charter. At that time it was renowned for hosting the world’s largest horse fair, and at the height of its popularity in the 1800s, people arrived from all over Europe to buy and sell at this trade event. The fair grew quieter over the years and eventually died out in the mid-1900s, but the town’s trading spirit has remained until the present day, with markets still held every Thursday and Saturday. Prior to its market days, Horncastle was first settled by the Romans, who built a fort where the River Waring meets the River Bain. The latter was likely the main point of access for early Horncastle, as there were no important roads leading to the settlement. This perhaps explains why there are no records of its Roman name. Though residents, the secondary school and several local businesses have adopted ‘Banovallum’ (or ‘Wall on the River Bain’) as a placeholder, this could just as easily have been Caistor’s Roman moniker, according to the old 7th century lists of towns and road-stations in the area. But when the Saxons set up around the fort, they called the place ‘Hyrncastre’, for its place at the corner, or ‘hyrn’, of the two rivers. From there the name stuck, only changing slightly between then and the modern day. By the time it was mentioned as ‘Hornecastle’ in the Domesday Book in 1086, it had grown to 41 households with two mills and 100 acres of meadow, all owned by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest of 1066. This thriving village would come to play a key role in the 1536 Lincolnshire Rising, when local farmers were outraged by Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. The village residents heard rumours that the king was closing down its own St Mary’s church to plunder its treasures for the royal coffers. So it was that humble farmers became rebels against the crown, forcing the Horncastle gentry to order the death of Thomas Cromwell, the leader of the Dissolution, and his supporters in the Church under threat of death. Several of these upper-class residents were killed in a show of bloody defiance, and the rebels amassed the support of an estimated 10,000 people as they gathered and marched on Lincoln. Nonetheless, the 26-31.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2022 14:53 Page 228 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HORNCASTLE king refused their demands, and the ringleaders of the Horncastle rebellion were executed at Tyburn on Maundy Thursday in 1537. Things to do Thankfully, St Mary’s still stands for visitors to admire today. There’s been a church welcoming worshippers on the site ever since Roman times, though the original building was replaced by a Saxon Minster. Work started on the present church building in around 1250, which was restored in 1660 and again later in 1859. The tower is the oldest part of the building, which is made even more remarkable by its quirky spirelet. The distinctive marks of this characterful church go even deeper into the building, with its nave arcade pillars that lean slightly to the south, and collection of 13 scythes said to have been wielded as weapons by the rebel farmers of the Lincolnshire Rising, mounted on the wall of the south chapel. St Mary’s contrasts this overtly violent history with its more prideful connection to monarchy, displaying a brass memorial to the Dymoke family’s role as King’s Champion in 1519, during the reign of Henry VIII. This hereditary post gave the Dymokes freedom to ride fully armed to any English monarch’s coronation, as a challenge to anyone who opposed the new ruler’s right to the throne. Besides its bustling market, a striking feature of Horncastle’s ancient history remains in the ruins of the Roman walls. The library incorporates the best preserved above ground sections of the wall, and features it with great pride. Another two parts can be seen on Manor House Street near the entrance to the Health Centre, and inside Jabberwock Books to the north-east of the market place. After you get close enough to touch the walls and reflect on how long they’ve been part of Horncastle’s history, you might consider sponsoring a stone; 26-31.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2022 14:53 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 29 CHARTERED CERTIFIED ACCOUNTANTS To find out how to get your business on the up visit www.dextersharpe.co.uk Offices in Boston, Bourne, Horncastle, Lincoln, Louth, Skegness & Spilsby We pride ourselves on providing a pro-active, friendly and accessible service. Experts in Accounts and Tax Returns Tax Planning and Book-Keeping Audits and Business Advice We’re here to get you in the right direction Keeping business on the up… all money from this goes into maintaining the wall sections, so visitors and residents can enjoy their presence for years still to come. For more local Roman finds, look no further than the Horncastle and Heritage Society, which can be found in the Sir Joseph Banks Centre on Bridge Street. Here you can find an assortment of Roman coins found on the town’s allotments, some of which were almost certainly paid to soldiers at work in the town. This can be deduced by the fact they are silver, as only soldiers would have been paid in silver or gold, such high value currency rarely reaching 90% of the poorer population. The Sir Joseph Banks Centre owes its name to the man who built Horncastle’s canal as it looks today. Banks was and is a famous botanist, but he was also an entrepreneur with a passion for the sciences as a whole. He wanted to improve Lincolnshire’s economy, and so proposed that a new canal would be constructed to link up with Tattershall Canal. With the support of a handful 30 Á 26-31.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2022 14:53 Page 4Next >