< Previous20 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE Louise Lacey’s love affair with art isrooted in childhood. A creative child,Louise has always been fascinated witheverything art. As she grew older, Louisefound herself working for an insurancecompany. All the while she was busybeavering away at piece after piece,producing art only for her friends andTHE PRINCESSOF POP ARTfamily. That was until a co-workerhappened to see one of her pieces andsaid, “You shouldn’t be sellinginsurance, you should be selling these”. From that point on, Louise started tomarket her work to the public and itsnowballed from there. It appeared asthough it was fate, that she was alwaysmeant to lead the life of an artist. Now,Louise’s work is represented by severalgalleries, home furnishing outlets andonline stores with customers andcollectors all around the globe.Although the journey wasn’t easy,Louise tells us that she’s glad she tookthe plunge. She admits to learning soThis month we take a closer look at the works of independent artistLouise Lacey whose stunning pop art has won the affection of clientsand customers the world over. 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 16/10/2018 09:56 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY21ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE much more and painting more than shewould have as a hobbyist. For Louise, it’s all about creatingsomething striking, a work thatwill be immediately impactful onthe viewer and draw the eye. “Iabsolutely love creating eye-catching pieces of artwork,” she tellsus. “I get a great sense of satisfactionwhen I complete a new piece, starting offwith a dull pencil sketch to eventually seeing abright and bold finished work of art that gives me such a buzz.”It should come as no surprise that pop art is Louise’s favouriteform of expression. Although she has dabbled in different stylesof painting, it’s pop art she most frequently returns to and feelsmost comfortable expressing herself with. Having first emergedin the fifties before becoming part of the cultural zeitgeist in thesixties, pop art still retains much of its power today, proving itwas more than just a passing fad – it’s timeless. Perhaps thebest thing about pop art is that it crosses all class divides,offering an artform for everybody. Anyone from the high browart collector to a college student can hang a piece of pop art ontheir wall. As well as offering people a colourful expression, Louise saysthat paintings are a great way to pay tributes to inspirationalpeople, like the late great David Bowie. With the blocks ofdifferent colours, the painting beautifully expresses the manydifferent personalities and personas embodied by Bowie overhis career. It’s little wonder that it’sproved to be one of Louise’smost popular pieces. Shesays, “I feel proud that I’mable to create artworkthat celebrates a legacyand has a deeper meaningto people.”THE LITTLE REDGALLERYLove 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.8 Bailgate Lincoln LN1 3AE01522 5891348 St Mary’s Hill, Stamford, PE9 2DPart@thelittleredgallery.co.ukwww.thelittleredgallery.co.ukFrom sellinginsurance to sellingpop art paintings ofDavid Bowie, it’s animpressive career that’sonly just beginning. We can’t wait to see where Louise goes next. To contact Louise or view more of her work please go online towww.laceys-art.com20-21.qxp_Layout 1 16/10/2018 09:56 Page 222 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYREADERS’ GARDENS“When we first moved here, therewasn’t a garden as such, just a plot witha large shed, at the back of the cottage,which we took down to make room for alawn and some borders,” explains Joan.“I’d love to say there was a grandmaster plan but actually that wasn’t thecase, it just evolved steadily.“On our wish list, for instance, was avegetable plot, so a part of the gardenwas earmarked for that and, elsewhere,a sunny area seemed to be crying outfor a hot border, so that went in.”Little by little the garden took shapeand the garden began to change theirThis month we pay a visitto another, rather stunning,readers’ garden in thesouth of Lincolnshire. It is,in fact, the creation of JoanCurtis and her latehusband Cliff who betweenthem transformed ahumble plot into a veritableoasis of colour. Ablaze with colourlives - opening for the NGS they metgardeners from all walks of life. It evenattracted television stations to visit andfilm the garden, including a popularFrench TV gardening programme,headed by the well known presenterAlan Mason. The garden has also been featured inmany magazines and books over theyears and its hard to believe this onehas been off the radar of LincolnshireToday. But, having fellow gardeners visitthe garden over the years Cliff and Joanwere always keen to share their passionand knowledge and love of plants, often22-25.qxp_Layout 1 15/10/2018 14:33 Page 1READERS’ GARDENS24 Áproviding guests with plants or cuttings.Their enthusiasm has certainly inspired their daughter,Sharron, too, who has assisted in the garden for many years,and this eventually led to her choosing gardening as a fulltime career. She still tends the garden at the cottage ofcourse, keeping Joan and Cliff’s legacy going and puttingher own stamp on the garden. And, what a great result. This cottage style design has itall: herbaceous borders, shrubs, trees, stone troughs foralpines, vegetable gardens and greenhouses; what morecould one wish for?The garden offers year-round interest too, it seems, asSharon tell us they have one of the largest collection of22-25.qxp_Layout 1 15/10/2018 14:33 Page 224 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYREADERS’ GARDENSGalanthus (snowdrops) imaginable. Joan and Cliff collected theseover the 46 years they have lived here, naming some of thevarieties themselves. Following, the show of snowdrops, come countless other spring,summer and autumn plants: “One of my mother’s loves has alwaysbeen Asters” explains Sharron “Michaelmas Daisies for autumn andalso our favourite part of the garden, the hot flower border, which isbrimming with Dahlias, Salvias, Rudbeckias and much more.”This area is designed to make the most of the bright sun it getsduring the day. Those readers with a similarly sunny spot, then it’swell worth creating a border of ‘hot’ colours, with red, orange andyellow flowers.Perennials that suit hot borders, such as Heleniums and Rudbeckiastend to come into their own in the summer, when their fiery tonesbring the border alive and give a great show all through summer intoautumn. You can also add plants such as Achillea, Crocosmia,Dahlias, Hemerocallis, Kniphofia and grasses such as Miscanthus. Of course, every gardener hits a snag from time to time and Joanand Cliff had to overcome their fair share of persistent weeds - inparticular a relatively pernicious patch of bindweed, which called for“persistence, digging and occasional spraying” to get it undercontrol. “To this day, the garden still gets the odd bit comingthrough,” says Joan, “but it’s a lot more controllable now.”22-25.qxp_Layout 1 15/10/2018 14:33 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY25READERS’ GARDENSSadly, Cliff passed away rather suddenly in May of this year, sothe garden has opened for the last time, for the village, inSeptember and will hold its last NGS open day in February 2019 toshow the snowdrops.It has to be said though that Cliff and Joan have created a longlasting legacy that can be enjoyed by their family and forthcominggenerations and this is surely what gardening is all about.Something that will remind people of us, in years to come; and aninspiration for the rest of us to try to create something worthwhile,with our own gardens. While chatting with Sharron, therefore, I couldn’t help asking forjust a few tips on how the rest of us ‘mere mortals’ can achieve suchstartling results, to which she suggests: “First, stand back and lookat the garden from all aspects and at different times of the day. “Second, visit as many gardens as you can and chat with theowners. Where possible, join local garden clubs and societies andvisit independent nurseries who grow their own plants too, as theywill give you such good advice.”Hopefully, you’re as inspired as we were by this fabulous readersgarden, which offers a place to relax and enjoy fantastic flowers andplants in all of their splendour. And, if you’d like us to pay a visit andfeature your garden, then drop us a line - we’d love to hear fromyou. 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 15/10/2018 14:33 Page 426 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYOne of the jobs for this time of year is toclean garden equipment. Metal tools suchas spades, forks, trowels and rakes need tohave soil brushed off and then washed anddried thoroughly. To avoid carbon steeltools rusting, wipe them with an oily ragand blades can be sharpened using a file.Make sure you remove dirt from secateursand use the oily rag to prevent rusting. It isalso advisable to clean out sheds as younever know what pests may be hiding in acorner. Cleaning out bird boxes is also a job toadd to the list is month. Old nestingmaterial can harbour parasites and clearingthem out will encourage birds to nest inthem again next year. Also, if you do it nowbirds will use them as winter roosts to keepwarm. If they are familiar with the box byspring they are more likely to use it as theirnesting site. If you have some pots that are too largeto bring inside, then you should insulatethem from the cold. Roots of plants incontainers outside are more prone to frostWith the shorter daysand wanting to stayinside more we canforget about the needsof our garden. While youmay not be using thegarden in the same wayas the summer monthsthere is still lots to do.damage than plants in the ground. You caninsulate them using bubble polythene orhessian sacking around the pots. You canalso move containers together for addedprotection. Modern plastic or terracottacontainers are usually frost proof, but olderones may not be. Therefore, even if theyare empty, wrap them up or where possibletake inside. You should also ensure thecontainers are lifted off the ground slightlyto improve drainage. You can buydecorative feet from garden centres, butdiscarded bricks will work just as well.If you have any long and whippy shootson climbers and wall shrubs, then you needtie them in. This will prevent them frombeing blown about and damaged in bedweather. If there isn’t a gap in theframework where you can secure the shots,then prune the shrub or climber back tofive or six buds. If you have a pond, then winterprotection may be required. You shouldremove the last of the dead foliage, youcan still divide hardy waterlilies and pondRemember, remember the garden in November© Shutterstock / Coatesy26-27.qxp_Layout 1 15/10/2018 13:56 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY27plants and cut back overgrown marginal plants, if required.Rake out fallen leaves or shake off those that have gatheredon protective netting. Stop feeding fish once the coldweather sets in and watch out for hungry herons as they candeplete fish stock. They most often place they wait for fishat the edges of the pond and so you can use nylon stringsstrung across the edges of the pond and it can deter themfrom approaching the water. Ideally you should place them15cm (6in) from the ground and 15 cm from the edge of thepond. Winter is a time when most people expect their garden tolook a bit dull, but that doesn’t have to be the case.Although there is not an abundance of flowers at this timeof year you can still create a colourful winter boarder.Herbaceous shrubs with colourful bark and winter floweringheathers can help provide colour in an otherwise gloomygarden. If you add some colour to your garden then youcan still enjoy your garden from the comfort of your warmhome, and if you plant some tulip and daffodil bulbs nowyou can ensure the colour continues in the spring.Specialised Servicesin Garden DesignLandscaping andTree MaintenanceBacked by a highly-skilledand experienced team,we’ve built our reputationon an ability to provide our clients with professional, tailored gardening and forestry solutionsFREE NO OBLIGATIONQUOTATIONSFULLERSForestry & LandscapingCall 01522 868717 or 07867 510544info@fullersforestry.co.uklwww.fullersforestry.co.ukwww.landscapinglincolnshire.comGARDENSAround thegarden•Clear up fallen leaves, especially from lawns, ponds and beds•Plant tulip bulbs for a spring display next year•Prune roses to prevent wind-rock•Plant out winter bedding•Cover brassicas with netting if pigeons are a problem•Stop winter moth damage to fruit trees by using grease bands around the trunks•Put out bird food to encourage winter birds into thegarden•Remove pumps and lights from shallow ponds and keep tidying your pond. Especially after fallen leaves•Lift parsnips and store in boxes with sand, and harvest brussels sprouts•Dispose of excess debris unfit for compost by having a bonfire – but check for hedgehogs© Shutterstock /Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH© Shutterstock /paolo sarti26-27.qxp_Layout 1 15/10/2018 13:57 Page 228 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYwalksLincolnshireFor those who didn’t know, Haconbytakes its name from the Old Danish for“Hakon’s Farmstead”. The most notablebuilding here is St Andrew’s church withits striking striped masonry, especially onthe tower and a monument insidedesigned by the famous Victorianarchitect Augustus Pugin. We take the route to Stainfield, whichlies close to the Roman King Street road- an important archaeological area thathas revealed many a find from its time asan Iron Age settlement, with finds ofpottery, glass and even fabric in the area.Continuing onto Dyke - via Hanthorpeand Bourne Woods – we come acrossone of Lincolnshire’s last remainingwooden smock mill. Originally an 18thCentury pumping mill on Deeping Fen itwas brought here and converted tomilling in 1845 and continued workinguntil the 1920s.Nearby, there is also the 14th CenturySt John the Baptist church - anunexpectedly large church for a smallvillage which perhaps underlines theprosperity of the area back then and thisalong with the local architecture is wellworth the trip. RouteFrom the Hare & Hounds Inn, we turnright for 100 metres then, taking thefootpath on the left, we bear half rightacross a meadow to a stile in a hedge ata lane. Turning right and at the first bend wefollow the path signed ahead (throughtwo gates) and keep forward to reach astiled footbridge in a cross-hedge nearthe field corner. In the next meadow we head for thefar left-hand corner and another stile atthe A15 road. We cross and bear right a few yards onbefore going left through trees into a lay-by, where, a few paces to our left, thepath continues on the right.Following a grass track to its ends wethen keep forward over an arable field,aiming for the buildings of Stainfieldseen ahead. We soon come alongside adyke where we meet a farm track. Goingleft a few paces, then right, we findourselves on another grass track leadingto the road near Stainfield.Turning left for about a mile intoHanthorpe. At the first junction we veerright past a pond and then at a “T”junction we keep ahead again to leavethe village. We then walk to the secondright-hand bend there leaving the roadleftwards onto a track which swings rightHaconby,Stainfield, Dyke &MortonAnother quest to rediscoverone of Lincolnshire’s manyhidden gems comes ourway this month, as ourreporter swops his broguesfor walking shoes toexplore the fringes of thefens in Haconby, Stainfield,Dyke & Morton.28-29.qxp_Layout 1 15/10/2018 13:59 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY29LINCOLNSHIRE WALKSthen left becoming a long straight (partof the Roman King Street) for half a milewith a signposted entrance to FoxWood (part of Bourne Woods) on theright.The path soon bends and straightensbringing us to a clearing; here we goleft to reach a waymark post, beforegoing left again onto a grassy trackalongside the woods; continuing untilwe meet a surfaced lane.Taking the footpath up the stepsahead and crossing an arable field to awaymark at a grass strip at the far side.From there, we keep ahead over thenext field, then join a headland path,with a hedge on our right, to the A15road.Following the road opposite into, andthrough, Dyke village, to the triangularvillage green just beyond the BaptistPHOTOS COURTESY OR RICHARD PICKSLEYchapel. We now keep left to a footpathsign a few yards away and go left along agrass track to a stile. Keeping forwardover a meadow, to a second stile wethen pick up a grassy path across thenext field. Next from a hedge gap by atall tree cross another field to where anearth bridge leads onto an obvious trackahead.Here, we turn left with the dyke on ourright - at a double line of trees markingan old railway, we turn right and in 250metres or so, we veer left onto a feintgrass path that gradually drifts away fromthe railway. At the road, we go left intoMorton, turning right across the front ofthe church into Haconby Lane.Leaving the village past the cemeterywe walk to the second footpath sign onthe right. From here, we cross a playingfield to a footbridge and cross the nextmeadow to the stile visible in the farhedge and rejoining the outer routehere.We return into Haconby by turningright along the lane and at a bend (by ayellow cottage) keeping left for the inn. FACTFILESTART:Hare & Hounds, Haconby (Grid ref 104254) MAPS:OS Landranger 130 (Grantham) • Explorer 248DISTANCE:9 miles • 15 kilometresREFRESHMENTS: Hare & Hounds, Haconby28-29.qxp_Layout 1 15/10/2018 13:59 Page 2Next >