< Previous20 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE Born in Wolverhampton in 1970, TonyGittins always knew he’d dedicate his life inthe pursuit of artistic expression. When heleft school at 17, it was with A-Levels in Artand Design and a world of possibility at hisfingertips. In order to fund this passion forpainting, he joined his father’s company.During this period he’d pay the billsworking in surveying whilst spending anyspare moment in front of the easel. Butpursing any creative endeavour whilstworking a full-time job is no easy feat, so at26 Tony took the plunge and became a full-time artist. The next few years brought with themample opportunities for Tony to show offhis skill and hone his craft. In particularthere were exciting freelance opportunitiesThis month we look at an artist whose oilpainting’s use of warm romantic light, curvingshapes and soft colours conjures nostalgia andblissful feelings. rememberedLike half memories 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2018 09:31 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY21ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE which helped the burgeoning artist make aname for himself. In just a couple of years,Tony had secured a publishing deal,cementing himself as a bold and originalnew voice on the British art scene. Whetherit was the boost in confidence or theknowledge of being able to live fully as anartist, but this lit the touch paper of Tony’sexpression, granting him an even deeperfondness for fine art. Looking back, Tonysays he considers himself “blessed to createoriginal works every day”. It’s only natural that artists should want toexperiment, whether with their style,medium, subjects or, as in Tony’s case, all ofthe above. During this period of artisticexploration, he discovered that his visionand paintings are best suited to oil andcanvas. It’s on these white expanses that hecreates finely detailed, expressive andromantically lit cities and landscapes. There’sa softness to the edges, filled with delicatecolours and warm light, like recalling a fond,half remembered memory. Though hisvisions of the city are more recognisablyreal, his rural landscapes are pure fairy-tale,like something from a storybook. Thecurving shapes of the architecture andmanmade structures alike tears down theboundaries between constructions and thenatural, whilst also creating a link betweenthe viewer and their own childhoods. Yet it’sthe use of light that most impresses.Whether it’s a warm nostalgic glow, or theicy blue of a winter night, Tony understandsthe feelings light can evoke inviewers and continues to impresswith every new canvas. No doubt Tony’s work willhave the same effect on ourreaders as it did with oureditorial team. So if you’d liketo see them first hand, headdown to the Little Red Gallery inLincoln. 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.ukTo seemore of Tony’s work and keep up todate with his latestexhibitions andappearances, visitwww.facebook.com/tonygittins6620-21.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2018 09:31 Page 222 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYREADERS’ GARDENSA garden likeno otherAs readers’ gardens go, this month’s visit to the home of Leigh and BeverleyPerkins in Market Rasen was something of a first for this humble reporter, as thecouple also specialise in growing carnivorous plants, which certainly helped keepthe recent infestation of wasps away from us.22-25.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2018 09:34 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY23READERS’ GARDENSeigh and Beverley have lived at Beaver Meadow forsome six years now and have created a stunninggarden that is as practical as it is peaceful. Take forinstance the herb border which features nofewer than 30 different species of mintamongst an astonishing collection of herbs. The sights andscents that abound in an herb garden delight the senses andrevitalize the soul. This is important to Beverley and Leigh asthey also wanted the garden to complement their spa andcreate a retreat for their clients to enjoy.As can be seen from our photographs, the garden is certainlya serene place to enjoy and from the moment we enter, it isakin to being teleported to a different place and time. This is made all the more special by the absence of flies andwasps, which I know have a job to do, but why they can’t just24 ÁL22-25.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2018 09:34 Page 224 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYREADERS’ GARDENSdo that from a distance is beyond me. [Asone might detect I have a bit of a phobiaabout wasps: as a child, I suffered a waspattack and that memory still haunts me tothis day when they get too close.] So, I was particularly intrigued to hearof Leigh’s keen interest in Carnivorousplants and in particular the Sarraceniasthat he’d planted in the borders which dosuch a great job of keeping these peskycritters from bothering garden visitors.“I first became interested incarnivorous plants back in my twenties,although living in London, I had to limitmyself to plants on my windowsill,”explains Leigh.“I made a few mistakes back then andwhen we settled down in Lincolnshire, Ibuilt a greenhouse or two and was ableto take my interest to a whole new level.“We began to grow carnivorous plantsas, contrary to popular belief, they don’tneed tropical temperatures and soon webegan to cross-pollenate plants to createa wider choice of plants that would lookgood in different borders. So instead ofthe more traditional red veins on greenleaves, we decided to invert that andcreate a species with green veins on redleaves for a change. “We also found that by crossing certainplants we could increase or decrease theheight, providing gardeners and gardendesigners with different choices tocomplement their borders.” This is certainly an interest that hasgrown for the couple as their twogreenhouses soared to five at one stageand were later replaced by a polytunnelwhich now houses some 30-40,000carnivorous hybrids. “The plants we sell on, can be anythingfrom 6-7 years old, up to 20 years old,”explains Leigh, “so, we want them tocontinue to flourish and it’s important tous that buyers have a ready source ofinformation should they run intoproblems. “As such, we always encouragecustomers to keep in touch with us andwe’ll readily help out with advice. “Anything can happen, one customeradmitted she’d tried to turn her plant intoa vegetarian for instance; which didn’tbode well for the plant. Anothercustomer was delighted when we listenedto the ailments and explained her plantsimply had indigestion.” Beverley is, according to Leigh, theperson who makes it all happen in the22-25.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2018 09:34 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY25READERS’ GARDENSgarden. “To be honest, as you can probably tell, I spendso much time in the poly tunnel that Beverley hasa free hand in the garden and it has to be saidmuch of what you see there is down to her effortsand creativity.”Beverley clearly has green fingers too as can beseen from not only the borders but also thehanging baskets that further complement thegarden and the hot tub complete with pergolaover it, adorned with grapes and kiwi fruit. Elsewhere, there’s blueberries, raspberries andpassion fruit, as well as Acers, some of which havebeen grown from seedlings. The couple’s passion is evident and is just oneof the many reasons we love visiting readers’gardens as they all have a story to tell and aknowledge base that enables us to tap into whencreating or improving our own borders and that’sexactly what I now intend to do. 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2018 09:34 Page 4The frosty mornings can make agarden look magical, especially thespider webs which are coated in a layerof frost. However, although it looksbeautiful you need to be careful. Avoidwalking on lawns on frosty mornings. Itcan damage the grass and often leadto brown marks being left. You shouldalso continue to remove fallen leavesfrom lawns before they block out lightand moisture to the grass. While moisture is necessary for yourlawn you don’t want to havewaterlogging. Watch out for signs ofthis as the weather gets wetter. Youmay be able to remedy this with somemaintenance now; however, you mayhave to wait until next spring. You cantell if your lawn is waterlogged as it willbe squelchy to walk on, or a stickyglue-like layer of puddles of soil mayform near the surface and in the longterm your grass with turn yellow anddie. At this time of year ourgardens can look wonderful.Although it is not the rightweather to be sitting in thegarden, we can still enjoy itfrom the warmth of ourhomes, as Ed Fuller fromFullers Forestry andLandscaping explains. To alleviate waterlogging you cancarry out pricking, slitting or spiking.Pricking or slitting is where you createshallow (2-3cm) holes and then fill themwith free-draining materials. Spiking iswhere you create deeper holds (10-15cm) with a tool designed to do this.This will allow the water to flow fromthe surface to deeper less compactedlayers. Pricking or slitting are bestcarried out once the excess water hasdrained away however spiking with atool or garden fork is best in areaswhere standing water persists. If yourlawn is prone to waterlogging, spike itevery few years in the autumn toprevent emergency action after wetwinters. Furthermore, if you consider itis necessary, as waterlogging is apersistent problem, then you can lookat drainage systems. Once you have tackled the outdoorsthen make sure that you look after yourChristmas tree. The traditional tree of© Shutterstock / greensphgeraWinterWonderland26-27.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2018 09:36 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY27choice is the Norway spruce however a pine (Pinus) or fir(Abies) tree will hold their needles for longer. When youget it home do not take it straight inside. Leave it outside,in a cool dry place such as a porch or shed, away fromwind and in a bucket of water. Make sure it is out of viewas it is just the sort of thing to be stolen at this time ofyear. Avoid placing your tree near sources of heat such as afire or radiator. Cut trees will also last longer if they arestood in a bucket of water or a stand with a reservoir. Ifyou saw off the bottom 5-7cm (2-3inches) of the trunk andallow the tree to drink freely it will last longer, and notdrop its needles as quick. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas day andeveryone at Fullers would like to wish you a HappyChristmas and Prosperous New Year. 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.comAround thegarden• Keep checking that your greenhouse heaters are working and your winter protection structures are still securely in place. You can place cloches over tender plants to give them extra protection from frost• Make sure your pond does not freeze• Prune apple and pear trees• Your leeks, parsnips, winter cabbages and sprouts should be ready for harvesting. However, make surethey are stored away from mice • You can work off Christmas excesses by digging over bare areas of ground• You may need to do one last collection of autumn leaves • Keep your paths clean and remove moss and lichen• Treat timber sheds and fences with preservatives• Wrap insulation around garden taps• Prune tall bush roses, ornamental vines, deciduous hedges, trees and shrubs© Shutterstock /FamVelld© Shutterstock /Greta Nurk26-27.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2018 09:36 Page 2This exclusive Sports Dinner was organised by the owner of Hemswell Court and the Vice Chair of InvestGainsborough and hosted by Pygott and Crone whose very own Tim Downing was on hand to greet guests andmingle. Guests were treated to a fantastic evening with stars from the world of rugby and Para Olympic sports,whilst raising money for Invest Gainsborough and Switch the Play. Invest Gainsborough is a public/privatepartnership set up to promote and encourage business to grow and prosper in Gainsborough and the moneyraised will help to support local business grow as well promoting the town to a wider audience.Invest GainsboroughSports Dinner atHemswell CourtFirst left, Diane Krochmal,with Eve Fawcett and TimDowning on rightCALLING ALL EVENT ORGANISERS28 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYSOCIAL SCENEIf you are holding an event and would like one of our photographers to comealong please contact Michael Fisher at m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk28-29.qxp_Layout 1 12/11/2018 16:47 Page 1(L-R) Michael Umaga, Simon Shaw,Tim Downing, Lee Jackson,Emma Wiggs, William, Leon Lloyd,Dan LeoLINCOLNSHIRETODAY29SOCIAL SCENEWe have facilities to suit for your every need!For large events we have a choice of function rooms, which can accommodate up to 200 people, with acomprehensive programme to satisfy everyone’s needs. However, small gatherings may prefer the luxury ofour private reception and dining facilities. Hemswell Court offers level ground floor access with additionalfacilities for the disabled. Car parking is available for up to 150 cars.lFree WiFi l5*AA Accommodation lMembers of Select Lincolnshire HEMSWELL COURTHemswell Court Limited, Lancaster Green, Hemswell Cliff, Lincolnshire DN21 5TQTel:01427 668508 Email: functions@hemswellcourt.com Web:www.hemswellcourt.com28-29.qxp_Layout 1 12/11/2018 16:48 Page 2Next >