Buds – first signs of spring
This week I show that the garden never sleeps - buds are already developing to start the party next spring.
A new vine and frosty alpines
Photos in print This week the charity I volunteer for showed me some cards which they have had printed, using two of my photographs. Rennie Grove Hospice Care operates in parts of Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire and cared for my father, providing the nursing he needed to live at home until [...]
Closing up for winter but planting up for spring
Overwintering Bananas One plant that flaunts its summer clothes but survives the winter chill in just a lightweight jacket is Musa Basjoo - otherwise known as the Hardy Banana. It is hardy in the UK in the sense that the cold won't kill it and if it dies back it will [...]
Autumn takes hold
Autumn frosts have blackened my dahlias and brought out the fiery colours in my acer and Iris seedheads. I've been keeping warm in the greenhouse, reading an incredible book about gardening in war zones, and joining the committee of my Horticultral Society.
War Gardens
"I used to feel as calm in the garden as if I was knitting socks by the fire - it always made me happy" These words, spoken to author Lalage Snow, sum up the peace and fulfillment that can be derived from plants. It is a sentiment well understood by gardeners. Yet this, and every interviewee featured in her book 'War Gardens' tells a story of gardening in conflict's dark shadow.
Accidents, laziness and sweet potatoes
Edelweiss accident A few weeks ago I experimented with sowing seed from my Edelweiss flowers. I followed advice from members of the Alpine Garden Society, which I have joined. I was excited to see some germination in the pot and whilst it's possible that the tiny green seedlings could have [...]
Chrysanthemums, Toad Lilies and a new tree
Chrysanthemum 'Avignon Pink' I meet many people who turn their noses up at Chrysanthemums. Undoubtedly, the gaudier selections at supermarkets and petrol stations are not the best advertisement for these flowers. If you grow them yourself, however, you can find some amazing varieties for autumnal flower arrangements. Very soon, my [...]
Shrub ID quiz and some late flowering beauties
The garden is showing so much colour at the moment - showcased beautifully in the glorious sunshine this week and clinging on for dear life in the high winds. This week I share some pretty flowers, am proud mum to baby Echeveria and set a mystery shrub identification challenge.
Roses, quince and a big bulb pot-up
It's been another glorious week for gardening with warm bright days. If it wasn't for the darker evenings and tell-tale reddening of the leaves I could believe it was early summer. Some of the stalwarts of June are still flowering magnificently, such as my roses. The dahlias, asters and sedum [...]