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# The Tea Break Gardener

Beautiful plants from a passionate but laid back gardener

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## Posts

- [The Cold Comes Calling](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/the-cold-comes-calling/) - Complacency has caught me out and the cold has come to bite me. I can hear Jack Frost cackling in the trees. The Chiltern Hills are elevated enough to mean that snow has remained powdery and soft; the temperatures resting below zero all week with not a breath of wind to disturb the flakes. This
- [Looking forward, looking back](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/looking-forward-looking-back/) - This week I'm sharing an old photo of my garden and some new areas cleared for planting. I'm also thinking about snowdrops and repotting a Monstera. Woodland Walk This area has probably become my favourite part of the garden which is a surprise to me as it was created under familial duress from an unpromising
- [November Survivors](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/november-survivors/) - There's still plenty of interest in the garden if you look hard enough - here are the things that caught my eye this week. Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' This is a really lovely Acer with purply leaves in spring and summer - glowing up in autumn to bright crimson. It's in a fairly sheltered spot but
- [The Prodigal Gardener](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/the-prodigal-gardener/) - I'm returning to my blog after a year's hiatus as I've been studying for a Masters degree in Garden and Landscape History. The garden has been a bit neglected too so I feel very much like a prodigal gardener. It's been an extended tea break. Back to my gardening I return and hopefully back to
- [Ferns, auriculas and a trip to Hampton Court](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/ferns-auriculas-and-a-trip-to-hampton-court/) - Welcome to my garden blog, where this week I'm sharing pictures of ferns and repotted auriculas and a trip to the gardens at Hampton Court. I'm a student again My posts have been a bit infrequent recently and the reason is that I have started studying for a Masters Degree in garden history. There's
- [Exotics, auriculas and snowdrops](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/exotics-auriculas-and-snowdrops/) - Whilst it feels like the garden is slowly climbing the stairs and putting itself to bed, there are still some plants having a party in the living room. Here are a few plants really showing off and others needing some preparation for next spring. Apologies for the photography - I've leant my good camera to
- [Autumn in the garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/autumn-in-the-garden/) - Autumn is here, I think we can say that now. Conkers are crashing to the pavement, we awake to chilly mornings and rain keeps arriving in pulsing waves, interrupted by warm sunny spells. It's a confusing time of year when I lament the season passed yet can revel in those plants that still have something
- [September smiles - late summer crops](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/september-smiles-late-summer-crops/) - It's been a while since my last post. I've enjoyed a lovely summer catching up with family and friends and having lots of fun. The garden is a friend that I have sadly neglected and I've been filled with guilt on returning from trips away. Weeds have been partying hard and the wisteria is overdue
- [Dianthus - dainty plants for borders, rockeries and pots](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/dianthus-dainty-plants-for-borders-rockeries-and-pots/) - Dianthus or Garden Pinks are a fairly new addition to my garden but I add more each year. Here are my favourites for rockery, containers and borders.
- [My first garden open day](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-first-garden-open-day/) - Find out which plants were popular at my first ever garden open day - from ferns in the woodland garden to mounds of colour in the rockery.
- [Plants with a hint of the exotic](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/plants-with-a-hint-of-the-exotic/) - Weeks of dull weather have been blasted away by strong solar rays. I can't resist sharing the vacation vibe with you all by paying a visit to the tropical beds. Many of these plants are hardy or need minimum protection so I use the term 'tropical' here to describe an impression of an exotic planting
- [Solace in self isolation - my plants for company](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/solace-in-self-isolation/) - More frequent visits to covid corner came back into play this week as the family were forced to isolate as close contacts of a positive case. School days lost, work days compromised and lost, a school trip cancelled and a twice cancelled driving test, cancelled again. We're all negative too and three of us twice-jabbed.
- [The greenhouse in summer](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/the-greenhouse-in-summer/) - A good greenhouse is never empty - here are some of the plants enjoying summer under glass.
- [June flowering rockery plants](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/june-flowering-rockery-plants/) - The rockery really comes to life in June with billowing mounds of pretty flowers. including Erinus alpinus and helianthemum.
- [Relax and enjoy the slow motion spring](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/slow-motion-spring/) - There aren't many advantages to the weather the UK is currently experiencing. We can only relax, head out with a brolly, and enjoy the flowers. Those un-battered by wind are preserved longer in cooler temperatures and are lasting so much longer than they would usually. That's a bonus in my book. Cold Variety Angel's Trumpet
- [Woodland planting combinations](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/woodland-planting-combinations/) - Shade loving perennials are woven through oodles of wild garlic in the woodland garden producing some delightful frothy combinations
- [What's looking good in a cold early May?](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/whats-looking-good-in-a-cold-early-may/) - We'll be visiting the four corner of my garden this week to see how things have survived winter and how others are lighting up spring. Tetrapanax corner The paper rice plants that I planted in this wall corner are bursting with healthy green leaves. I decided to cover these with fleece when the temperatures plummeted
- [Alpine stars of spring](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/alpine-stars-of-spring/) - There's an alpine to look good in any season but here are some lovely ones designed to light the touch paper of spring.
- [Spring flowering shrubs](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/spring-flowering-shrubs/) - Spring flowering shrubs are the perfect way to add scent and interest to a garden each spring and provide year round background too.
- [Spring plants in woodland garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/spring-plants-in-woodland-garden/) - A woodland setting can provide the perfect backdrop for star plants of spring -narcissi, primula, trilliums and sanguinaria.
- [Jack Frost's menace and garden survivors](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/jack-frosts-menace-and-garden-survivors/) - I've no doubt many of us are feeling the loss of precious buds this week as temperatures dipped unseasonably below freezing. It's that funny time of year that keeps us gardeners on our toes, but how dull would it be if our climate were ploddingly predictable? The British climate can seem cruel at times but
- [A bonanza of spring bulbs](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/a-bonanza-of-spring-bulbs/) - Spring bulbs are like little energy grenades waiting until the pin is pulled for a petal explosion. Each year I'm thankful for my autumn plantings.
- [Rock Garden and Spring Bulbs](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/rock-garden-and-spring-bulbs/) - My rock garden is a year old and looks better and better as the weeks go by. Spring bulbs are adding pops of colour right now.
- [Peony, tulips, anemones and seedlings](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/peony-tulips-anemones-and-seedlings/) - Some years you can feel spring in the air but with few sunny days and the lingering reach of a cold winter, this year I'm forced to look harder for signs of spring. Plenty is happening in the garden... Paeonia daurica subsp. mlokosewitschii - Peony 'Molly the Witch' The nickname 'Molly the Witch' is a
- [Growing sweet peas as cut flowers? - give them a suitable support](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/growing-sweet-peas-string-cordon/) - If you want to grow sweet peas in your allotment or cut flower patch, training them straight upwards is preferable to a triangular obelisk. You'll get straighter stems and better quality flowers for display. Here I show how to build an easy string cordon on a cane frame.
- [A new alpine trough for Saxifrages](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/a-new-alpine-trough-for-saxifrages/) - Planting an alpine trough for saxifrages
- [Small but perfectly formed - spring flowers](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/small-but-perfectly-formed-spring-flowers/) - One of my father's favourite phrases - small but perfectly formed. Here's a reminder good things come in small packages.
- [Crocus Pocus - spring magic in the garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/crocus-pocus-spring-magic-in-the-garden/) - They're up early, enjoying the sunshine and showing their pretty colours and markings - the spring crocuses have cast a spell on me.
- [Pretty plants and pesky pests](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/pretty-plants-and-pesky-pests/) - Gardening highs and lows - some pretty spring flowers and some mouse-eaten crocuses. This week's blog also stars an edible dormouse.
- [Freeze frame - The greenhouse in winter](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/freeze-frame-the-greenhouse-in-winter/) - Freezing temps have frozen progress in the garden but a few bulbs in the greenhouse are showing off including handsome crocus Ronald Ginns.
- [The garden is ticking over](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/the-garden-is-ticking-over/) - The garden is slowly cranking into action. I can hear the starter motor begin to whirr. Here are 6 things sparking my tired brain this week.
- [A snowdrop special - 6 pretty Galanthus varieties](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/a-snowdrop-special-6-pretty-galanthus-varieties/) - Meet six special snowdrops. Introducing Galanthus Trymming, Yashmak, Anglesey Orange Tip, Godfrey Owen, Diggory & Primrose Warburg.
- [Where to buy collector's snowdrops - rare and unusual](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/where-to-buy-snowdrops-rare-and-unusual/) - Confused about where to buy snowdrops? Do you want to buy rare or unusual snowdrops but are wondering how to go about this? I'm new to collecting and this article explains what I've learned about buying special and unusual snowdrops.
- [How to grow snowdrops](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/how-to-grow-snowdrops/) - Snowdrops make the long winter months bearable. Planted in huge drifts of white or even in pots snowdrops provide a flurry of pure joy. This article provides inspiration on how to grow them in the garden and how to look after them in pots.
- [January gems](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/january-gems/) - A graceful snowdrop called 'Ailwyn', shiny yellow greenhouse lemons and a first hellebore - the January garden is revving up with plenty to offer.
- [How to plant Wood Anemones](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/how-to-plant-wood-anemones/) - Wood Anemones light up the floor of deciduous woodlands in March and April with starry constellations of pure white or pink tinged blooms. The flowers are lifted above a shaggy carpet of lush green leaves, an emerald sky to the white star flowers. This is not a flower I was familiar with in childhood and
- [The self isolators' guide to gardening with children - sowing seeds](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/the-self-isolators-guide-to-gardening-with-children-sowing-seeds/) - Whilst self-isolating to prevent the spread of Covid-19 many people are asking me for gardening activities for children. If there's one silver-lining to the crisis, it's that the weather has been kind to gardeners in the UK and if you are lucky to have access to a garden or balcony, it's a comfort to be
- [How to grow from seed - a beginner's guide](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/beginners-guide-to-sowing-seeds/) - Are you a beginner gardener wondering how to grow from seed? This guide shows how to read the seed packet and how to get sowing with minimum fuss.
- [An optimistic rose - Six on Saturday](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/an-optimistic-rose/) - Despite the cold and gloom I've managed to weave a few gardening activities into the loom of my life. Better days will return and an optimistic rose is showing the way.
- [New Year Garden Dreaming - Six on Saturday](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/new-year-garden-dreaming/) - Reading a plant catalogue is like the bit in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy is transported from black and white Kansas to technicolour Oz. I unwrap the catalogues and the colour floods in. My imagination sparks and I'm out in the garden planning for next year.
- [The garden at Christmas](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/the-garden-at-christmas/) - A snowdrop called Three Ships, a Christmas Rose and a witch hazel with a fire-light glow in the woodland - the garden is still giving at Christmas time.
- [High impact houseplants](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/high-impact-houseplants/) - My favourite houseplants for high impact - trailing from shelves or with huge shiny leaves, or with colourful flowers and patterned leaves.
- [Show Time! - a beginners guide to showing fruit, veg and flowers](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/show-time-a-beginners-guide-to-showing-fruit-veg-and-flowers/) - Who doesn’t love a traditional village show? As the holiday season approaches organisers air the beer tent, hammer signs into the village green and untangle the bunting. But what sort of person enters these competitions and what experiences await first timers? If you're a gardener or allotment holder you may be shy to get involved in showing or question why you even would. Here I share my story as a first time entrant and some special tips for exhibiting from a local judge.
- [Planting new shrubs in winter](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/planting-new-shrubs-in-winter/) - Autumn and winter are perfect times to plant or move dormant shrubs. They look unpromising for now but come summer, I'll be glad I made the effort.
- [How to make a Christmas wreath using foraged plants](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/how-to-make-a-christmas-wreath-using-foraged-plants/) - This year, in old-fashioned tradition, I set out to make a Christmas wreath using only greenery from the garden. With a frugality that Scrooge would be proud of, this Victorian approach is also thoroughly modern. The wreath is fully compostable and plastic free.
- [Frost, sparkle and shine](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/frost-sparkle-and-shine/) - A heavy frost on Friday morning has shown the garden off in sparkle and shine. This week I admire some iced plants and protect my bananas in the nick of time.
- [Salvia, pond plants and a cuddly cotoneaster](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/salvia-pond-plants-and-a-cuddly-cotoneaster/) - A neon purple Salvia, a plucky pond plant and a cuddly cotoneaster are showing off this week. I'm also featuring a very early narcissus and a cornus ablaze with late red and orange.
- [Garden tinkering - Six on Saturday](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/garden-tinkering/) - I've been letting loose with secateurs this week, buying conifers and dreaming of loganberry jam.
- [Hunkering down for winter - Six on Saturday](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/hunkering-down-for-winter-six-on-saturday/) - Garden tasks don't stop winter approaches. This week I protect alpines, consider how to protect bananas and prepare for tulip planting.
- [Winter under glass - Six on Saturday](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/winter-under-glass-six-on-saturday/) - Inclement weather approaches but here are some lucky plants getting ready to spend the winter under glass.
- [How to create a wildflower meadow in your garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/create-a-wildflower-meadow/) - Using a "low mow" technique I have created a wildflower meadow full of wildflowers including a first precious orchid. A month by month guide shows how. I also describe the use of annual seed mixes and also the beauty of wildflower meadows in nature.
- [More autumn treasures](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/more-autumn-treasures/) - This week I'm featuring two autumn-flowering rock garden plants, a fabulous Crimson Glory Vine and a dahlia so bright you'll need shades.
- [Autumn garden still with plenty to give](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/autumn-garden-still-with-plenty-to-give/) - Shorter days and chiller nights have set in but there are still flowers to be found in my garden and buds forming on some that'll flower over winter.
- [Bulbs, books and a big big Brug - Six on Saturday](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/bulbs-books-and-a-big-big-brug/) - This week I've been planting miniature bulbs in pots and rockery, sorting books and deciding the future of a big Brugmansia.
- [A Visit to Chenies Manor Garden - bursting with late summer colour](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/chenies-manor-garden/) - Chenies Manor Garden - crammed with late summer colour, dahlias, sculpture and personality.
- [Six superb Greenhouse Plants](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/six-superb-greenhouse-plants/) - This week I'm featuring six greenhouse plants after a thorough greenhouse rearrangement. Few garden tasks are more pleasurable than having a good old greenhouse tidy-up. Firstly, you're under cover if the weather is a bit cool or breezy. Secondly, you have fun making new displays, showcasing the greenhouse plants that are showing off at any
- [Garden Superspreaders - stars of the rock garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/garden-superspreaders-stars-of-the-rock-garden/) - The garden is a great diversion from world events and this week the only super spreaders on my mind are in the rock garden. Alpines with a spreading habit have been slowly colonising stone nooks and crannies in the new rock garden.
- [Persephone is heading to Hades - 6 plants from the Greek myths](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/plants-from-the-greek-myths/) - Many plants have connections to ancient greek gods and goddesses. Here are 6 plants looking great in my garden with links to the greek myths.
- [Freezing cold](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/week-cold-six-saturday/) - A week in the cold - Six on saturday. This week I have been admiring Cyclamen cuom, hellebores, flowering quince and the new leaf on my Monstera deliciosa, whilst tracking animals in the snow and planting my show bench sweet peas (again).
- [Inspiration from Kew](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/six-saturday-gardening-week-inspiration-kew/) - This week I have visited Kew gardens, which has shaped my thoughts since and made me dream big for my new greenhouse.
- [Wild cherries and spring flowering shrubs](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/gardening-week-six-saturday/) - My gardening week - six on saturday - 17.03.18 This week I admired wild cherries, a beautiful paperbush plant and my evergreen ferns. I also planted out spent forced bulbs, spotted a ladybird and was pleased to see plastics reduction in action.
- [Glory lilies and veg patch planning](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-31-03-18/) - My gardening week - six on saturday - 31.03.18 This week I planted up a Gloriosa lily, took difficult decisions regarding my veg patch and delighted in a new Elephant's Ear shoot. I also admired the succulent roof on a bird table, planted some mini iris seeds and celebrated victory over fungus gnats.
- [Early spring colour](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-07-03-18/) - My gardening week - six on saturday - 07.04.18 This week I was thankful for forsythia, showing daffodils, admiring Camellia and Pleione, making homes for more alpines and bringing an old cold frame into service.
- [Welcoming some spring sunshine](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-14-04-18/) - This week I have been gardening in perma-cloud but plenty of summer colour is promised in my dahlias, cannas, bananas and roses. Daphne mezereum is scenting the air and I welcomed some Trilliums into the garden.
- [Warming up for spring](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-21-04-18/) - This week has seen the entry of warp speed Spring as the weather warms up to above seasonal averages. I have been admiring Pieris and tulips, shopping for the shade and planting sweet peas.
- [Trilliums and tulips](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-28-04-18/) - My Six on Saturday is briefer than usual as various domestic crises (broken washing machine leaking all over the floor) and children's activities (sport, sport and more sport) have given me only a short window to write this. I'm bursting with news though and a few great pictures that I'm keen to share. New greenhouse
- [Berberis, bluebells & wild garlic](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-05-05-18/) - The burning bush This Berberis has been on fire all this week and was emitting a smouldering glow to light up the dreary days before the sun came out again. Judging by it's size It's obviously a fairly old specimen and I think it must be Berberis darwinni. Orange is fairly unusual in the garden
- [Greenhouse plant research, alliums and rhododendrons](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-26-05-18/) - This is my first post in a couple of weeks as I have been away. I have allot to do in the garden but so much to share. I hope you enjoy my Six. Greenhouse research This week I finally moved into my stunning new greenhouse. It is spacious and luxurious and the potential of
- [Early June delights](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-02-06-18/) - This week I have been propagating Prickly Pears, indentifying an unknown Iris and admiring roses, clematis, saxifrages and cirsium.
- [Rarer plants and roses](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-16-06-18/) - This week has seen quintessential June weather - the sunny days I remember from childhood but which have seemed lacking in recent years. The garden is filled with roses and peonies but for some reason I have mostly chosen a series of other plants to talk about, including a couple of unusual ones - although
- [Summer solstice sun worshippers](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-23-06-18/) - This week has seen the summer solstice and the year's longest day in the Northern Hemisphere. It's been a beautifully sunny week and I've been admiring plants best described as sun-worshippers, including alpines, sweet peas and roses. I've also been taking the opportunity to position my armillary sphere accurately. Positioning my armillary sphere I bought
- [Plants that love the heat](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-30-06-18/) - To quote the brilliant TV comedy The Fast Show, this week has been "Scorchio" and the temperature in my greenhouse has been in the thirties. Despite this, the lure of my new greenhouse is unshakeable. This week I'm focussing my six on ornamental plants in the greenhouse. Some I've grown from seed but others have
- [RHS Hampton Court Flower Show](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-07-07-18/) - The sun is relentless and moisture absent except on my brow. It is officially too hot to do anything strenuous in the garden. I wilt in strong sunshine and yet I bravely faced the melee of the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show on Thursday to get some inspiration and do a bit of plant shopping.
- [A Wisteria revival and summer container flowers](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-14-08-18/) - My gardening week has seen much watering but also lots of joy at the beautiful flowers in my garden pots, borders and greenhouse. I'm sharing a picture of my sweet potato vine and relieved that my Wisteria survived our building works. I've also taken pictures of 'Love in a Puff' and 'Love in a Mist'.
- [Summer heat](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-21-07-18/) - This week I've been weather watching as I gear up for my local Flower Show and have been monitoring the temperature fluctuations in my greenhouse. I've been missing my usual range of home grown vegetables but delighting in how advanced the dahlias are. Greenhouse temperature monitoring I'm not one for systems. My enthusiasm for organisation
- [The village show](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-28-07-18/) - Last night we finally had some rain and just stepping out into the garden this morning made me feel happy as the air felt fresh. A keen breeze was blowing the trees, a cool one, in stark contrast to the "hairdryer on low setting" breeze we've had for over a week. I'll be interested to
- [Kew Garden's glasshouses](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-04-08-18/) - This week I visited Kew Gardens, where I saw many of the plants I'm collecting in my greenhouse, growing in the majestic splendour of the the newly restored Temperate House as well as the Palm and Waterlily Houses. So my Six on Saturday is a tale of two greenhouse collections - mine and those at
- [What the garden was doing whilst I was on holiday](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-08-09-18/) - Having a lovely cup of tea in my favourite mug whilst walking the garden is the best thing about returning from holiday. For some reason though I am always slightly nervous about what I will find in the garden. It's only when you go away for a bit, even a few days, that you realise
- [Delightful dahlias in full bloom](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-15-09-18/) - It's Dahlia a-go-go in my garden at the moment and these blowsy beauties are providing sought after late summer colour. I've not featured six of one type of plant in previous Six on Saturdays, but with my garden overflowing with dahlias, this is the week. I'm growing almost twenty types this year, some new tuburs
- [A visit to Barnsdale Gardens](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-22-09-18/) - This week I drove a family member to an appointment in Rutland and was delighted as it gave me the opportunity to spend a day at Barnsdale Garden. You could call it a horticultural pilgrimage as I was a big fan of Geoff Hamilton's Gardeners World in the late eighties and early nineties. The garden contains
- [Harvesting squash and potting up alpine seedlings](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-29-09-18/) - This week we had frost in the Chilterns. The days have been balmy and sunny but the clear nights, which revealed the big harvest moon, brought temperatures right down. The frost was only visible on my car windscreen and insufficient to blacken my dahlias which continue to bloom away. The warning of cold to come
- [Roses, quince and a big bulb pot-up](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-05-10-18/) - 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 tell a different seasonal story.
- [Shrub ID quiz and some late flowering beauties](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-13-10-18/) - 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.
- [Chrysanthemums, Toad Lilies and a new tree](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-20-10-18/) - 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 dahlias will collapse under a
- [Accidents, laziness and sweet potatoes](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-27-10-18/) - 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 been weeds, I was hopeful
- [Autumn takes hold](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-03-11-18/) - 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.
- [Closing up for winter but planting up for spring](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-17-11-18/) - 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 regrow from its roots. But
- [A new vine and frosty alpines](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-24-11-18/) - 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 he died. The team at
- [Buds - first signs of spring](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-8-12-18/) - This week I show that the garden never sleeps - buds are already developing to start the party next spring.
- [New beginnings, resurrections and rescues](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-05-01-19/) - You can tell I I've been putting off household admin as the title of this blog is the first time I've written 2019 this year. Shall I pay the bills or shall I write my first Six on Saturday of the year? No contest. My six are a mix of new beginnings, resurrections and rescues
- [Winter colour - Hellebores, cyclamen and mahonia](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-12-01-19/) - The garden continues to wake up around me. I took a little walkabout to decide what to write about this week and was thrilled to see bulbs peeking out of the soil and swelling buds on shrubs. I was surprised to find it was difficult to choose my six pictures for today. Hellebores Hellebores are
- [Snowdrops, ladybirds and dahlias](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-18-01-19/) - Snow This week we had snow - a dramatic heavy flurry during the school run which got my son excited about cancelled lessons and toboganning, but which was over by the time we arrived at the school gates. It's been so cold since then that what did fall is still on the ground and the
- [Petals in the snow](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-26-01-19/) - Snow returned to the Chiltern Hills and unlike last week it was heavy and caused chaos. Not much gardening happened so my words will be brief - but the next day there were blue skies and sunshine. Donning my waterproof trousers, wellies and waterproof jacket, I got cold and wet lying on the ground to
- [Stunning snowdrops up close](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-09-02-19/) - Are you bemused by people who collect snowdrops? Want an insight into why they have become collectable? My six pictures this Saturday are stunning snowdrops that you might not be familiar with but which will give you an insight into why some people are obsessed with them. They are not all little white flowers -
- [Beautiful flowers in early spring](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-16-02-19/) - Bulb guard of honour I potted up lots of spring bulbs last autumn and was originally going to arrange them on an outdoor table but instead I've made a little arrangement either side of the path to my greenhouse. The crocuses are filling out but they're not yet at peak display. What is looking stunning
- [Birthdays, bulbs and beautiful shrubs](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-02-03-19/) - I've been sharing my gardening week with the world through the Six on Saturday link up of gardeners for exactly a year now. This week I've been buying shrubs, delighting in Iris reticulata and remembering those who pass on their love of gardening to others.
- [Seedling special](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-09-03-19/) - It's a seedling special this week as I run through some of the perky green shoots that are springing up in their seed trays. I've got many many more to sow but even with a spacious new greenhouse it's a good idea to pace myself to save being overwhelmed. I organise my seeds in a
- [Greenhouse growing](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-16-03-19/) - It's been a wet and blustery week so I've found myself sheltering in the greenhouse most days. My Six pictures this Saturday are mostly greenhouse plants. There's a bit waffle about wattle, along with a bit of myrtle. I'll also be sharing Streptocarpus plug plants, Echiums and Jacranda mimosifolia.
- [Yellow flowers for spring](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-23-03-19/) - Spring is all about yellow for me. It is the main accent colour in all corners of my garden right now. The last three days have seen no sunshine at all where I live. I find the cloud cover oppressive, which is why a revere yellow. On dull days it glows and on sunny days it shines.
- [Growing fruit in the garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-30-03-19/) - It's springtime and I'm feeling fruity. This week I'm taking you on a tour of my garden to find evidence of future fruits, including nectarines, plums, grapes, melons, raspberries and rhubarb.
- [Daffodils on show and an alpine trough refresh](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday-06-04-19/) - I've got so much to talk about this week that it's hard to limit myself to six things. Much is growing well and my mind is fizzing with new ideas of things to change in the garden. My father had an amusing little phrase to deploy when we expected too much of him - he
- [Great garden tulips](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/great-garden-tulips-six-on-saturday-27-04-19/) - Great tulips to grow in garden borders - all of which are upright, colourful and serene.
- [In the meadow](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/in-the-meadow-six-on-saturday-11-05-2019/) - Meadows are great for welcoming wildlife to the garden and the lax mowing regime allows flowers to thrive in grass that wouldn't ordinarily survive. These include orchids and snakes-head fritillaries and more common varieties such as Ox-eye daisies and buttercups. All are welcome in my meadow area.
- [Pelargoniums in pots](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/pelargoniums-in-pots/) - I am growing a number of pelargoniums in pots. They add interest to the bright porch area of my greenhouse , gathered in a little huddle. I will also dot them around the garden during the summer and use them as outside table decorations. Here I share six of my favourite pelargoniums in pots from
- [Tall border plants](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tall-border-plants/) - The garden really revs up in June but it can still take a while for some of the herbaceous perennials to get to full height or flowering stage. Having some tall border plants in the garden really adds depth and interest. Here are some of my favourite tall border plants in the garden this first
- [Greenhouse flowers](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/six-greenhouse-flowers/) - A year ago I was scouring the books to find ideas for greenhouse plants to grow in my dream new glasshouse. Much of the greenhouse is given over to raising plants from seed or cuttings, but as a plant lover I thought it could also be a destination - a mini Kew Gardens - somewhere
- [Midsummer garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/midsummer-garden/) - The sunshine returned yesterday for midsummer day. Well watered from over a week of rainfall the plants (and weeds) look fresh and bursting with vigour and growth. Here are my pick of the best of midsummer plants in my garden, including peonies, sweet peas, roses, tomatoes and a stunning border and container annuals.
- [Garden developments](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/garden-developments-six-on-saturday/) - A visit to a part of my garden known as "The Old Herb Garden" where changes are afoot and some old roses are looking beautiful.
- [Cool blues for the summer garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/cool-blues-for-the-summer-garden/) - Blue flowers provide a cooling impression to a garden border in the summer heat. Here I share some of the best blues from my garden in July.
- [Exotics in the garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/exotics-in-the-garden/) - Sound the trumpet - my Angel's Trumpet plant (Brugmansia) is flowering. Cause for celebration and a good excuse to share other exotic plants for Six on Saturday.
- [Planting in the shade](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/planting-in-the-shade-six-on-saturday/) - I've been making progress on this neglected area to create a new woodland garden. Here I describe how I've prepped the area and started to plant plants that will tolerate the shady woodland area.
- [Pond update and shady characters](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/pond-update-and-shady-characters-six-on-saturday/) - It's autumn and friends are asking me what I am doing in the garden - am I putting it to bed for the winter? If my garden is a theatre show then far from closing the curtain and packing the props away, autumn is all about rebuilding the stage and casting the actors for next
- [Busy week in the garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/busy-week-in-the-garden-six-on-saturday/) - A busy week in the garden has seen the pond finished, a froggy staircase built, more parts of the woodland cleared, a mini stumpery started and some bonsai training.
- [Ferns for woodland gardens](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/ferns-for-woodland-gardens/) - This week I bought some ferns for my woodland garden. Evergreen or deciduous, frilly or flat leaved, acid green or moss-coloured I hadn't realised how diverse they are. Some named after feathers and other lace, here are my favourite six.
- [A stage for rock stars](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/a-stage-for-rock-stars-six-on-saturday/) - This week I set about building a rockery - set to be the stage for some rock star alpines. I also plant some new woodland plants and collect seeds from a magnolia.
- [Autumn bites](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/autumn-bites-six-on-saturday/) - Dull days need brightening with autumn colour and as we tip slowly towards winter, there are still plenty of flowers showing us their autumn best.
- [Greenhouse gems](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/greenhouse-gems/) - This week I take a visit to the greenhouse to show some plants that are providing late colour and winter interest - an explosion of Chrysanthemums, a glowing salvia and a sand box of tiny alpine delights.
- [Winter preparations](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/winter-preparations-six-on-saturday/) - As we move into the winter it's harder to find beautiful things in the garden. This week I'm focussing on feeding birds over the winter months, digging up dahlias, ordering seeds and eyeing veg for winter comfort food.
- [Winter flowering shrubs](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/winter-flowering-shrubs-six-on-saturday/) - Providing colour, scent and funky flowers in the dark days of January, winter flowering shrubs all offer something entertaining to the winter garden. Here are my top 6.
- [Winter gardening - snowdrops, pineapples and dates](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/winter-gardening-snowdrops-pineapples-and-dates-six-on-saturday/) - Winter is all about preparation for summer whilst enjoying what beauty the garden has to offer in the cold months. This weeks I'm planting pineapples and dates and enjoying snowdrops.
- [A mixed trug of garden and greenhouse plants](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/a-mixed-trug-of-garden-and-greenhouse-plants-six-on-saturday/) - Air plants I have a selection of air plants and bromeliads in the heated section of my greenhouse. It isn't heated to tropical temperatures but is sufficient to keep my less hardy plants ticking over. A couple of years ago I really enjoyed a display of air plants by a nursery called Every Picture Tells
- [Beautiful bulbs and seed sowing](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/beautiful-bulbs-and-seed-sowing-six-on-saturday/) - Gloomy day or sunny, spring bulb flowers remind us that the long days of winter are drawing to an end. Iris and crocus are looking fabulous now.
- [Little winter gems](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/little-winter-gems-six-on-saturday/) - Little gems - Winter flowers are small but cheerful. As Storm Dennis approaches, here are some tiny delights to gladden the heart.
- [Garden pests and storms](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/garden-pests-and-storms-six-on-saturday/) - As yet another storm hits the UK I'm battling the weather but also garden pests - mice and deer. At least a hepatica has flowered to cheer me up...
- [Some much needed colour](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/some-much-needed-colour-six-on-saturday/) - Some days this week have felt so long and dreary but a visit to an Alpine Garden Society Show reminded me that colour is out there...
- [Yellow coronas](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/yellow-coronas-six-on-saturday/) - Today I'm reclaiming the word corona for its botantical use. Unusual shaped daffodil coronas and the pretty shrub Coronilla feature in these six yellow beauties.
- [Spring planting](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/spring-planting-six-on-saturday/) - This week I've been gardening for solace, spring planting in the rockery but also for food - revving up the veg patch.
- [Rockery reveal](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/rockery-reveal-six-on-saturday/) - Two years in the making my rockery is finished - here I share a before and after and highlight a few of the rock star plants that will light up the stage.
- [Gardening in lockdown](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/gardening-in-lockdown-sixonsaturday/) - Lockdown means a bit more time on my hands to garden but sometimes my gardening mojo is missing. Here are some of the plants that have motivated me to get outside this week.
- [Loving the sunshine](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/loving-the-sunshine-six-on-saturday/) - So much for April shower - his week felt like midsummer and my photos have a sunny glare. Tulips, auricula, and blossoms feature.
- [The Garden Refreshed](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/the-garden-refreshed/) - Harsh April sunshine has given way to classic spring weather and the garden feels refreshed.
- [Alpines flowers up close](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/alpines-flowers-up-close-six-on-saturday/) - We don't need to socially distance from our plants. The details of Alpine flowers are often surprising up close. Come closer and take a look.
- [Plants for remembering](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/plants-for-remembering-six-on-saturday/) - Six pretty plants that have reminded me of friends past and present this week plus a family member's "Covid tree".
- [The garden starts to motor](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/the-garden-starts-to-motor-six-on-saturday/) - I almost didn't post this week as I was in a bit of a funk yesterday. I took myself off to the garden though, saw what was blooming in there and I was instantly inspired to share with you all. May is a fabulous month when the plants really start to motor. Epiphyllum crenatum I've
- [Stars of the Rock Garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/stars-of-the-rock-garden-six-on-saturday/) - The rock garden is really starting to fill out and there are more stars vying for attention than a Hollywood award ceremony. These six are top of the bill this week.
- [How to root monstera cuttings](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/how-to-root-monstera-cuttings/) - Taking cuttings from monstera deliciosa (other wise known as Swiss Cheese plants) is a cost effective way of getting plants for free. The best monstera have huge notched leaves and these only come with age. If you've got access to a large leaved plant of a friend or relative, and they're willing to give you
- [The garden ablaze - 6 plants for late summer colour](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/the-garden-ablaze-6-plants-for-late-summer-colour/) - Sunny days and mellow sunshine highlight the flowers of late summer that save the best to last. Here are some of my favourites for late summer colour.
- [Choosing sweet peas for colour, scent and structure](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/which-sweet-pea-seeds-to-grow-for-colour-scent-and-structure/) - Sweet peas come in a bamboozling range of colour, scent, patterning and shape. How do you decide which ones to buy for home, garden or exhibition?
- [Shade loving plants](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/shade-loving-plants-six-on-saturday/) - On hot sunny days it's nice to cool down in the shade. These six shade-loving plants add to the atmosphere of a shady woodland garden.
- [June flowers](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/june-flowers-six-on-saturday/) - It's June and flowers I've been waiting for with anticipation have started flowering in the borders, alpine troughs and pond.
- [A flurry of snowdrops](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/a-flurry-of-snowdrops/) - Snowdrops aren't all the same. I own a 350 page book explaining the differences but here I share 3 species and their cultivars to show how wonderfully different they are.
- [Decorating with dahlias - simple ideas to try at home](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/decorating-with-dahlias-simple-ideas-to-try-at-home/) - Dahlias are beautiful flowers to bring into the home, adding a touch of late summer or autumnal opulence with minimal effort on your part. Here I share four stunning but simple techniques using dahlias and describe how to grow them in any sized garden.
- [Pond plants, passionflowers and pineapple lilies](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/pond-plants-passionflowers-and-pineapple-lilies/) - The plants in this week's diary are linked by the letter P. Pond plants, potatoes, passionflowers, pineapples, and pelargoniums.
- [A mixed trug of fruit and flowers](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/a-mixed-trug-of-fruit-and-flowers-six-on-saturday/) - It's July and there are raspberries to be picked, bunches of sweet peas and flowers in greenhouse, pond and meadow.
- [Tropical treats](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tropical-treats-six-on-saturday/) - Exotic planting schemes bring a holiday vibe to the UK garden. Here I share a new border planted up to show off plants with big personalities and carnival colours.
- [Snowdrop prep and summer colour](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/snowdrop-prep-and-summer-colour/) - The garden in July is full of bright colours but I've also spent time this week prepping my snowdrops for white winter joy.
- [How to water a garden without a hosepipe](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/how-to-water-a-garden-without-a-hosepipe/) - Do you know how best to water a garden. Ditching the hosepipe can save water, save time and still give you healthy plants so you needn't fear a hosepipe ban.
- [Wild orchids at the Aston Clinton Ragpits](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/wild-orchids-at-the-aston-clinton-ragpits/) - Wild orchids thrive in a chalk soil nature reservce called the Ragpits at Aston Clinton. I visited this week to see four types of orchid and huge Roman snails.
- [How to plant up an alpine trough](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/planting-an-alpine-trough/) - This article gives step by step instructions on how to plant alpines in a trough or container and suggested easy to grow alpines to try. Alpine troughs are perfect containers to let your garden design skills run riot, but in a small space. Alpines are small, pretty and above all diverse. If you like designing
- [How to build a rock garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/how-to-build-a-rock-garden/) - A rock garden was something I really wanted in my garden. Achieving a good design that fits well into your garden can be a challenge, as can the construction. Here I describe how I built my dream rock garden.
- [Growing tomatoes outdoors - varieties to try](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/growing-tomatoes-outdoors-varieties-to-try/) - My grandfather grew tomatoes in the greenhouse. My father grew tomatoes in the greenhouse. So I've grown tomatoes in the greenhouse. Are home-grown tomatoes off the menu if you have no greenhouse?
- [The self-isolators' guide to gardening with children - Easter](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/the-self-isolators-guide-to-gardening-with-children-easter/) - Want some ideas for gardening with your children this weekend? Get outdoors and collect greenery to make some pretty easter decorations using garden flowers or hedgerow finds.
- [Take a peek inside the greenhouse - Six on Saturday](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/peek-inside-the-greenhouse-six-on-saturday/) - When I need cheering up it's to the greenhouse I head. Come with me and see some of the little treasures in flower there in early April.
- [How to prick out seedlings](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/how-to-prick-out-seedlings/) - You've got a seed tray full of perky green seedlings. What next? Step-by-step guide with you tube clip showing how to give them space to grow.
- [How to grow dahlias - a beginner's guide](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/dahlia-debutante-beginners-guide/) - Coming in a variety of colours wider than Jackson Pollock's palette, there is a dahlia out there for everyone. Despite their opulence they are surprisingly easy to grow. This article shows you how to grow dahlias and some of my favourite colour combinations.
- [The self-isolators' guide to quick growing vegetables](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/the-self-isolaters-guide-to-quick-growing-vegetables/) - Stuck indoors and want some quick growing veg to supplement your store cupboard? Buy seeds online and try these ideas. Easy for anyone to grow, even in pots on a balcony, these tasty veg should deliver within weeks.
- [Grow twiggy plants for fizzing winter decoration](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/grow-twiggy-plants/) - Twiggy plants provide interesting shapes for home decoration and make great additions to any garden. Compared to the bountiful spring and summer months my garden offers slimmer pickings for winter home decoration so I’m always looking plants to grow that provide impact when artfully displayed with indoor bulbs or shop-bought flowers. I really value two twiggy plants in particular - Twisted Willow and Hazel. They earn their keep as garden specimens in any sized garden and are versatile as home decoration.
- [Winter garden colour - bright berries](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/winter-garden-colour-bright-berries/) - Six of the best winter berries to brighten the cold garden.
- [Growing Magnolia from seed](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/growing-magnolia-from-seed/) - For the first time this year I have ripe fruits on my magnolia kobus tree. Growing magnolia trees from seed is a long game, and an uncertain one. The tree has gifted me seeds so I'm giving it a go. Here's how I prepared the seeds for planting next spring.
- [Growing alpines from seed](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/growing-alpines-from-seed/) - My latest article for the Alpine Garden Society - the successes and failures of my alpine seed exchange sowing.
- [Showing Autumn Flowers and Fruits](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/showing-autumn-flowers-and-fruits/) - My local horticultural society's Autumn show is always held the week after I return from my family holiday. It forces me to confront my garden, flops and all to see what's worth showing. I went out this week in search of prize winning entries and found the weeds have taken over and flowers have flopped.
- [Troughs for alpines - how to cover a belfast sink](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/troughs-for-alpines-how-to-cover-a-belfast-sink/) - Rock chicks of the mountains, a traditional stone trough gives alpines their perfect show stage. Aged with moss and lichen, stone can be hard to beat aesthetically but they are expensive. You can create an artificial stone trough cheaply by covering an old sink in a cement-based hypertufa mix. Here's how.
- [Yorkshire gardens](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/yorkshire-gardens/) - This week I visited two fabulous gardens in Yorkshire, bringing back ideas for my own garden and some lovely lavender plants. Helmsley Walled Garden and Yorkshire Lavender are a few miles apart, both an assault on the senses but in very different ways.
- [Exotic plants and snowdrops in July](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/exotic-plants-and-snowdrops/) - In this garden round-up I share pictures of some exotic plants, report on progress in building the pond, and plant snowdrop bulbs.
- [Sweet peas in full bloom](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/sweet-peas-in-full-bloom/) - July sees my sweet peas in full bloom. If you're looking to choose some sweet peas to grow - here are my top six varieties from this year. All have long straight stems, good colour and strong scent and look great in the garden as well as in a vase.
- [How to grow Kale - in the garden, pot or balcony.](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/how-grow-kale/) - Kale - the superfood that’s super easy to grow If you like eating kale, you may be interested to know how to grow it yourself. The good news is that it's easy to grow outside in the UK. Kale can be grown in the ground or in a pot, and can be planted directly in
- [Alpine Garden Society Diary - Leonardslee's Pulham Rock Garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/leonardslee-rock-garden/) - Article for Alpine Garden Society on Leonardslee Garden's magical Rock Garden, designed by James Pulham and Sons and made entirely from artificial rock.
- [Pumpkins and squash - for Halloween decoration and delicious eating](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/pumpkins-and-squash-for-halloween-decoration-and-delicious-eating/) - Want to grow squash and pumpkins for winter eating and Halloween decoration? -The one thing I do like about All Hallows Eve is the pumpkins. Grow your own to experiment with the more unusual shaped or coloured types - delicious to eat and lovely for decorating the doorstep and home.
- [Alpine Garden Society Diary - am I incubating galanthophilia?](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/alpine-garden-society-diary-am-i-incubating-galanthophilia/) - Why are snowdrops popular and which snowdrops are rare? Diary for the Alpine Garden Society describing why I have a growing passion for snowdrops.
- [Edelweiss - Lentopodium alpinum](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/edelweiss-lentopodium-alpinum/) - The Edelweiss flower is world-renowned but few would know what they look like. Here I describe how I grow the Edelweiss in a pot, what it looks like and how it has come to be so revered.
- [Alpine Garden Society Diary - Why I'm a rock chick](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/alpine-garden-society-diary-why-im-a-rock-chick/) - There've been many articles in the press recently saying alpines are trendy again. Maybe it's because fewer people have big gardens or maybe it's just because alpines are just so pretty. This article for the Alpine Garden Society describing why alpines are my new big thing.
- [Plans for a woodland path - Six on Saturday - 24.03.18](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/my-gardening-week-six-on-saturday/) - My gardening week - six on saturday - 24.03.18 This week I decided to start planning a woodland path, pruned a wayward climbing rose, admired an Anemone, potted up dahlia tuburs, learned about an inspirational alpine gardener and decided on utilities for my new greenhouse.
- [Alpine Garden Society Diary - How to sow alpine seeds.](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/alpine-garden-society-diary-how-to-sow-alpine-seeds/) - Diary piece for the Alpine Garden Society describing how easy it is to sow alpine seeds.
- [Alpine Garden Society Diary - Planning for the seed exchange](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/alpine-garden-society-diary-planning-for-the-seed-exchange/) - How to choose seeds from the Alpine Garden Society's Seed Exchange
- [How to grow Hoop Petticoat narcissus - a miniature daffodil to naturalise in grass or grow in pots](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/hoop-petticoat-narcissus/) - I like the look of spring flowers in the lawn and am always on the look-out for new ideas. In March 2019 I stumbled across the alpine meadow at RHS Wisley and was enchanted by what I saw. Tiny gold thimbles stretched away as far as the eye could see. Stooping down I realised these
- [Easy Easter decorations from your garden](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/easy-easter-decorations-garden/) - Easter is one of my favourite times of year for flower arranging. The flowers available are more limited than in the summer but what is there is pretty, diminutive and symbolic of spring. Tea cup arrangements that use small amounts of flower and foliage are a great idea at this time of year as you're unlikely to want to denude your garden too much in search of floristry material
- [Looking for colour indoors this winter? - There's still time to pot up an Amaryllis for zingy flowers](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/amaryllis/) - Amaryllis come from South America and I liken them to the 'Brazilian Bombshell', Carmen Miranda, famed for her vivacity, beauty and colourful hats. Just like Miranda, they are big, blowsy, colourful and you can't take your eyes off them. These stunners will provide colour and glamour in your home for weeks and it's not too late to plant a few. They will lift your spirits in these dark dreary winter months.
- [War Gardens](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/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.
- [Witch Hazel for flower arranging - as featured in a wedding blog](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/featured-witch-hazel-flower-arranging/) - A bewitching winter arrangement - This arrangement of witch hazel (hamemelis) with multi-headed scented daffodils is a perfect representation of the winter garden, in a glazed ceramic jug. It was used as a table decoration for a winter wedding. The arrangement gives a citrus splash of yellow and orange, the bright colours tempered with the greys and sage of both budded and lichen-coated twigs.
- [Simple flower arranging - a vase of pastel summer blooms](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/simple-flower-arranging-a-vase-of-pastel-summer-blooms/) - These beautiful flowers in pastel shades work well together and unplanned happen to be blooming at the same time in my garden. Here I tell you what they are and show you how simple it is to arrange them in a vase with no fuss or equipment. I also describe how to grow these flowers
- [Echinops - The Globe Thistle](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/echinops-the-globe-thistle/) - If you're looking for a shot of cool blue in a high summer garden - plant Echinops. It's largely trouble free and bees of all sorts can't get enough of it. Commonly known as the Globe Thistle, Echinops has steely grey slightly spiky divided stems - but it is the perfectly spherical ball which tops
- [How to take Dahlia cuttings - more blooms for free](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/how-to-take-dahlia-cuttings-more-blooms-for-free/) - Are you a Dahlia debutante growing Dahlias for the first time this year? Have you grown them before but never tried taking cuttings? Have you got a plant with lots of bushy growth? If so you could double, triple or even quadruple the number of flowers by taking cuttings. Each cutting will grow into a
- [Gardening societies - What to expect and why you should join](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/gardening-societies-what-to-expect-and-why-you-should-join/) - Gardening is a hobby best pursued with the assistance of others. Despite the plethora and accessibility of gardening assistance there is a concern that there is one area that fewer of us are accessing - the kinship of a garden community or horticultural society. Here I share my experiences as a newbie member and summarise the wonder that is the Great British Horticultural Society
- [Tea break portrait - Crab Apple outdoor Bonsai](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tea-break-portrait-crab-apple-outdoor-bonsai/) - Need a focal point for a courtyard garden or terrace that looks good all year round? Consider growing an outdoor bonsai on a table-top against a plain wall. Hardy varieties provide year-round structural interest and offer the potential for blossom and interesting leaf shapes. They are also easier to look after than you might think.
- [Rivendell delights - a garden for all seasons](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/rivendell-delights-a-garden-for-all-seasons/) - Rivendell Garden in Amersham - a beautiful garden in springtime, open as part of the National Gardens Scheme. Featuring daffodils, hellebores and carefully selected spring beauties the garden layers early season impact above the emerging beauties of summer.
- [Forsythia intermedia - brightening gloomy days](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/forsythia-intermedia-brightening-gloomy-days/) - Forsythia seems to split opinion. Some people find sunshine yellow difficult to incorporate in a garden and I admit to having a love-hate relationship with it. Spring is when I'm most likely to love yellow and my Forsythia has not disappointed this year. I have only one Forsythia x intermedia in my garden, rather tucked
- [Narcissus desire - How I fell back in love with Daffodils](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/narcissus-desire-i-fell-back-love-daffodils/) - I’ve got a renewed attraction to daffodils, or to use their latin name - narcissi. It’s like cupid’s bow has hit me and inflamed my narcissus desire. That’s my love of daffodils, you understand, not myself. Read on to find out why.
- [Tea break portraits - International Women's Day 2018](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tea-break-portraits-international-womens-day-2018/) - Whilst wondering through the Princess of Wales greenhouse at Kew Gardens I spotted an unusual plant in purple white and green and it immediately brought me to mind of the colours of the women's suffragette movement. The suffragettes wore sashes and rosettes in these colours. Purple signified dignity, white purity and green hope.
- [Has the plastic plant pot had its day?](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/plastic-plant-pot/) - Unless you’ve been living in your shed you’ll be aware of recent media focus on the worldwide environmental impact of plastic containers. We’ve all been shocked by the images of the huge islands of floating plastic in our oceans. The profitability of the modern horticulture industry was founded on the introduction of plastic plant containers. We’ve all benefitted from the keen pricing and variety of supply that plastic has afforded gardeners. But there is an environmental cost to this. We may have beautiful gardens but the plastics are polluting land and seas. Can home gardeners reduce plastics pollution?
- [Tea-break portraits - Hellebore backlit with winter sun](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tea-break-portrait-hellebore-backlit-winter-sun/) - With their freckled faces and subtle colours of white, plum and mauve, hellebores add a touch of drama and colour to the winter garden. They can be bashful, their faces pointing downwards, so if you have any changes of level in your garden, consider planting them high so you can gaze up at them. Prince
- [Tea break portraits - Lemon flower](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tea-break-portraits-lemon-flower/) - Citrus plants such as the lemon are attractive houseplant and conservatory specimens. A lovely feature of citrus is the fact that new season's flowers are displayed alongside the ripening fruit of last season. They also have a strong, delicious scent. Indoors, citrus plants need a bright room, ideally with lots of sunlight. A room that
- [Rhubarb - how to plant, when to pick, and how to force](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/rhubarb/) - Whenever I cook rhubarb in my house we can't help but sing an adapted version of Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance'. "Rah rah rhu-bar-barb, ro mah ro-mah-mah". Yet my romance with rhubarb is far from a bad one and as a plant it's certainly not a prima-donna performer. Once established, rhubarb should need little primping, a useful trait for the time-pressed gardener.
- [Tea-break portraits - Heart-shaped for Valentine's day - <em>Pilea peperonioides</em>](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/valentines-day-pilea/) - This beautiful leaf of the Pilea peperonioides is the perfect St Valentine's heart shape. Commonly known as the Chinese Money Plant, this on-trend houseplant is all the rage.
- [Tea-break portraits - <em>Calathea Orbifolia</em>](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/prayer-plant/) - Houseplants that originate in warmer climes often provide interesting forms as their leaves unfurl. Leaves of this stunning houseplant push vertically from the base of the plant, furled up like a vivid green cigar. The stripy markings are already visible.
- [Not just for allotmenteers - the ideal grow your own manual](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/allotment-gardening/) - If you’re interested in starting to grow your own fruit and veg for the first time, or wish to experiment with things you’ve never tried before, I can think of no better book to recommend than this one. It gives you easy instructions on how to get going and what you'll need. Tucked away in the list of useful items is a fold up chair as “a picnic chair is great for a tea break.” The Tea Break Gardener thoroughly approves of this sentiment.
- [Plug plants - easy flowers and vegetables for the time-pressed gardener](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/plug-plants/) - Picked up at a garden centre, or better still delivered to your door, plug plants give you more time in the garden and less shopping around for the variety you desire. Many plants are available as plugs; annuals for your pots and window boxes, flowers for cutting, wildflowers and off course vegetable plants. They are great for gaining confidence if you’re a novice gardener and they allow you to try a wider range of plants than you can grow from seed especillay if space and time are limited. Only growing from seed offers you a greater range to try.
- [Snowdrops in grass - give your lawn a lace frill](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/snowdrops-grass-give-lawn-lace-frill/) - Snowdrops are simple tough plants yet delicately beautiful. A pure white snowdrop finds its perfect foil in the a green of a lawn. So often snowdrops are contained in flowerbeds or tucked away under hedges and trees, or the far reaches of a lawn. I wanted to bring them into the spotlight. Now, from late January, my car headlights pick out mini pricks of bright white as I come up the drive in the early evening. By day the snowdrops soften the edge of the lawn, the green sheet broken by a pretty white filigree.

## Pages

- [Garden Talks](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/garden-talks/) - Are you looking for someone to give garden talks to your club or society in person or via Zoom? Do you run a gardening club and are looking for a reasonably priced speaker? Are you a member of WI, a local history group or part of U3A? If so please contact me about my
- [About](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/about/) - My name is Katharine, I’m a mother of three children and work part time. I started this blog as I enjoy photographing my plants and sharing how I go about growing them. By showing what works for me and what doesn't I know I'm inspiring people to relax and just have a go. I'm always
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## Categories

- [Seasonal diaries - Six plants on a Saturday](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/category/my-gardening-week/)
- [Tea Break Portraits](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/category/tea-break-portraits/) - Things that caught my eye whilst having a brew.
- [Garden Visits](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/category/garden-visits/)
- [Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/category/grow-your-own-fruit-and-veg/)
- [Book Reviews](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/category/book-reviews/)
- [Cut Flowers, Floristry and Decorating with Flowers](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/category/cut-flowers-and-flower-arranging-material/)
- [Garden Plants and Trees](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/category/garden-plants-and-trees/)
- [Greenhouse and indoor plants](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/category/indoor-and-greenhouse-plants/)
- [Alpines and rockery](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/category/alpines/)

## Tags

- [witch hazel](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tag/witch-hazel/)
- [hamemlis](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tag/hamemlis/)
- [twigs](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tag/twigs/)
- [winter](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tag/winter/)
- [flower-arranging](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tag/flower-arranging/)
- [daffodils](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tag/daffodils/)
- [plastic](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tag/plastic/)
- [pots](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tag/pots/)
- [ethical](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tag/ethical/)
- [coir](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tag/coir/)
- [recycling](https://teabreakgardener.co.uk/tag/recycling/)