Watching Spring take hold

March 19, 2012

In the autumn I wrote about ‘Nature’s Calendar’ where you can record events that show the developing autumn season over the UK.  There is a complementary record of springtime events which I have started on in February.  One key event is the coming of the frogs.  On a certain day in late winter/early spring, the […]

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Why Seed-swapping Helps You and the Planet

February 17, 2012

Since history began, farmers and gardeners have saved seed from their harvest to sow the following year.  Nowadays, seeds are on sale and gardeners accept the practice (or temptation?) of buying seed every year rather than saving their own.  Yet seed saving is free.  And seed swapping, once you’ve saved your seed, is cheap and […]

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New Year’s Day – What’s Flowering?

January 10, 2012

Happy New Year everyone! At one point there was a flower survey on New Year’s Day (or was it Christmas?) in the Cottage Garden Society newsletter. I remembered that when I saw a few flowers this year, that have survived because of the mellow weather, as well as a couple of things due out anyway. […]

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Iris unguicularis

January 10, 2012

Here is a little winter wonder! Apart from all those annuals which are still flowering (just about) in all our gardens this winter because of the mellow weather. Iris unguicularis is a messy tangle of green leaves for most of the year, hiding at the bottom of my house wall and taking up space in […]

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Bird feeding time

December 7, 2011

This is the time of year I start to think about getting some bird food in.  I know it’s late, however my garden has quite a few sources of wild food which have kept birds going up until now.  The pyracantha berries are mostly eaten – which has provided a nice spectacle from my kitchen […]

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Watching nature

October 18, 2011

The BBC’s Autumnwatch once asked people to send in a few sightings of natural events – elderberries ripening or swallows arriving – so I sent some in and was then invited to send in more. This ‘more’ is as a recorder for ‘Nature’s Calendar’, run by the Woodland Trust. Nature’s Calendar compiles a fascinating picture […]

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Early Autumn Flowers

September 13, 2011

I have not grown many annuals as I haven’t had the space before, but this year I have started a new bed after getting rid of couch grass, and as well as the herbs that were planned to go in I put some rudbeckia ‘Rustic Dwarf’ from seedlings bought at our village plant sale. I’m […]

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Hanham Court, Bristol

September 5, 2011

This August I visited a beautiful garden on the edge of Bristol. I could urge you to see it, but unfortunately it is being sold. So here are some pictures to commemorate this lovely place; let’s hope the new owners are also keen gardeners and will open it again. You will see umbrellas in these […]

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Sculpture in the garden – examples from Melbourne

June 16, 2011

I had a wonderful afternoon exploring the McLelland sculpture garden near Melbourne. This is set in grounds which include a lake, lawns and areas of mostly virgin ‘bush’. The photos here show how the sculptures fit in to their various habitats. Coming into the garden you first see lawns round a lake, with a gallery […]

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Orchids and lizards in Singapore

April 23, 2011

I have been on a long-haul trip and have some great botanic garden and other plant and design-related pictures to show you. My first stop was Singapore. The botanic gardens there, as you would expect near the equator, with almost daily rainfall, are lush, green and full of tropical plants. The star of the Gardens […]

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