Now that the initial excitement of the Chelsea Flower Show is over for this year, I’ve been looking back through my notes & photos, & I’m reminded just how inspirational & practical the Great Pavilion is. It’s the ideal place for sourcing new varieties of plants & the old stalwarts that are easy to forget […]
Great Gardens At The Chelsea Flower Show 2018
The Chelsea Flower Show this year was a good one, it’s inspiring to see how over the years, many of the designs have adapted to the world we live in now. Generally the Show isn’t so much about show-casing gardens to look at & admire anymore, but to inspire visitors with ideas for their own […]
What To Do In The Garden In May
May is such a lovely month in the garden. Vibrant, fresh growth, the promise of things to come, & all with a backdrop of the sweetest birdsong. But time is flying by, so here’s a reminder of just a few of the things that can be done, during the remainder of the month. Flowers: My […]
How To Grow Your Own Herbs.
Growing your own herbs is one of the easiest things to do for a more sustainable life-style, & fresh herbs straight from your garden, have so much flavour than bought ones. It’s not just about sustainability, there are many other good reasons: fresh, organic herbs a few steps from your kitchen the best tasting […]
Three Simple Ways To Garden Sustainably
Hello how’s your garden (or window box) growing? Rain has limited gardening outside, so I’ve been sowing seeds & pottering about in the greenhouse. This has given me time to think about how I want the garden to look this year… & more specifically what else I can do to garden sustainably. What can I […]
What To Do In The Garden In March
I’m not a natural list maker, I have to fight the urge to just get on & do things, but, when I’ve made one, I immediately feel organised. They’ve become essential for gardening because it’s so maddening when you forget something … & have to wait until next year. Realistically, more than one list […]
New Garden Gear To Make Life Easy, Stylish & Sustainable
The view from my kitchen door, early one morning, just before heading off to London last week for the day. I love a visit to London, to walk through the city seeing the sights & people-watching is always a treat. This time though, it was head down, avoiding the slippery pavements & hoping snow hadn’t […]
Spring Flowering Bulbs – A Quick Hack
I rather like this stage of winter. The trees are still bare, the light is steely-grey, but a close look reveals green shoots nosing their way through the earth. Change is on the way, but for now, I’m enjoying it for what it is & making the most of early flowering bulbs. I wrapped up […]
Last Years Favourite Garden Visits.
When I lived in Oslo in the 80’s, I’d ask Norwegian friends how they got through the long winters. Their answer was always the same, warming drinks, light plenty of candles, create a snug atmosphere & hunker down. Go with the season I’ve interpreted this as accepting winter for what it is, & taking the […]
Come & Have A Look At This Beautiful Garden.
As the year draws to a close, I’ve been thinking back on gardens I visited this year. One of my favourites, had a few moments of fame as the backdrop to a recent BBC television series. Vann is set in leafy surroundings down a quiet country lane in Surrey. I visited on one of those misty […]
The Garden In December.
December in the garden is a good month. It’s the ideal antidote to the business of Christmas, a time to wrap up & quietly get on with things outside. I’ve realised that having less space than when we had the allotment, we tend to cram vegetables in too close together. It’s a tempting, but misguided […]
The R.H.S. Autumn Show 2017
Hello, it’s nice to see you here, I wanted to share my visit to The R.H.S. Autumn Show in London last week with you. I hate to miss this one, it always feels like a last hurrah, the final opportunity to visit a Garden Show, get some plant inspiration & a little garden related shopping […]
Join Me On A Visit To Sissinghurst Garden
Sissinghurst, that iconic garden, is only a 90 minute drive from us, but it’s been at least 4 years since the last visit, so on one of those beautifully, bright autumn days last week, we finally made a return visit. Unlike other famous gardens, Sissinghurst isn’t a conventional house surrounded by land, & despite being […]
What To Do In The Garden In October
I hope you’re enjoying the autumn colour, if you’re in this part of the world? It almost makes me happy that summer is over. I’ve got a whole list of things to do in the garden this month, there’s a mix of clearing out the remains of summer & preparing things for next year. Firstly […]
A Fabulous Garden Tucked Away In The Welsh Hills.
Arriving at Allt-y-bela feels a little like driving straight into a picture, perhaps because I know it so well from all the magazine pictures I’ve seen. Despite this familiarity, it’s an impressive arrival, after driving a mile or so down a track. We’d booked a couple of nights bed & breakfast here at the country […]
What To Do In The Garden In September
We’re at that time between summer & autumn, when the garden is poised & ready for change, & when a few simple tasks, will make all the difference to the garden next year. What happens in the garden this month depends on the weather, mild sunshine keeps lots of plants going, but given cooler, wetter […]
What To Do In The Garden In August.
August is a busy, productive month in the garden. The vegetable garden is at full tilt & we’re realising the fruits of our labours, picking vegetables for our dinner most evenings this month. So far we’ve had courgettes, spinach, beans & purple podded peas. The latter have been finally weakened by mildew, but I’d definitely grow […]
Delightful Dahlias & How To Keep Them Flowering.
We’ve had plenty of sunshine & rain here recently, & everything has taken advantage of this, growing at a fast pace. This of course, includes the numbers of pests like slugs & snails. Last year I was so disappointed when my 6 young dahlia plants were all eaten, snails I think… possibly assisted by slugs? This […]
A Day The Hampton Court Flower Show 2017
I have hazy memories of visiting the first Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in 1993 & my how it’s changed over the years. My impression is that in those early years visitors wanted inspiration & ideas to use in their own gardens. This is still the case, but life has become a bit more complex […]
Easy Elderflower Cordial.
Elderflower cordial is one of those things that’s deeply satisfying to make. This is an easy recipe & has a lovely, fresh flavour & tastes so much better than any that I’ve ever bought. I’ve always been shocked at the amount of sugar that’s required, & experimented with reducing the amount in an effort to make […]
Best Gardens At The Chelsea Flower Show 2017
The best gardens at The Chelsea Flower Show, are the ones that I find myself returning to a couple of times during the morning, taking more photos & generally just to stand & gaze at them What makes a great garden for me, is one that combines a good lay-out, has the right proportion & […]
10 Tips for Sustainable Gardening, You Know It Makes Sense.
A new season in the garden, & a very busy one at that, but I’ve made time to think about how I go about gardening. We’ve been here for 2 years, so it seemed a good time to review how it’s all going, & especially my quest for sustainable gardening. I’ve got a check-list in […]
Lemon Polenta Cake
This weekend has been designated a gardening weekend, there’s loads to do out there, but we will find time to sit & have a cup of tea & a slice of cake in our new, little summerhouse. Lemon polenta is a perfect bake for a busy weekend when time is short. Firstly it tastes deliciously […]
The Garden In April
It’s all change out there, the roadsides are filling up with clouds of cow-parsley [aka Queen Annes’ Lace] & the bluebells have begun to carpet the woods with that wonderful violet-blue haze. The garden in April is full of promise, though in my garden this includes the promise of bindweed, as well as lots of […]
The Vegetable Garden In March
The allotment or vegetable garden in March is gearing up to be a busy place, at this time of year I’m either about to sow seeds or I’m looking after early sown seedlings. What seeds to sow & when to sow them can be confusing, I have a couple of guides. Grow what you like […]
What To Do In The Garden In March
Hello, I’m back from a wonderful couple of weeks in India. It’s good to be back, there’s s pretty froth of blossom in hedgerows & a noticable difference in the growth of the garden. Fresh green shoots on shrubs, new growth on the roses & the hellebores are all beautifully in full flower. They’ve been […]
English Garden Visits 2017
Visiting gardens is such a joy, it’s usually inspiring, a good day out, there may be little plants to buy, & there is always cake. Every year I have a list in my head of gardens to visit when they’re at their best. This is mostly in the spring through to late summer, which makes […]
The Vegetable Garden in February
So what’s a good time for a vegetable gardener to go away on holiday? Of course you can’t make this the only criteria for holiday planning, but it did cross my mind when we talked at Christmas about holidays this year. Spring seems like the busiest time in the garden, there are seeds to sow […]
Finding Time To Grow Vegetables.
There’s no doubt that growing your own vegetables is good thing, but when I first had an allotment I got completely carried away. In my enthusiasm I grew lots of vegetables from seed, & when they nearly all germinated, I didn’t have the heart to get rid of most of them, “Why not just plant […]
How to Grow Half-Hardy Annuals from Seed
How was your weekend? I spent some time looking through photos of summer gardens this weekend for inspiration , & I’m pretty excited about the flowers I’m going to grow. Last time I wrote about growing half-hardy annuals, plants that grow, flower, set seed then die in a season. This time it’s all about growing […]
Growing Hardy Annual Flowers from Seed.
Although the temperatures here are a bit lightweight compared to say Scandinavia, what I call The Big Freeze carries on. I’m not complaining, it all looks rather lovely out there. Though I’m itching to get some shrubs planted, but the soil is frozen so I’m content to be inside drinking hot chocolate, & planning what […]
My Guide to Sowing Seeds.
Our garden is frozen solid, & has been for a few days now, which is fine because staying inside & planning what to grow this year is a lovely thing to be getting on with. One of the easiest & cheapest way to get lots of plants is to grow them from seed, more than […]
Some Of The Vegetables I’ll Be Growing In 2017
2017 is going to be the year of growing vegetables again. Not having an allotment anymore & the new garden being re-done in 2016, meant thin pickings. I missed having freshly picked vegetables, ones that I knew hadn’t been sprayed with any chemicals. I also missed having unusual vegetables, I never got complacent with the […]
My Garden In December
With the end of the year just round the corner, it seems like a good time to look back on the garden in 2016. Our garden changed a lot in late summer when the landscape people arrived & did some major work. Underground drainage pipes were the most important part of all the work. There’s […]
Organic Gardening – Making Garden Bird Food
How’s your garden, now that we’re properly into winter? This shift in the season has made a welcome change, there’s a kind of stillness in mine as everything quietens down. Generally it’s still a work in progress, so we’ll skim over that until I have more to report back to you …. except I have […]
My Vegetable Garden in November
The clocks going back & shorter days have made a big difference to the garden here, but that’s not the only big change around here. We’ve also had proper frosts, coating the ground with a dusting of sparkles. Though our sheltered garden has escaped so far. This has given me a second chance to dig-up […]
Show Me The Way To Amaryllis
Amaryllis [Hippeastrum] are splendid, showy plants, originating in South America, they’re definitely indoor plants. I find them very cheery at this time of year. Supermarkets & garden centres sell them as gift boxes at this time of year. The box contains the bulb, a plant pot & compost. These are tall plants & the flower […]
The Walled Garden Arundel Castle
The visit to Arundel Castle last week was to spend the day there with my eldest son & his 2 young boys, that in itself is a joy. Add-on a visit to a garden that has been on my ‘must visit’ list for years & happens to be in the castle, & there’s my idea […]
More of My Garden in October.
According to our kitchen calendar, British Summer-time finishes at the end of the month. I’m not one for mourning the end of summer though. Autumn has been glorious here, I’d forgotten how much I like its’ soft light, fiery foliage & vivid blue skies. Gardening is a real pleasure in this weather, just as well […]
My Garden in October
What a lovely month it’s turned out to be, we were away in Suffolk earlier in the month & it really didn’t feel like October, the skies were vivid blue & we ate lunch in the garden a few times. But that time has passed, the leaves are on the turn, the days are shorter & […]
Garden Design Tips from Suffolk.
Hello, I hope your weekend was good? We’re back from a week of mostly clear, blue skies & sunshine in Suffolk. If you don’t know it, it’s a pretty county in the east of England with lovely countryside & wonderful buildings, like this house in the village we stayed in. It looked so amazing that […]
The Garden In September
It just so happens that September is s good time of year for landscaping to be all done & dusted & for planting to start. The construction is almost all done in our garden, there’s just the greenhouse to put up & a small summer-house is arriving in a few weeks time. The timing is […]
An inspiring day at Deans Court.
Well it’s back down to earth this week after spending a lovely day last Thursday at Deans Court in Dorset, hosted by William & Ali Hanham & Lottie Sharland. It was one of those special days that you don’t want to end, I honestly speculated about camping out in the kitchen garden, but at the […]
The Vegetable Garden in September
Hello, well these last few days have been a bit of a roller-coaster for us. If you’ve got a pet you’ll know how much a dog really means to you, they find a place in your heart & become part of your family. Bonnie is my constant companion, part of the rhythm of my day, […]
Plant of the Month- Cosmos bipinnatus
Hello there, what a difference a few days make, we’re into September & doesn’t it it feel like there’s been a big shift in the seasons? It’s probably because the school holidays are at an end & the shops are full of warm clothing, but although the days are shorter, the weather is being kind […]
Big Changes To Our Garden.
I do like growing things & pottering around in our garden, but it’s been a bit tricky since we moved here 18 months ago. The garden was a big reason for choosing this place, it’s flat, which makes it very useable, there’s a lovely old, brick wall along one side, a few David Austin roses & […]
Let’s Talk Tulips
It’s blisteringly hot here & the sky is a cloudless, deep blue, but it’s time to think about the garden next spring, specifically it’s time to plan & order tulips that’ll flower then. I love tulips in almost all their varieties & I’m excited about growing them here because all the landscape works will be […]
Getting Creative With Topiary
One good thing about not having any sunshine, I’m sure there are plenty of other reasons – like not getting too hot or having to water the plants so often- is that it’s a good time to trim box hedging because bright sunshine turns the cut edges of the leaves brown, so a cloudy day […]
Late summer flowers
One of the things that people find challenging about their garden at this time of year, is how there’s a bit of a lull as summer plants come to the end of flowering, after all they’ve flowered & spread seed & are ready for a rest. Dead-heading and feeding to keep plants flowering works for […]
Grow Your Own Cutting Garden.
September is the perfect time to start sowing seeds if you fancy having a cutting garden like this next year. These plants in the walled garden at Port Eliot were all grown from seed by Ben of Higgledy Garden. Ben has a few half-hardy flowers in this border, but to keep it really easy stick […]
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