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What to do in the Garden in January

January 14, 2021 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

It’s been a cold few days here, temperatures below freezing at night and barely climbing above zero degrees in the day. Hard to believe then, that a lot is happening in the garden in January. Underground, roots are developing, gearing up for the year ahead. Above ground, if you look closely, hellebore buds are fattening […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Plants, Uncategorized Tagged With: Clematis cirrhosa Wisley Cream, hollyhocks from seed, the garden in January, what to do in the garden in january

Seed-Heads and Grasses in Winter

January 4, 2021 By Jill Anderson 4 Comments

Gardeners seem to fall into two camps, tidy and neat or relaxed and nauturalistic. My aim is to convert everyone to the latter camp, and there are good reasons why. Many tall, winter plants look amazing Cutting back grasses and tall perennials in winter robs us of their full potential. Left to their own devices, […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Gardening, Plants Tagged With: plants for the winter garden, ssed-heads and grasses in winter, winter seed-heads for birds

What to do in the Garden in November

November 30, 2020 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

The fiery-coloured autumn leaves have dropped now and the scene outside my window is monochrome, wintery and calm. My garden is changing into a more restful state, there are fewer things to do and the pace is nice and slow. Plant Trees and Shrubs   I was out in my garden yesterday, moving plants around. […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: bird feeders, Box Tree Caterpillar, what to do in the garden in November

Brilliant, Autumnal Wisley Garden

November 11, 2020 By Jill Anderson 4 Comments

A lesson learnt during these last few months, is how good it is to have two or three favourite, local/easy to get to, uplifting places to visit. Although I’ve been a visitor to R.H.S. Wisley Garden for decades, over the past few months I’ve come to appreciate it more than ever. During this time when […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: 'Alberta Globe, Picea glauca, plant diversity, R.H.S Wisley Garden, Trycertis hirta

What to do in your Garden in October

October 15, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

October is usually a nice month here. The days are shorter, but mild and lovely to be outside, it clears the head and steadies the nerves. The Vegetable Garden in October: It’s nice to be planting vegetables and looking ahead to next year. Garlic is one of my favourite vegetables to grow, it’s simple to […]

Filed Under: Blog, Growing Food, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability, Uncategorized Tagged With: organic gardening, what to do in the garden in October

Reasons to Plant Trees

October 6, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

It always takes me a while to get used to the idea that summer. But the wonderful colours and fruitful bounties of autumn, eventually convince me it’s time to move on. This season also brings the opportunity to do our bit to counteract the climate emergency. Numerous small changes in the way we garden, will […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: gardeners against the climate emergency, the benefits of tree planting

What to do in the Garden in September

September 18, 2020 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

The garden may seem to be winding down, but it’s a pivotal month of preparation, with plenty of things to look forward to. Spring Flowering Bulbs: Every year I’m delighted by what beautiful flowers are produced from such unpromising little lumps. Buy them now to get a good choice of varieties. Keep tulips somewhere cool, […]

Filed Under: Blog, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: grow your own food, what seeds to sow in September, what to do in the garden in September

Sustainable Gardening Ideas – Two

August 29, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

I hope you enjoyed last weeks post about sustainable gardening, here’s a few more ideas to help you. Small steps and we will get there, reducing our carbon footprint and making gardens a more welcoming habitat for all those birds , bees and butterflies that are struggling and endangered. How to use less plastic in […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: encouraging wildlife into your garden, reslient gardening, sustainable gardening, the benifits of single flowers

Sustainable Gardening – One

August 22, 2020 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

August is a busy month in the garden, thankfully a lot of that is harvesting vegetables and cutting Dahlias. But I’m also thinking about the bigger picture of sustainable gardening, and how I can do more of it. One of my goals is to improve the ecosystem in our garden, so as many plants, animals, […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability, Uncategorized Tagged With: sustainable gardening, the garden ecosystem

What to do in the Garden in August

August 12, 2020 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

August this year feels very different to any other year. Covid has changed everything in recent months, but we’ve also had to deal with brutal heat. Plants that normally survive in semi shade have become scorched, blasted by just a couple of hours of ninety degree sunshine. But back to the garden in August: There […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: garden tips for august, what to do in the garden in August

How to Collect and Store Seeds from your Garden

August 5, 2020 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

borage flowers

Deadheading plants is a nice task, almost mediative, and it keeps plants flowering for longer. However, if you want to collect seeds from your favourite plants, you have to let the flowers go to the next stage and produce seeds. The advantages of collecting your own seeds are many: You get free seeds, which is […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability, Uncategorized Tagged With: collecting seed from your garden, how to store saved seeds, saving seeds

What to do in the Garden in July

July 27, 2020 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

Here we are right in the middle of summer, and I hope you find time to just sit in your garden, and do nothing but enjoy it. However, we have to look ahead, and plan what we can harvest and how the garden will look later in the year, when the bounty of summer is […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: ferric phosphate, mini meadows, what to do in the garden in July

Favourite Gardens from R.H.S. Hampton Court Show

July 10, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Following on from yesterdays post about past Hampton Court Garden Shows, here’s more of the glorious show gardens from recent years. In no particular order, but starting with The Summer Retreat Garden, designed by Amanda Waring and Laura Ariston. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, it featured this lovely summer-house. Going back to 2011, […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Plants, Uncategorized Tagged With: ideas for small gardens, RHS Hampton Court Garden Show

Dreaming of Hampton Court Palace Garden Show.

July 9, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Some say that the best gardens evolve over time, that layers of beauty can only be added with the years. But garden shows demonstrate that it’s possible to build a garden of beauty and character in a matter of days. But as we know, unfortunately the R.H.S. has had to cancel all their Shows this […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Gardening, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: Hampton Court Rose Marquee, R.H.S. Hampton Court Palace Garden Show, sustainable front gardens

Beautiful Biennials to Sow Now

July 2, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Biennials plants sown from seed are easy and such great value, and now is a good time to sow them. Biennials germinate and grow their leaves, often as a low rosette shape, they flower, set seed and die the following year, job done. Although they’re short-lived, they spread their seeds around, giving you a constant […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: bee friendly plants, flowers for pollinators, how to grow biennial plants from seed, how to grow hollyhocks

What to do in the Garden in June

June 27, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

These long, midsummer days are blissful. But we’re just past midsummer now, and the days are beginning to gradually get shorter. Gardening needs a change of gear, as time is running out for plants to fruit and flower before the end of summer. It’s definitely not a time to dilly dally. Plants to be planted […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: sustainable gardening, what to do in the garden in June

Chelsea Flower Show 2020

May 21, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Like many things during this pandemic, the Chelsea Flower Show is happening in a virtual world, Each day this week, on the R.H.S. website there’s a great mix of well-known designers & gardeners talking about their gardens & giving plant advice. I was hoping for more of a look round their gardens, but they’re more […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants

What To Do In The Garden In May

May 16, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

The last week has been spent battling with pests in the garden & trying to encourage friendly creatures to create some sort of balance. This is typical May, the weather improves, the days lengthen & all residents of the garden make their presence known. Some residents are more welcome than others. Box Tree Caterpillars (Cydelima […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Plants Tagged With: Box Tree Caterpillar, home-made vegetable supports, what to do in the garden in May

Gardening To Help You Feel Good

May 8, 2020 By Jill Anderson 5 Comments

We all know how nurturing plants & watching them grow, enjoying the colours & scents in a garden, help reduce anxiety & stress. It’s not surprising then, that doctors can send patients with mental health problems to Community Gardens instead of prescribing medication. Here’s a few ideas to help your garden become a place of […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Plants Tagged With: a well being garden, encourage birds into your garden, green prescriptions, therapeutic horticulture

What To Do In The Garden In April

April 26, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

The current lockdown & plethora of seeds I’ve accumulated, has focused my mind on the business of sowing plants from seed this month. Fortunately April is a good time for this. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that the delayed gratification of waiting for seeds to develop, is not such a feature of my life […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Plants Tagged With: how to grow half-hardy annuals., how to grow hardy annual flowers., what to do in your garden in April

How To Grow Edible Flowers

April 16, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Edible flowers are just the thing to grow at the moment. They’re easy, your food will look amazing & many flowers are surprisingly full of punchy flavour. Let’s take every joyful experience we can right now, however small. Most edible flower plants are small, so a balcony or window-box will do just as well as […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: how to grow edible flowers, poisonous garden flowers

How To Grow Herbs – part 2

April 9, 2020 By Jill Anderson 4 Comments

Following on from how to grow hardier types of herbs, Part 2 of How To Grow Herbs is all about growing annuals. Quick and easy to grow, they’re the gems of the herb world. Sown from seed each year, they provide flavour & variety. Most are small & ideal for growing in containers or on […]

Filed Under: Blog, Growing Food, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: how to grow annual herbs, how to grow parsley, peat free April, peat free compost

How To Grow Herbs – Part 1

April 8, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Freshly picked herbs are a complete joy, they add so much flavour to any dish. Think of parsley or coriander scattered over a dish, or mint simmered with new potatoes, they all radiate freshness & vitality. Growing your own herbs is also a great way of gardening sustainably. Shrubs, such as Rosemary, continue providing every […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Recycling & Sustainability

How To Grow Fuss Free Vegetables

April 1, 2020 By Jill Anderson 8 Comments

How different everything is in the short space of time, since I last wrote on here. In our own little way, growing a few fuss-free vegetables will make a difference to our lives & health more than ever before. Few of us can be self-sufficient, but we can grow a few vegetables & herbs to […]

Filed Under: Blog, Growing Food Tagged With: 5 easy vegetables to grow, how to grow beetroot, how to grow carrots, How to grow cut & come again salad leaves, how to grow spinach

What To Do In The Garden In March

March 12, 2020 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

Fat little buds are developing on trees & shrubs in the garden, & the glorious sound of singing birds has begun. All this is usual for this time of year, but it’s been a very unusual few weeks. There have been deluges of rain, terrible floods for many in other parts of the country & […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Plants Tagged With: how to prune Cornus, what to do in your garden in March

The Joys Of Growing Plants From Seed

February 28, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

The joys of seed sowing are many, but probably the most joyous thing, is how these little seeds will, within a matter of weeks be transformed into plants. There are plenty of other reasons: Seed is very cheap compared to buying plants. There’s the immense satisfaction of growing your own plants from just a speck […]

Filed Under: Blog, Growing Food, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability, Uncategorized Tagged With: how to grow plants from seed

What To Do In The Garden In February

January 30, 2020 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

The days are lengthening, & more daylight means the garden is waking up fast. It’s the perfect time of year to get set for the coming seasons in the garden, a way of buying time for when there’ll be lots to do out there in a few months time. Plan now for the year ahead: […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Plants Tagged With: what to do in the garden in january, winter pruning fruit trees. winter pruning gooseberries

What To Do In The Garden In November

November 14, 2019 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

It’s that quiet time in the garden when growth slows down, at least it does above ground. Frankly, it’s quite a relief after months of rampant plant growth & unpredictable weather, meant the garden needed a lot of attention. It would be tempting to abandon the garden until next year, & buy small winter bedding […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Recycling & Sustainability, Uncategorized Tagged With: how to grow garlic, how to make leaf mould, what to do in the garden in November

The Big Benefits Of Planting A Tree

November 4, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

The benefit of planting trees is huge. To begin with, you probably know trees have this ability to soak up CO2 emissions. We need all the help we can get to do this, because carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by over a third since the Industrial Revolution, & this contributes enormously to Climate […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: how to plant bare-root trees, planting trees for climate change, why plant a tree

Autumn Sown Sweet Peas.

October 20, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

As everything winds down in the garden, I almost forgot about sowing sweet peas this month. Here’s a reminder about why autumn sown sweet peas are such a good idea. It may appear that it’s all slowing down out there, but the temperature is relatively mild & although daylight is shrinking fast, there’s enough for […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Plants Tagged With: autumn sown sweet peas., what to do in the garden in October

What To Do In The Garden In October

October 15, 2019 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

Autumn reaches its’ peak in October. The colours are at their best, not yet spoiled by wind & rain. There’s still a reasonable amount of daylight & the light is low & soft, making autumn colours glow beautifully. It’s worth bearing in mind that when you plant for autumn colour, place the plant so that […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: green manure, Pelargonium sidoides, what to do in the garden in October

What To Do About Climate Change Overwhelm.

October 4, 2019 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

What to do in your garden in December, silver birch trees,

When climate change-overwhelm & frustration gets to you, & it does pretty much on a daily basis. Remember this positive fact. Your garden, balcony or window box, however small, forms a network of gardening spaces. There are an estimated 24 million gardens in the U.K., that’s a lot of grass, trees & plants, all providing […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: gardening against climate change

What To Do In The Garden In September

September 2, 2019 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

Right on cue, as August ended there was a real autumnal feel in the air, bringing chilly evenings & shorter days. Nevertheless, it’s a joyful month. Our little vegetable garden is bursting with fresh vegetables, including spinach, tomatoes, salad leaves & courgettes. Growth in the garden has slowed down to a more manageable rate, which […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: what to do in the garden in September, when to plant tulip bulbs, winter salads to sow

How To Take Pelargonium Cuttings

August 21, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Pelargonium display at Wisley Garden

For gardeners, there’s a fine balance between enjoying the present moment & planning ahead. It’s not a difficult to achieve this in August, because apart from harvesting the rewards of the previous months work, there’s not too much to do. However, one of the planning ahead things in the garden this month is to take […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: how to take Pelargonium cuttings, plants for free, sustainable gardening

What To Do in The Garden In August

August 12, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

After months of working hard in the garden to get things to grow, August is the month when quite a bit of effort has to be put into stopping plants from growing too much. The real answer to what to do in the garden in August is to mainly curb its’ enthusiasm. Our mission is […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Plants Tagged With: dead-head dahlias, pelargonium cuttings, what to do in the garden in August, which organic fertilisers to use

What To Do In The Garden In July

July 4, 2019 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

The trick with gardening is approaching it as a pleasure rather than a chore. I’ve found the best way to do this is to have a daily wander round the garden. Stopping to pinch out the side-shoots on the tomato plants, checking how the buds on the Dahlias are fattening up & what needs tying […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Plants Tagged With: growing sweet peas, what to do in the garden in July

Do we need fewer garden chores?

June 26, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

I didn’t intend to spend half the weekend gardening, it’s just that it all took much longer than I thought it would. Does this happen to you, & if it does did you stop & consider how the garden takes up a bit too much of your weekend? I started thinking about my ground rules […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Recycling & Sustainability, Uncategorized

What To Do In The Garden In June

June 4, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

what to do in the garden in June, roses,

This is one of those glorious months in the garden, when the work really begins to pay off. Now that night-time frosts are no longer a possibility, I’ve been busy planting the more tender plants out in the garden. Having first hardened them off to acclimatise them to the real world of wind, rain & […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening Tagged With: what to do in the garden in June

Unmissable Garden Shows in 2019

May 30, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Hampton Court rose marquee

Garden Shows are the perfect day out. There’s the opportunity to talk to plant sellers, the people who actually grow the plants. This is the case at Royal Horticultural Society Shows. The Plant Marquees are choc full of beautiful plants. The scent is amazing, this is such a vital part of choosing plants & something […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Visits, Gardening Tagged With: garden shows 2019, Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2019

What To Do In The Garden In May

May 17, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

This is it, the time is here to plant out those carefully nurtured seedlings & small plants, & generally get things ship-shape for summer. All plants grown under cover need hardening off before being planted outside. This means placing them outside in a semi-shaded place to get them used to the different temperatures, bring them […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening Tagged With: Seeds to sow in May, what to do in the garden in May

How To Grow Plenty Of Plants From Seed.

May 13, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Growing plants from seed can be an uncertain business, so let me share a simple method that guarantees plenty of plants for your garden. Sowing seeds is attractive, because it’s a cheap, easy method of growing plants. However there are many variables that easily disrupt the whole process from seed to plant. The weather here […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Plants Tagged With: growing flowers from seed, growing food from seed, GYO, organic gardening, sustainable gardening

What To Do In The Garden In April

April 12, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

What to do in the garden in April, well quite a lot since you as you ask. Though its all quite manegable, I’ve been making lists & getting through them one at a time. Seed sowing & general propagation: I sowed tomato seeds last month, & they’re now tiny plants, currently in the summerhouse where […]

Filed Under: Blog, Growing Food, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: what seeds to sow in April, what to do in the garden in April

Gardening with less plastic.

April 4, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Orsan Priory, watering can & trough

My word, April is a busy time in the garden, but busy in a good way, with the promise of this fresh season unfurling before us. And because we’re in the garden a lot more now, it seems like a good time to think about how to use less plastic. Just a couple of small […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: how to use less plastic in the garden, sustanable gardening

How To Re-Pot Houseplants

March 17, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  They’re there day after day, almost part of the furniture, but houseplants deserve more than a weekly watering, they also need to be re-potted into fresh compost from time to time. Their roots will stretch out into this fresh medium, & you’ll notice that water stays in the pot to be gradually taken up […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants Tagged With: Begonia Rex, Crassula portulacea, how to re-pot houseplants

What To Do In The Garden In March

March 5, 2019 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

We’re teetering on the edge of Spring here in the South-East of England. The days are getting longer, & there’s more bird song around, it really is a time to be savoured. Its also a time to have plans in place & be getting ready for the garden bursting into life. Checking seed packets is […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food, Plants Tagged With: what to do in the garden in March

How To Grow The Best Sweet Peas.

February 22, 2019 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

I’m dreaming of a billowing row of divinely scented, colourful sweet peas, lasting all summer long. So here’s the plan to help you grow the best sweet peas, & to have as many flowers as possible. How To Sow Sweet Peas: Fill pots with good, peat-free compost, lightly water the compost to make it damp […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Plants Tagged With: how to grow the best sweet peas, scented flowers

What To Do In The Garden In February

February 9, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

I’ve been wondering about re-naming this monthly series of looking after your garden. I don’t want it to sound like a list of chores or something you put off doing. But I reckon if you like gardening, you’ll be in it for the joy, the satisfaction & how good it makes you feel, & you […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Plants

Vegetables To Grow And Sow In February

February 5, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

What vegetables to grow & sow in February largely depends on the weather. The longer days are noticeable, but its a few weeks before there’s a good amount of daylight & milder weather that signals most plants into growth.  There have been many disappointing attempts to sow seeds, I eventually realised that sowing too early […]

Filed Under: Blog, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: cut and come again salad leaves, how to grow garlic, how to grow salad leaves indoors, what vegetables to grow in February

The Advantages of A January Garden.

January 30, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

As the end of January approaches, I have to admit, I’m going to miss her. There’s a clamour & a whole host of hashtags dedicated to the arrival of Spring, a sense of just hanging around, waiting for it all to begin. But I’m in the camp that sees a lot of advantages in a […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants Tagged With: Crocus Tommasinianus., hellebores

How To Grow Chillies

January 21, 2019 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

And we’re off! … its time for the first vegetable seeds to be sown. January is too cold & dark for most seeds, but ideal for chillies. Chilli plants like warm, sunny weather, slightly cooler nights & hate being wet. They’e originally from South America, so that gives you a good idea of the conditions […]

Filed Under: Blog, Gardening, Growing Food Tagged With: how to grow chillies, vegetable seeds to sow in January

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Hello, I’m Jill Anderson.
This is where you’ll find good, solid information about gardening, growing fruit & vegetables and how to keep it all looking good.
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The healing, calming power of nature in one photo. The healing, calming power of nature in one photo.
These wonderful autumn colours won’t be around for much longer. But that’s ok, because now is what matters, & their fleeting beauty makes them even more precious.
It’s easy to see how being among trees & nature is so beneficial for our health & wellbeing. 
Have a great Sunday.
Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it lo Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it look spectacular with this bold front door.
Today has been hard work, after a lovely time last week in Norfolk. The north coast there is spectacular. Realising these last few months, that there are so many beautiful places here. 
Have a nice evening.
Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Vis Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Visiting to see the Anish Kapoor sculptures, which are amazing, but unprepared for the beauty of the grounds & garden. 
Such a treat, worth coming to Norfolk for this alone!
Hope you’re keeping well, & managing to smile some of the time. x
P.S. more of Houghton Hall & Anish Kapoor on my stories
We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberrie We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberries, after coffee & cake, sitting in the churchyard - the cafe was full, & the churchyard is a quiet, peaceful spot..... as you’d expect.
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One little advantage of lockdown is walking so much more, rather than using the car. Though it shouldn’t have taken something as momentous as this, for me to change bad habits 🙁
Hope you’re weekend is going well.
My hazel arch, a bit lopsided 🙄 using wood from My hazel arch, a bit lopsided 🙄 using wood from a random clump of hazel on the garden. Now looking much better covered in winter squash plants, so you can’t see just how ramshackle it is. I like to think it has a certain home-spun charm .

Great for small space gardening, imagine how much room you need to grow these without vertical supports.

I’ve got 2 Uchiki kuri, lovely nutty flavour.
1 Turks turban, for its flamboyant shape & colours, though it also tastes good.
One unknown, grown by my grandsons in their homeschooled science lesson.
Close-ups of the squash over on my stories.
Stay cool my friends x
I wanted to show you this lovely lily ( Lilium reg I wanted to show you this lovely lily ( Lilium regale) which is flowering right outside our bedroom window. 
It gets sun for about 4 hours only, you can order the bulbs now for planting in September. It’ll reappear every year & waft delicious scent around your garden, or through your windows.
Have a very happy Monday x
It’s British Flower Week, there’s a lot to be It’s British Flower Week, there’s a lot to be said for fabulous seasonal flowers that haven’t travelled thousands of miles ...... & are wonderful for biodiversity
A bit of rain, nice long days (it’s almost mid-s A bit of rain, nice long days (it’s almost mid-summer!) & it’s, mostly, all growing nicely.

Spinach, courgettes & garlic in shot here. 
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday x
Hope is a decision I’ve thought long & hard abou Hope is a decision
I’ve thought long & hard about how to view the tumult in the world we’re living in now. 
The only thing that works for me, is to choose hope.

It’s a tall order, but avoiding mainstream news & speculation helps avoid the anxiety, that’s often waiting in the wings.

One day soon there’ll be grandchildren clambering over this again.
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