So is there anything we can be doing to get the most out of our gardens during lockdown? Here are a few tips: Can’t get compost? Use garden soil. It may not be ideal, but it’s likely to be good enough, especially if you’ve been working in compost over recent years. If you haven’t got … More Gardening in lockdown
I have a new floral obsession. This is the first year I’ve grown Sweet Peas and I’m officially hooked. My wonderful book, The Origin of Plants, tells me that Lathyrus Odaratus came to Britain in 1699 by way of a Scillian monk. Since then, we’ve taken them to our hearts. They’re easy to grow, come … More Sweet peas
There are two main raised beds in our garden. The first is for vegetables, the second is for cut flowers. There are times when I feel guilty about this, as we could be growing twice as much vege, but I love having cut flowers for the house and enjoy having the space for things I … More A cut flower bed
When it comes to my garden, I have a particular weakness and that is flowers. When it comes to flowers, again I have a specific weakness and that is Peonies. I adore them. They’re top heavy, a little fussy, and take up lots of space, but only flower for a few weeks a year. It … More A note on peonies
My plans for filling the half-empty border in our garden are all on hold right now. The garden is filled with steels, a cement mixer and chunks of our roof, making it hard to get around, but impossible to do so was toddler safely. No more naptime gardening sessions – at least for a couple … More Gardening with a builder
Blossom by blossom the spring begins. Algernon Charles Swinburne. I think it’s fair to say, spring is well and truly in progress. The first cherry blossom has appeared in our garden and other trees have fat pink buds, ready to burst open on the next sunny day. My husband and I planted one particular cherry … More Beginnings
The short answer is yes. We’re having a very mild start to the year, as described this week in The Guardian. But what’s the ‘normal’ starting time for Spring? The Met Office describe two different dates marking the beginning of Spring. ‘Meteorological Spring’ and ‘Astronomical Spring’ are based on different calendars and start on March … More Is Spring early this year?
The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size — Gertrude S. Wister I’ve been trying to avoid saying it – it seemed too soon – I haven’t written much on winter yet. But, on a mild sunny day, with a wide, blue sky, … More Spring
One of the things I love to do most in the garden is grow new plants. Whether it’s from seeds or cuttings, there’s something wonderful about going from a tray of soil to a collection of fully grown plants. I sew a lot in my raised beds, but I’ve been short of somewhere warm so … More Time to propagate
