-
Summer Colour
This pink Leptospermum scoparium ‘Martini’ was a new addition to the garden last year. It tends to be delicate and I had no hope that it would survive the cold winter. It is past its best in this photograph, but to my surprise it is thriving. If it is like its relatives in the garden…
-
Bees’ Bottoms
My hawthorn trees lost their flowers very early this season, while across the valley they remained in full bloom a week later. I only managed to make one bottle of cordial until the Crataegeus prunifolia suddenly burst into bloom. The resulting cordial is an experiment as I could not find any recipe, but hoped that…
-
A Frog By Any Other Name
Gardening at the moment is an exercise in dodging thunder storms, rain showers and wind gusts that can knock you off your feet in a very undignified manner. Everywhere there are hints of the jobs to be done and even the grass is growing despite the cold. So are the lichen as Fergus my frog…
-
Fighting Furry Fiends
Monday 20 January This morning I carried out my daily ritual of walking around the garden to search for the hidden gems that remind me that winter will soon be over. This is in spite of the fact that I was bundled in a warm coat, gloves and hat and had to keep moving to…
-
Storms, Mice and Christmas Trees
4 January 2020 My Christmas tree is growing! Many years ago, I decided that I could not justify cutting down a tree for Christmas despite the fact that I consider them an integral part of the season. I tried buying a tree in a pot, but soon realized that (a) if I used one each…