offtheedgegardening

Crazy Name

Crazy name alert! This is Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca ‘Citrina’. I would suggest calling it by its common name but as this is Bastard Senna I won’t. Shall we call it Coronilla ‘Citrina’? This winter to spring flowering shrub has delicate bi-coloured pea flowers which are gently fragrant. It tends to be a little unruly inContinue reading “Crazy Name”

Not done yet

I haven’t been very well. Now I am much better but not best. I am a gardener. It is not a job. Of course it my job, what I mean it is not just my job, it is me. My identity. Who I am, what I am. For a while I thought I might not beContinue reading “Not done yet”

Spotlight

Basking under the sunny spotlight is the heronsbill, Erodium manescavii. This Pyrenean native is enjoying the recent cold snap, reminiscing about its chilly homeland. There are no Mountain Dogs here though, just Max who is half kangeroo and not interested in snow peaked mountains. Perhaps we could train him. He will need a wig.

Shadow

It wasn’t the carmine flower of the pineapple sage that caught my eye, but its crisp shadow lying on the white-washed wall. I was surprised that this fragrant salvia was still standing after the recent sharp frosts. But it was, defiant to the last. And in a world of droop and desiccation it looked especially fine today.

Sleep

As the year rapidly advances towards the winter solstice, so my reluctance to get out of bed in the morning increases. The short days and long nights pander to my love of sleep. Sleep would be my specialist subject if I were ever on Mastermind. This morning, however, if I hadn’t dragged my comatose limbs fromContinue reading “Sleep”

Scaredy Cat

They said it would be a cold night so we had been warned. The morning was icy and I was bound for Lord and Lady Mantle’s estate on the edge of Exmoor. As I am by nature a Scaredy Cat I was slightly anxious about this drive. Most of the journey is on decent roads, butContinue reading “Scaredy Cat”

The Gardener’s Car

I’ve got a new car. Yes, a new camera and a new car. No, I haven’t won the lottery. Admittedly I did win the premium bonds the other week, but I shared the whopping £25 prize with two friends. Yes a whole £8.33.33333333 each. This car is not an indulgence. It has been a necessityContinue reading “The Gardener’s Car”

Last Man Standing

One summer, when I returned to Cornwall for a short break, someone said that I looked “pale and interesting”. What he meant was that I looked ill. Like a city person. Comparing and contrasting to those around me, it was painfully apparent that he was quite right. It wasn’t about lack of colour, it wasContinue reading “Last Man Standing”

Burnished

There are worthy reasons to wait until spring to cut back spent flowers. The seed heads provide both food and shelter for wildlife and the perished vegetation offers the plant a modicum of protection from the elements. But when the sun dances across burnished flowers on a crisp winter’s day, surely that is reason enough.

Nicandra physalodes – Shoo Fly

The seed pods of the Shoo Fly, Nicandra physalodes, are almost as beautiful as their flowers. Notorious self seeders, some might view these purple papery lanterns with a sigh or even a scream. However I am looking forward to them spreading themselves about, they are long lasting, trouble free and floriferous. A member of the “good cop,Continue reading “Nicandra physalodes – Shoo Fly”