offtheedgegardening

Mutant

On the reverse of this lovely yellow pompom dahlia there is ….. another lovely yellow pompom dahlia. This is most likely a case of fasciation, a curious phenomena which causes elongation and distortion of stems and flowers. This anomaly could be caused by a genetic mutation, hormonal imbalance or even an infection, it is difficultContinue reading “Mutant”

Blueberry

It is blue and it is a berry. It won’t be long before it is no longer a berry or blue.

You say hello, I say goodbye

One of the hardest of tasks for many gardeners is to remove perfectly healthy plants. By their nature they are nurturing souls, sensitive to a fault and to destroy is not in their nature. It doesn’t matter that the plant in question is in the wrong place, a horrendous colour, swamping everything else, just darnedContinue reading “You say hello, I say goodbye”

Trumpet

Above is one of the new borders created this year at The Farm. It is a large triangle situated at the entrance, the “hello look how wonderful and exciting we are” spot. Up until last autumn it contained a half dead tree of unknown identity, a manky palm and the obligatory mophead hydrangea. All wereContinue reading “Trumpet”

Sid and Elsie

In an attempt to a) educate b) improve my client’s enjoyment of the garden c) retain my position of power by instigating fear and dread, I have decided to impose identification tests for some of my newbies. As soon as any plant is noticed, mentioned, commented upon I tell them the name, they repeat afterContinue reading “Sid and Elsie”

Heliotropium arborescens “Chatsworth”

Sublimely beautiful and outrageously fragrant. Having just one of these attributes would be plenty, possessing both is almost too much to bear.

Busman’s Holiday

Today I gave my poor neglected plot some attention. For the last couple of months we have had scaffolding at the back of the house and a gaggle of builders working hard to fix various leaks. The scaffolders did a great job as scaffolders. The builders did a magnificent job as builders. Neither of themContinue reading “Busman’s Holiday”

Just Peachy

Last weekend we travelled to Somerset to celebrate a good friend’s wedding. All was well, the weather perfect, the bride and groom radiant, we made new friends and I almost won the All Badgeworth Freestyle Croquet Doubles competition (we was robbed). It was an extremely satisfying day. The party was held in the Just Married’sContinue reading “Just Peachy”

Waiting Patiently – Still

In your own time ……..

Colour Scene – Red, red, red

This was definitely the right time of year to run “Colour Scene”. Everything at the moment seems to be in Technicolor, as if it were being viewed through a filter, intensifying and concentrating the hues. This is in part due to the copious rain we have had in the last few days which is exacerbatedContinue reading “Colour Scene – Red, red, red”