My drive to work this morning would have been perfect for the opening credits of a spooky melodrama; Dickens, Poe, Conan Doyle would have been in their element. The initially patchy fog intensified, in a spine-tinglingly daunting way, as we approached Exmoor and the garden of the newly monikered Lord and Lady Mantle. All beganContinue reading “Idiot”
Author Archives: offtheedgegardening
Art
This week summer arrived in North Devon. Quite how long it is going to stay is unclear. On past experience we cannot depend on it hanging about for too long. It must be made the most of. It has been a week when any gardener worth his salt has a good hat. You will beContinue reading “Art”
Mixed Bag
I am not usually a fan of mixed seed collections, call me an unadventurous coward if you must, but the lottery of colour and form is usually disappointing. This californian poppy came from one such collection and it is the first of the bag that has caught my eye. The folds of the petals, rangingContinue reading “Mixed Bag”
Where Angels Fear to Tread
There has been much written in recent months about toxic garden plants. The ones that kill dogs, cats and children, seemingly willy-nilly. At the end of last year there was the tragic tale of a gardener who lost his life after coming into contact with aconites. Admiring this beautiful flower earlier in the week IContinue reading “Where Angels Fear to Tread”
Enough
Sometimes a nasturtium is enough.
The Note
When I arrived at the House on the Edge of Exmoor this morning my first task was to wander around the garden. The early sun was warm and I took a few photographs and observed what had been happened since I was there a week previously. The amount of work The Beasts had done inContinue reading “The Note”
Things I never thought I’d say – Part One
“There are two chickens in the boot of my car.”
Just Visiting – Part Two
Another visit to a wonderful garden, The Round House in Ilfracombe. It was as spectacular as ever, with its steep paths winding through borders stuffed with a myriad of horticultural splendors and views to the sea beyond, and it has been tricky to decide which plant to feature. It would have been too obvious toContinue reading “Just Visiting – Part Two”
Blundering Giant
I upset a lot of ants yesterday. It probably amounted to several nests full and that adds up to a lot of grumpy critters. This wasn’t done intentionally, you must understand. I was quite innocently going about my business pulling weed out of a wall, as is my remit, when my unwitting faux pas occurred. Continue reading “Blundering Giant”
Protest
Arrived at Spotty Dotty’s this morning to find a tree-top protest going on in the magnolia. By the size of the bucket I would imagine Little Ted is planning to stay up there a long time. Someone must have really upset him.
Off The Edge Gardening 