Uncategorized – Page 56 – Off The Edge Gardening

Balm

It was a scorcher today. Perhaps as hot as yesterday which was classified as “absolutely roasting” on the UK Woosy Weather Scale. The difference is that yesterday I spent the day in Somerset woodland. Today I spent a fair proportion of the my day in a Devon greenhouse where we were planting up tomatoes, cucumbers, water melonsContinue reading “Balm”

Guest Blog No. 2 – Hat Guardians

These words and picture are brought to you by the lovely Mary who lives in southern France. Mary is Dutch by birth and her husband Ant is an Englishman. They are blessed with cosmopolitan souls and kind hearts. And they are the official guardians of my straw hat. I bought the hat in question in a Portuguese market overContinue reading “Guest Blog No. 2 – Hat Guardians”

Lessons Not Learnt

This was meant to be a different photograph altogether. My head is yet again hung in shame. Yesterday we went for a walk. Along the way I took photos of the many wildflowers we passed as we meandered along the coast. There was golden kidney vetch, cushions of sea campion, dots of blue sheeps bit scabious and masses of thriftContinue reading “Lessons Not Learnt”

What do you see?

What did you see when you looked at this photo? Did you see the bee, busy and basking in the early summer sun? Perhaps you dwelt on the porcelain geranium, pin stripes of sky blue, the violet stamen casting an indigo shadow? Maybe you wondered about the pink haze in the background, imagining what flower it couldContinue reading “What do you see?”

That Friday Feeling

Very tired but very good tired. Still optimistic which, taking into account the events of previous years, is probably on a downward descent from now on. But it was a very good week, attempting the impossible and achieving what I could. Now I am tired, very tired. In a very good way. Happy Friday to you all, hopeContinue reading “That Friday Feeling”

Guest Blog No. 1 – Old Friends

Well here goes, Guest Blog No. 1. This dubious honour has been given to my dear friend Cathy Marjoram and her photographer (amongst other things) husband Stefan. This lovely couple were my next door neighbours in Bristol. Due to their annoying ability to turn their hand to anything and everything, from constructing elaborate fancy dressContinue reading “Guest Blog No. 1 – Old Friends”

Warning

I have decided to invite some guest contributors to Off The Edge. There are three reasons: Many of my friends are wonderful gardeners, artists and photographers. It will be a pleasure to share these talents with my followers. It will also be an opportunity for some of my Esteemed Clients to have a chance to plead their corner. Admittedly a riskierContinue reading “Warning”

An Over Active Imagination

Today I told Mr and Mrs du Maurier that it is now illegal to grow cotoneaster. Not content with one little untruth, I went on to warn them that there were a newly formed arm of the secret service called the Cotoneaster Police. These law enforcers arrive unannounced with chainsaws and flame throwers. It is feared thatContinue reading “An Over Active Imagination”

Subtle

Bold is what I am drawn to. Subtle seems to evade me. This is not something I am particularly proud of, it is just the way it is. It probably highlights an underlying shallowness. So for a change I thought I would try a little sensitivity. Bring on the understated and the wistful. Embrace the backroom boysContinue reading “Subtle”

Black Widow

It was a varied day, which is always the best kind. It started with a drive through hazy Devon countryside, verges and banks spilling with cow parsley, stitchwort and campions. We were on our way to visit a rural pottery, complete with wood fired bottle kiln, lovely wares, nesting swallows and nice folk to sit on a wallContinue reading “Black Widow”