Category Archives: Uncategorized

“There are two chickens in the boot of my car.”

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”

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”

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.

There is nothing better than visiting a garden.  When that garden is so beautiful that it is an education, an inspiration and heartwarming in equal parts it is even better.  If this little Eden has been created by good friends who ply you with homemade Bakewell tart and cheese scones (my personal favourite) then itContinue reading “Just Visiting”

Today we had a Prunefest at  Lionel and Lavinia’s.  Camelias and azalias, forsythia and flowering currant were all under the knife, secateurs, pruners and saw.  A parade of green bins were filled, begged and borrowed from neighbours, and Lionel did his famous stomp to ensure not even one more leaf would fit in to theContinue reading “Added Bonus”

A Play in One Scene Me:  Hello Slasher would you please strim this area, the shrubs are obvious, the only things you have to avoid are these three plants (points to healthy Rudbeckia fulgida specimens that have  previously shrugged off attempts by the Easter bunny, Clara Cluck, a JCB and tree surgeon to do themContinue reading “Slasher Sid”

Warm, a gentle breeze and a truck load of wonderful plants to set out and plant.  Definitely the best bit.

It was not a great day to be a gardener.  It was definitely not a gloating day, a day when I have to resist calling friends at their offices desks and hold my phone to the air, shouting “hear the birds, hear the breeze, hear the sea!”.  On the contrary, it was a day whenContinue reading “Hiding”

A dismal day, weather-wise anyway. The wind blew, the rain hammered and it was chilly. Welcome to flaming June!  Rain did not, however, stop play. Myself and Mrs Beast sowed some seeds, stratified others and took cuttings of hydrangea, viburnum, rhododendron and several mystery shrubs. The new plants were allocated spots around the garden, toContinue reading “Meadow Magic”