Gardening highlights of 2021 - The flowers, Produce, Wildlife & Visits

Firstly let me start by wishing you all a very happy new year.

Yet again we find ourselves, not sorry to see the back of last year. Which is quite sad as life goes by so quickly, we really should be enjoying every minute!

Luckily, with a love of gardening, it is easy to forget the world’s troubles. At least temporarily when you’re absorbed with the tasks in hand.

Sowing, potting on, planting out and then tending to those precious plants. Not to mention all of that thinking time. Sitting looking at the borders & pots, planning what to do next.

I’ve said it a million times before, but gardening really is the best hobby in the world!

So here’s just a brief look back, on the highlights and bounty that was 2021!

The Flowers

The flowers are so important for us to look at and admire. Something to brighten up the garden and lift our spirits. But they are so much more than that. They are what draws the wildlife in.
I try, and usually succeed in having something in flower all through the year. There are only a handful of weeks when I don’t spot insects flying around.
I’m conscious of growing many single, open flowers, easily accessible to bees etc. But it’s no hardship as these are some of my favourite flowers.

It’s all about the food!

As a mainly kitchen garden, there’s a huge focus on the growing of food. I’m glad to say that most things came good in the end, after a few slight delays.

Sadly only one fig, after a harsh late frost. And a skimpy asparagus and chilli harvest, although we still have chillies coming after moving them inside.

The only full on disaster was the ‘Victoria’ plum tree, which is definitely as dead as the parrot in the Monty Python sketch! We always like to give plants one last chance to burst back into life, sadly it didn’t.

On the plus side we had bumper crops from the Tomatoes, Pears, Raspberries and first time crop of Gherkins.

Appearing on Gardeners World

A real highlight of the year, was appearing on Gardeners World, albeit it only for 2 minutes! But as it’s one of my very favourite programmes, that I’ve been watching for around 30 years, it was a big deal!

They have been inviting views to send their gardening videos in since covid struck. As it’s more difficult for them to get out and film on location.

I have to confess to being over the moon, when I received the phone call from the BBC whilst at my mothers house.

Growing winter carrots in the greenhouse

Two garden visits

We managed to fit two garden visits in, both over in north Shropshire. ‘The Dorothy Clive Gardens’ and ‘Wollerton Old Hall’. Both beautiful in different ways.

Strangely the autumn flowering crocus I photographed at the Dorothy Clive gardens, I managed to buy the white variety a couple of weeks later at RHS Chelsea flower show.

Wollerton Old Hall is one of those gardens you know you’ll go back to. Full of inspiring ideas!

Autumn flowering crocus at Dorothy Clive. The ‘Rill garden’ at Wollerton old hall.

First visit to RHS Chelsea Flower Show

When it comes to garden related highlight of the year, then the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has to take the biscuit. I’ve been wanting to go as far back as I can remember, and somehow have never got around to it, until this year!

What a year to go! After having been cancelled last year, and postponed from earlier this year. The show was held for the first time ever in the autumn. I think the atmosphere reflected the joy of being back at last.

I look forward to returning…..

Wildlife – Meet the new residents of the garden.

I set out to create a wildlife garden, and this year it’s really come to fruition. Helped hugely by the pond, which draws everything in for a drink and a bath.

The wildlife camera has allowed us to see quite how many visitors we have, and the frequency of their visits.

We knew we had lots of birds in the garden, but nothing could prepare us for seeing a rare white sparrow. Sadly as predicted, it didn’t last long and we found white feathers all around the border. What a privilege though to have had a glimpse.

Another first was a terrifying looking ‘Elephant Hawk Moth’ caterpillar. A most bizarre looking creature, that will hopefully turn into a beautiful pink moth in the spring.

We have found occasional dormice in the garden, and our cat decided to bring one in for a sleepover one night. Luckily we caught it and sent it on its way. But the outdoor camera has allowed us to watch ‘Dotty’ dormouse defy gravity, with the speed she runs around at. Although having captured a barn owl visiting the pond, she needs to be super speedy!

The camera hasn’t allowed us to discover where our resident hedgehog sleeps. But he certainly spends a great deal of time eating in the garden – hopefully lots of slugs!

This was the first year, that any of the frogs have returned to spawn. It resulted in a garden full of frogs, including a number that took up residence in the greenhouse. Making me jump each time I watered my tomatoes. It’s hard to put into words how much pleasure they have given.

Squirrel Nutkin. Well they are a pest, digging in my plant pots and stripping the walnut most years of its bounty. But you can’t deny how amusing they are, especially when they look directly into the camera. The garden would be a less fun place without them!