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The Big Lavender Chop
The Lavender path along the greenhouse has had a seriously big chop this year. I’m not sure how this story is going to end, and I guess I won’t know fully until next year! To keep your lavender looking good for as long as possible, it’s really important to trim it every year. It needs to be done as soon as the flowers have gone over, this is usually early September. It’s also important to not trim it too late in the year. It needs time to put on new growth and for this soft new growth to harden up, giving it protection through the winter. The most important rule…
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Wildflowers – My New Border
It’s wonderful that wildflowers and wildflower meadows are being appreciated again, and so many people are planting a version of them in their own gardens. At the same time it’s really sad to know how many have been lost over the last few decades. Again it’s the gardeners of the country that are helping by growing these insect friendly plants again! I’ve loved wildflowers ever since walks with my auntie as a little girl, when she used to teach me the names. Even the cultivated varieties of flowers that I choose tend to be the more natural looking ones. When I was designing our garden, the vegetable growing area and…
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Food from Flowers – With help from our little friends
Have you ever stopped to notice the flowers that become our food? A lot are small, some are insignificant, but others are as beautiful and spectacular as any ornamental flowers we grow. Fortunately, however small and plain they are, the insects that pollinate them don’t miss them. They busily fly from one flower to another, getting their reward of nectar and pollen, unwittingly pollinating the plants. The big majority of our food is reliant on our busy, buzzy, little friends doing this service for us. As they pass pollen from one flower to another they fertilise the plant and so allowing it to produce seeds. As with everything in life…
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Growing Dahlias – Why have I never grown Dahlias before?
I think the main reason I’ve never grown dahlias before, is because they are a tender plant. Meaning, they more than likely wouldn’t survive the low temperatures out in the border. Once the foliage has all died down, you need to lift the tubers out of the ground, dry them out and put them somewhere frost free for the winter. To me this is a bit of a faff. As far as the ornamental side of the garden goes I prefer hardy perennials, bulbs, and shrubs. Things that once planted, just look after themselves. The other reason I was put off dahlias was thinking of them as a show plant.…
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Am I turning into a Flower Arranger?
I suppose flower arranging has always gone hand in hand with gardening, but it’s just not something I’ve ever bothered with. I’ve never picked flowers from my own garden to bring into the house, preferring to see them growing naturally outside. Obviously I do my best when someone has bought me a bunch of flowers, I do like to see them arranged nicely. It’s possible that because my mum went to flower arranging classes years ago, and would come home with some spectacular but very formal displays, it put me off. My mum is exceptionally talented and can turn her hand to anything practical and artistic. She definitely brought me…
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Jubilee Garden Celebration
What else could it possibly be today, but a jubilee themed garden celebration. As Her Majesty the Queen celebrates an incredible 70 years as our Monarch. Fancy being in the same job for seventy years! I thought we’d do a look at the garden with a royal coloured theme. We’ll start with a collection of produce from the garden, in Red, White and Blue to get you in the mood. Purple – The Colour of Royalty As the official colours of the Jubilee celebrations are Platinum for the seventy years and Purple for royalty. I’ve decided to shout about all of the purple flowers and produce in the garden, and…
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Snakes Head Fritillary – ‘Fritillaria meleagris’
If you like something unusual in your garden. Then look no further than the snake’s-head fritillary. They are actually a native wildflower, widely naturalised across Britain. But for those that haven’t seen them before, they cause quite a stir. Resembling a Snakes Head Before their bell-shaped flowers open, they really resemble a snakes head. Poised and slightly menacing. Extraordinary Pattern That’s before you examine the pronounced patternation. Which is also very similar to snake skin. The flowers are literally chequered all over. Dark maroon with tiny checks of the palest pink, and sometimes white. Really quite stunning! White ones too! They do also come in white, but they don’t have…
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When’s the most exciting time in the garden?
Just like I constantly change my mind on which is my favourite flower in the garden. Depending on which ones are flowering at that moment! Deciding when the most exciting time in the garden is, changes continuously throughout the year! Tomatoes. Is the best sowing, planting, nurturing or eating? Take right now, as I start to sow my tomato seeds. This feels like the most exciting job. Especially having done very little gardening since the autumn. I simply can’t wait for the gardening year to begin! Tapping out those tiny little seeds into your hand, and placing them carefully on the compost. It’s a lovely job that I can’t wait…
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Gardening highlights of 2021
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…
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Early Autumn in the garden – Harvests, flowers & sunshine
Still feeling like summer These days, early autumn is indistinguishable from summer. In fact we regularly have better weather in early autumn than we do in mid-summer. The only real clue to the season is the shortening day length. Initially, hardly noticeable until we head into late autumn and the time change. It was so warm in September that our al fresco eating carried on well into mid-autumn – including some breakfasts! September is the month of bounty. Back in the days when we used to go on holiday, we’d come home to courgettes transformed into giant marrows. Which resulted in stuffed marrow and marrow chutney – we do hate…
