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Carpet of Snowdrops at St. Mary’s Coddington
Join me on my annual snowdrops visit to the beautiful St. Mary’s church in Cheshire. It’s in a small hamlet called Coddington, which is just 10 miles from the city of Chester, and only one mile from the the country hotel and golf course ‘Carden Park’. History The parish of Coddington is recorded in the Doomsday book, and the quaint little church is grade II listed. The original church on the site was built between the 8th and 10th Century. With the current church being started in March 1833. The foundation stone was laid by Hugh Robert Aldersey, who was just a child at the time – the Aldersey’s’ are…
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Another Late Holly Chop
I thought we were late doing the annual holly chop last year, but this year we are even later! Winter is the correct time to cut a holly hedge, but as I’ve mentioned before we have to wait for the perennials growing under the holly to die back. This has been getting later and later over the last few years with such mild autumns. Luckily we had a very hard frost in mid December which did for all the remaining perennials, that were doggedly hanging on. Unfortunately due to other commitments we weren’t able to get it done before Christmas, which would have been ideal. Then the weather hasn’t been…
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How to Grow Potatoes in a Container
Trust me, growing potatoes, particularly in a container, is easier than you think! You should have a plate of delicious potatoes with butter melting all over them, just 2-3 months after planting. There really is nothing like the taste of homegrown potatoes, especially the first potatoes of the season. These are called ‘first earlies’, which simply means the first of the year. Sometimes gardening jargen can be off-putting, making you think that gardening is much more difficult than it really is. Contrary to what you may think, you don’t actually need special equipment to grow your own. You mainly need some compost or soil, some seeds or plants, and if…
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First snow of the year – No Gardening this week!
We’ve had the first snow of the year. I did hear someone mention snow last week, but I didn’t realise it was for our area. We don’t really get very much these days, and when we do it doesn’t normally last that long. There’s certainly no physical gardening gone on this week! The snow came on Monday night and there’s still a little around where the sun hasn’t reached. As I’ve said before, I absolutely love the snow but… I want the snow on a Friday night when I’m home for the weekend. It’s not much to ask, is it? It is a shame we can’t get exactly the right…
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The Garden Nurtures the sole
Well, it’s certainly been an strange week! Unfortunately I lost someone very dear to me. It’s a funny thing grief, one minute you feel huge, like a force of nature wanting to scream and rage at the world at the injustice of it, the next you feel so small like gravity has doubled and it’s crushing you into the ground. And so to the garden. I haven’t done any gardening, but I have trotted off down to the compost heap. Even the long walk to the end of the garden feels good for the sole. When I’m out there I can feel myself relaxing, just being outside surrounded by nature…
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New years resolution? Get rid of the weeds!
What new years resolutions have you made? And do you think you’re going to stick to them? My only thought for a resolution, is to try and get back on top of the weeds this year! No Weeds in the Flower Borders I’ve honestly never really had a problem with weeds, until the last couple of years. This is mainly because I use a mulch of bark on my flower borders. It’s something I’ve been doing for as far back as I can remember and it really works! I only do it every other year and this is the year, as it’s rotted down to the point where you can…
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Happy New Year 2023
Happy New Year everybody! Today I’m looking back at last years garden, before moving ahead with this years tasks! First Flowers These feel like the most special flowers of the year. After that bare dormant stage, they emerge like little miracles, through cold damp soil. What on earth possesses them to show their faces in January and February! Snowdrops, Hellebores, Crocus and Pulmonaria. I’ve had some gardening vouchers for Christmas and one plant that’s on my list is another hellebore. Late Winter, early Spring, brings Daffodils The Daffodils are probably the flower most associated with spring, and they are also pretty hardy, coming up when it’s still so cold. Even…
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Christmas Tree Celebration
As it’s Christmas Day tomorrow, I thought I’d publish this weeks blog a day early – I thought you might all be a bit busy tomorrow! Let me start by saying a very happy Christmas to one and all! I thought we’d get into the Christmas spirit with some Christmas trees. Local Christmas Tree Festival We are lucky enough to have had another Christmas tree festival at our local church. As I’ve mentioned before it used to be held inside the church, but Covid moved it outside and that’s where it’s stayed. It’s so much more atmospheric in the churchyard and the frost just added to it. Although we didn’t…
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Christmas Tree Festival
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Frosty Week – A Winter Wonderland
Well, hasn’t it been pretty! The weather forecasts were right, it’s certainly been a frosty week! And so, our year of extremes has continued. From heatwaves and dusty, dry gardens, to more rain than we know what to do with. And now freezing temperatures, lasting longer than we are used to. I certainly brought my chilli plants inside at the right time, and got those lovely lemon trees into the greenhouse in the nick of time. We do have a small tube heater in there, that just keeps the very worst of the cold off, so I’m hoping everything will come through. It has been looking pretty frozen up though!…
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Time to put things to bed in the Winter Greenhouse
The incredibly long lived tomato plants I was showing you last week, finally bit the dust. They still had flowers on and tiny fruits but as the cold finally closed in this week it would have been futile to leave them. Besides I needed the space in the greenhouse! A stay of execution for the Lemon Trees! As this weeks frost was forecast, I desperately needed to bring the pots containing tender plants into the greenhouse. Mainly Agapanthus and Nerines but also those contentious two lemon trees. Do you remember the garden apprentice saying, if they didn’t fruit this year, they were history? It’s because he can’t abide plants with…
