Now is the time to get some new plants in the ground to improve your garden’s winter colour. Year-round interest is the magic goal for wonderful gardens, so bag some of these beauties for something to look at from the kitchen window!Would you believe that I started off this list thinking that I’d have maybe …
As Autumn sets in and the trees begin to turn from green to brown and drop their seeds in many different forms, the flower beds are changing too. It might be tempting to clear all the dead clutter and dig over afresh, but STOP. There’s huge value in waiting; and a large part of that …
It is bulb-planting season! How do you choose amongst the hundreds of varieties and colours? The answer is – choose what you like. Choose what makes you happy. Choose lots! Bulbs are great at cheering up the dreary early spring, and providing little dots of colour. So, unless you are working to a very strict …
This week, the weather is feeling warmer and more spring-like, and I certainly welcome the signs of new life in the garden. The bluetits are choosing their favourite nest box (they are a regular and welcome visitor to my garden) and sparrows have been spotted gathering nesting materials. There’s a great sense of anticipation, as …
The festive season would be somewhat soulless without the traditional plants of the season. Flowers, herbs, foliage, and spices which recall memories of Yuletides past, through sights, tastes and smells. The origins, history, and folklore of some of these traditional plants, though, might surprise you. Mistletoe (Viscum album) has long been revered as a symbol …
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet” William Shakespeare Indeed, it would. But if you were to ask for ‘daisies’ at the garden centre, you could be after Mexican fleabane, Shasta daisies, Marguerites, Common daisies, Ox-eye daisies, or a host of other daisy-like plants. …
What’s In A Name – Binomials and why they matter to every gardener. Read More »
