All that glitters ...
Hoe hoe grow
by
2y ago
Precious things don't have to be valuable things - a shell from the beach or a fossil from the garden can be treasured just as much as objects which have monetary worth. Whilst all plants in the garden are to be nurtured and enjoyed, there are some which are more special than others. Over the last couple of weeks I seem to have picked up more special ones than usual - ones I have been looking for for a long time, or unusual ones which I have been reading about. Sometimes, it is seeing the right plant for a certain place which seems to give it additional value. I bought mine over two trips ..read more
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More in hope than in expectation
Hoe hoe grow
by
2y ago
It was cold, windy and growing dark. Was I by a warm fire eating chocolate and toasting my toes ? No, I was bent double at the back of a border wresting with a bramble resembling a giant, spiky python! I paused mid - chop to wonder what actually drives me to carry on working outside in the gloom, and came to the conclusion that it is, succinctly, hope that propels me. Tender plants in the heated greenhouse Hope that bulbs planted in the cold soil of autumn will give pleasure in the spring, hope that the seeds sown now will be flowering beautifully in the warmer days of summer and ..read more
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Them bones, them bones ...
Hoe hoe grow
by
2y ago
This is the time of year when I am eternally grateful for box, photinia, euonymous and everything else which retains its colour, shape and form over winter. The dry bones of the garden are indeed evident now, and standing alone in the spotlight. As the season progresses they will fade gently into the background, as we focus on the new upstarts taking centre stage. When the delphiniums are in full flower, no one will notice the leaves on the holly tree. But for now, I am enjoying them in the stripped down beauty of the late winter garden. At least, at the moment, it is easy to see the skel ..read more
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A pox on those pesky garden makeover shows ...
Hoe hoe grow
by
2y ago
"Let's have an easy year in the garden", we said at the start of 2017, "no new projects - just consolidation of what we have already done". So why is it that it only takes one bottle of red and two glasses before one of us utters those words which fill the other with such dread - "I've just had an idea ..." And when those words are followed by " ... you may not like it", then that dread is intensified. Every garden must have those areas which never really worked, where form or function is unclear, or where they have evolved into something which is, as my grandfather used to say "Neither n ..read more
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Reasons to be cheerful ...
Hoe hoe grow
by
2y ago
There are many reasons to be cheerful right now! Cautiously cheerful, perhaps, but still cheerful. There are signs and portents afoot which indicate that spring is on the horizon. The days are beginning to lengthen, the birds have started singing again, and the bulbs are beginning to appear. In the conservatory, nobody has told the plants that it is actually winter. We keep the temperature reasonably low, so I was expecting the overwintering tender plants to remain dormant. I thought I would keep them ticking over, but that there would be little active growth. What a joy! They have not o ..read more
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Hoe hoe hoe
Hoe hoe grow
by
2y ago
Much as I love Christmas, I am excited for it to be all packed away, because then, and only then, can the new growing season truly begin. I am savouring the thought of compiling my seed order, but I refuse to give in to such a delight, until the last remnants of the turkey is eaten, and the last cracker is pulled. Outside the window all is dank and decaying, but in my head everything is young and fresh and green. I know that there is lots to love about winter, from the beautiful bare skeletons of the trees, to the mist rolling gently in across the fields. I am a huge fan of log fires, co ..read more
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Fifty ways to lose your begonias
Hoe hoe grow
by
2y ago
Buying tender plants at the height of summer is so easy, when the ice and snow of winter are but a dim and distant memory. It is easy to get carried away and buy far too many, far too large plants. I know. I am that person. However, once the temperature drops, they all need to be kept snug and frost free, if they are to survive until spring. I have been struggling to find the best way to do this for years, and, believe me, there have been many casualties along the way! As an inexperienced gardener I tried the 'ostrich' approach, which meant that I stuck my head firmly in the sand and ignor ..read more
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Parting gifts from the Garden Gods ...
Hoe hoe grow
by
2y ago
As a parting gift from summer, the Garden Gods have given us some clear, golden days so that we can squeeze out the last rays of hot sun. And so we have. From breakfast outside to cold beers in the summerhouse at sunset,  we have wrung out those rays and soaked them right up, so that the memory will help to see us through the leaden grey of November, and the gales of March. This September light has a mellow quality all of its own, gentle and golden, suffusing the garden and making the plants radiant and glowing. These glorious days were the ideal time to wander round the garden ..read more
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Exoticising the garden
Hoe hoe grow
by
2y ago
I think I may have inadvertently invented a new verb - 'to exoticise', meaning to change part of a traditional garden to one with densely packed planting giving a sub-tropical feel. Anyway, that is mostly how I have been spending my time over this season, and it has been a massive learning curve. I know I have not got it right yet, but it has been enjoyable learning about new methods and new plants. My partner has been gardening in this way for about fifteen years, so I have my very own maister to guide me.  In some ways it is easier than traditional gardening, as mistakes can ..read more
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Just like the Inflatable boy ...
Hoe hoe grow
by
2y ago
Just like the Inflatable boy with a pin, some plants have let themselves down badly this year! Every year there are the star performers and then there are those which have disappointed beyond belief. The alchemy of each summer's heady brew of temperature, moisture and sunshine produces different over- achievers every year and, sadly, under achievers too. I don't want to dwell on the under- achievers, but you know who you are ... hang your heads in shame all those of you in the Amaranthus family, and all of you in the Celosia family too. You have failed to thrive and grow despite being lavi ..read more
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