I wouldn’t be without irises. In June, they put on a stunning show in my garden, alongside roses, aquilegia and hardy geraniums. The colours are rich and the flower forms remarkable. I can’t imagine having a garden without them, and they really are easy to grow. For gardeners working on light, sandy soil, they are a must-have, giving you vivid, strong pops… Read more →
Category: A to Z of Gardens
H is for House Plants :: A to Z of Gardening
I should start this post with a few disclaimers: All images of the interior of my house in this post have been ruthlessly ‘faked’ – i.e. I desperately tried to hide/disguise/camouflage all the toys, dust, biscuit crumbs, forgotten school newsletters, fruit yoyo Bear cards, dirty socks, etc, which, in reality, usually cover every available surface. Some of these plants are fairly… Read more →
G is for Gladioli :: A to Z of Gardening
Every year, I like to try a new plant in my garden. It’s a good way to learn, and stops me feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of different shrubs and perennials that are out there! This year, I’ve chosen gladioli. Why Grow Gladioli? Some of you reading this might be thinking, “Ugh, no, not gladioli. My granny used to… Read more →
F is for Frost :: A to Z of Gardens
If there’s one thing that redeems January for me, it’s stunning, sunny, frosty Norfolk mornings, like today’s. The air is crisp and sweet, and the sunrise so pink and pretty that my heart sings. Plants can look quite beautiful in the frost. Heucheras particularly suit their common name ‘Coral Bells’ when frosted. I like the the way the frost picks out the detailed… Read more →
E is for Epimedium (or Horny Goat Weed) :: A to Z of Gardens
Bishop’s hat, barrenwort, fairy wings, rowdy lamb herb, randy beef grass, horny goat weed… These are all common names for epimedium. I can easily understand why epimedium might commonly be called fairy wings or bishop’s hat (or mitre) when you see the shape of the flowers. And bishop’s hat is an eminently suitable name, given that they tend to flower… Read more →
D is for Digging (and Depression)
Digging is powerful therapy for me, and I could certainly do with some of that at the moment. Depression wouldn’t be in most people’s gardening alphabet. But perhaps there are more of us depressed gardeners out there than I think. It’s at this time of year, in mid-winter, that I often feel bad. The ghost at the door hovers closer and… Read more →
C is for a Conflagration of Cornus
One of the first shrubs I bought for my garden was a cornus sanguinea Midwinter Fire. I saw it in the bargain section of a now defunct nursery on the A140 in Norfolk. I picked it up because I liked the shape, and the leaves and its muted peachy stem colour. I planted it in spring without much further thought… Read more →
B is for Bulbs :: A to Z of Gardens
Planting spring bulbs is a pure act of gardening optimism. I feel a wonderful sense of anticipation when I plant bulbs, of seeing those first bright green shoots pushing upwards through the chilly, brown soil in late winter. That sight is one I look forward to every year. It’s a reminder that spring is coming. It provides a welcome boost… Read more →
A is for Asters in August :: A to Z of Gardens
It’s the back-end of summer and your garden may be looking rather tired; as I do, frankly, five weeks into the long school holiday with two kids. By mid-August, the gorgeous, floriferous peak of early summer stalwarts is long past. The wisteria, geraniums, aquilegias, alliums, foxgloves, bearded irises and roses have ‘gone over’, and either been cut back or left… Read more →