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 →
Swab the deck!
At the bottom of our garden, in a shady north-east facing corner, is a deck. It was built by the previous owner and cleverly incorporates an old cherry tree, which actually grows up through the middle of it. This year the tree produced lots of really tasty cherries – the lovely warm weather we had in June must have helped… Read more →
Bambooserie and cardoons
We had a lovely, slightly damp, time at the Bishop’s House Garden in Norwich on Sunday afternoon. I’ve been meaning to visit all summer. It’s a hidden, walled garden, positioned right in the heart of the city, near the cathedral. Unfortunately it’s not always open to the public and you can only visit on occasional open days. Yesterday was a… Read more →
Autumn is here
The early signs of autumn are appearing. Cyclamen have popped their heads up out of the ground, bare-stemmed and without their heart-shaped leaves yet. Apples are starting to fall and the plums are turning the most delightful shade of rosy pink. The rest of the veg have slowed down now with the arrival of colder temperatures, and there is mildew… Read more →
Best children’s garden toys
I thought I’d do a round up of my favourite children’s garden toys, following on from my last post about childhood memories of playing outside. We have a few garden toys that the kids have absolutely loved and that they continue to play with year after year. You’ll notice that I haven’t included a trampoline. I know they’re popular and… Read more →
Gardens as memory keepers
This is me, aged 3, in a friend’s garden in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1981. You’ll probably see a similar scene if you visit me in my garden now. I lived in Kenya until I was nearly 14. It was a pretty idyllic childhood in many ways, and I have lots of memories of playing outside. I remember squeezing snapdragons so… 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 →
Up The Garage Wall (Part 1)
Everyone has a part of their garden that drives them up the wall (forgive the pun). For some time, I have been searching for a way to disguise this mock stone, garage wall. Whenever I look out of the kitchen window, I think how lovely my garden is, and what a shame that this grim, grey thing has to be in… Read more →
The wind runs in the reeds
I’ve just had a rare two days away with my husband at the north Norfolk coast, while our kids stayed with their grandparents (my lovely in-laws). We stayed at the Windmill in Cley, which has the most stunning views over the marshes to the sea. We saw this sign on a walk along the coastal path through Cley Marshes nature… Read more →
How to renovate a border
In my last post, I mentioned that I wanted to renovate the border in front of my living room window. The fact is, we have quite literally no money to spend on the garden at the moment, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. The border in question is at the front of the house. It was one… Read more →