Tag: wildflowers

Front Garden Makeover

My front garden is getting a makeover. We’ve done a fair bit to the front garden since moving in, in 2012. I filled the borders with shrubs, perennials and bulbs, and planted a Rowan tree. I planted fragrant climbing roses against the house. We put in cheap and cheerful raised beds so we could grow fruit and veg. It’s the… Read more →

How To Make Elderflower Cordial

We made elderflower cordial for the first time last week, and it was so much easier than I expected. It’s an ideal weekend job, and a British summer classic. The fragrant, flowery, lemony flavour is delicious. Here’s how we did it: 1. Collect some flowers Elderflowers can be found everywhere at the moment in hedgerows and on trees. If you’re… Read more →

How To Green-Up Your Driveway

Many front gardens are essentially a driveway, maybe with the odd tree or shrub in a pot, but with little in the way of wildlife-friendly greenery. I totally understand why you might prefer to park your car off the road. What I don’t like is the way these driveways become desolate, lifeless spaces. With bee and wild bird numbers declining,… Read more →

Helmingham Hall Gardens

I was at Helmingham Hall Gardens, near Stowmarket in Suffolk, on Sunday. My mum and I went to their annual plant fair in May, but it’s such a magical place that I had to bring more of my family back to see it too. The day was gloriously hot and sunny, so we licked delicious ice creams, bought from the shop in… 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 →

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 →