Here we are three months into the ‘Odyssey of Covid’ an epic journey for us all. It has been both testing and at times joyously uplifting. People have talked to one another and there have been huge acts of kindness and of generosity. In parallel, there has been bubbling frustration and confusion, all presided overRead More
What a difference a month makes? That said there has been a scent of it for weeks. Against the backdrop of the crisis, nature has put on an extraordinary show. The cherries have been magnificent, the forsythia glowed, and the tulips have brought real joy. I have a sentimental connection with them and try toRead More
April and the extended day makes the prospect of gardening more appealing. It has been a long and soggy journey and the ground is still wet, but somehow the extra light and the arrival of leaf lifts us and there is a desire to get on. The sudden lime green flash in hedgerows, almost overnightRead More
Wet, wet and a bit more for luck. My goodness we have had some rain. The ground is saturated, tough enough for gardeners, it must be a nightmare for farmers. It is very frustrating; you’ve really had to seize your moments to get out. Thankfully I did. I shifted a couple of shrubs, did someRead More
Soggy, soggy, soggy, what a frustrating few weeks to start our new year. The ground has been so difficult to get on, even the lawn has squelched like a laden sponge and whilst there hasn’t been a huge amount to plant, the ground has been almost unworkable. I did however manage to get my bareRead More
Hooray, the elections done, and we are all excited at the prospect of a new and bright beginning, well those of us who garden are anyway. I love packing up the old year and preparing for new adventures. The tidying up is taking forever though, the weather having been a tad challenging. The wet hasRead More
The finishing post is once more in sight, another year flown away, a different mash of the same ingredients. Not a bad year overall, there were certainly plenty of leaves and those that are falling are making for a bumper compost heap and the winter greens look promising. The wet has been a bit tiresomeRead More
October quietly slips away, a funny month really. Ahead of the changing clocks a prelude of dark shortened days, punctuated by just enough sunshine to keep the summer borders alive. Indeed I saw some magnificent baskets and borders well into the month. The ground moved quickly from dry to wet too, with some very soggyRead More
What a joy September proved to be, with some delightful days and a real awareness of autumn knocking. I do love the low, chill watery sunrises and the smell of the changing season that sneaks across the land after dawn. The weather though hasn’t knocked out the summer crops and many things have just keptRead More
So, that was summer then? What a strange month August proved to be, a real mish mash of unpredictable weather, that knocked over and knocked out. It tucked into everything above three feet, pushing over canes and cages and tumbling immature fruit. Not that the fruit issue worried me too much as pests have beenRead More