It can’t be August already surely? There has been a mistiness to the passing days, that has smudged the detail and had many of us puzzling over what day of the week it is. With the gentle easing of lockdown we will see clearer shapes and the return of punctuating routines. Thank goodness for theRead More
The British climate doesn’t do half measures does it? Most notable through early June was the intensity of the sun. We all felt at ease about the planting, confident that the frost was left behind and then a fireball appeared in the sky and everything cooked. Any carelessness with watering saw things fry. Many hoursRead More
April rolled into May and the treacherous weather continued with frost across 18 consecutive days eventually easing around the 10th. It was all very testing and damage was varied and widespread. I was really saddened by the demolition of the Magnolia blossom which had only just shown itself. I had Antirrhinums knocked back to two inchRead More
November was a classic autumnal month, a mish mash of crazy, ever changing conditions. Covid aside (and that certainly brought some turbulence) we had still, calm, warm days, torrential rain, gales and enough frost to knock the Dahlias and beans for six. In truth it has been great. I so enjoy boisterous weather, the roughRead More
A whole season swallowed up by COVID and time to think about the what to do next in the garden. The Spring in the main was pretty good and the interest in gardening lifted hugely as people, locked down sought occupation. There were many new to the task and most I suspect will be pleasedRead 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
Mmmmmmm…so we waited for the rain and then it came, the perfect fillip for new plantings. The beans romped and everything puffed up and grew masses of leaves. The turn around was amazing, at the start of June, the message was that rainfall was at an all time low and then within days the newsRead More
May rolls away, a muddled month, disrupted by Bank holidays and frost. Gardening confidence stayed high and lively throughout though, whilst on a daily basis, we (growers) tripped in and out covering and protecting as the teatime news indicated another after dark crash of temperature. It was all very wearing, the tease of nature changingRead More
The sting was certainly in the tail of last month, my goodness there was some treachery, particularly around the middle of the month, when a watery sun offered thin disguise to a cruel wind, that cut through everything. Every other person drawn by the deception nursed a cold. The pollen was lively too, with HazelRead More
Tick, tick, tick, the seconds turn to minutes and another month is gone. Totally mad, Christmas seems so far behind us and the seeds that were my Christmas present sit on my desk and tease me. January was an acceptable mix of confusion, with the weather not wanting to work to a plan, so weRead More