Gardening advice for the reluctant gardener
I’m often asked by non-gardeners for advice on what to do with the patch outside their back door. Where do you start?
Cottage garden daffodils – my favourites
Here are lessons I’ve learned about how best to grow daffodils in a small cottage garden – which varieties look right and how lovely they look in pots.
Wildlife gardening – Ha!
Squirrels destroyed my pot of tulips within minutes this morning – very disappointing but I can’t think of any way to stop them. As soon as I take the chicken wire protection off, they dig up and eat the shoots and bulbs.
Scented shrubs in your garden right now- plant soon for next year
I’m lucky to have fabulous scent in my front garden right now because I’ve planted shrubs which flower now, when days are dark and colour is scarce. Here are some suggestions for you.
Feeding your garden birds
Please think about feeding your garden birds this year. Once you hang up a birdfeeder you will be amazed how quickly word gets out and they come to feed on and off all day every day. I buy the feeders and the bird food from RSPB shop. Different birdfeeders This feeder below is for suet
Lovely colourful touches in the garden this week.
There are many ways to have autumn colours in your garden at this late time of the year. Furniture, shrubs, leaves, decorations and plants like grasses give a burst of colour going into the winter.
Allotment life – fantasy and reality
My enthusiasm at getting an allotment didn’t translate into any hard work to keep on top of the bindweed and couch grass. The potatoes tasted nice though.
September cottage garden plants – What’s looking lovely right now
In the low September sunshine some plants shine out more than others. Here are the loveliest in my garden right now.
If you get a chance to be on TV –
I was lucky to be invited onto live TV to talk about colour in the garden and how gardening is all about sharing.
BBC ONE Sunday Morning Live – 18th August – I’ll be on TV!
BBC One asked me to take part in a gardening section of their programme Sunday Morning Live on Sunday 18th August 2019. It was all very exciting and great fun.
Cutting back in a cottage garden – the reality
Here is a short practical blog showing how cutting my perennial plants back to the ground now will be good for the garden and good for the soil. I can spread compost in the new spaces and new growth will be up within a week or so. It takes a spurt of courage to hack away at growing plants but do it now and your garden will look for for months.
Early July in my cottage garden
Today July 6th I’m posting some photos of what’s happening in my cottage garden this weekend plus one pic at the end of my Mum who at 103 yrs old is still gardening; summer bedding now and planning bulbs for next year.