Nature is taking over my patch, specifically my brick paving which could look fabulous if I power washed it more often but I’m just not getting round to it. I’m put off by the mixture of water and electrical cables everywhere and so am trying to make my peace with it being black and mossy. Let’s see how that adjustment goes.
I love everything about hardy geraniums and I now buy them online from the Cranesbill Nursery who grow a huge variety and sell big healthy plants with 1.5 litre rootballs. These plants are fantastic value and if you like the cottage garden style you wouldn’t want to be without them.
I had thought making compost from all kinds of organic material was a doddle but I’ve found out how it can go wrong and make a wet, slimy, woody mess that would take far too long to decompose left as it is so I had to start again.
The satisfaction of throwing your own homemade compost onto your borders is a great feeling especially as it takes no work whatsoever – just an ability to chuck loads of stuff into a heap.
Exciting new ideas for next year. By digging up several spreading clumps of perennials I’ve now got a few big open spaces of lovely soil to plant something NEW, something DIFFERENT.
Species tulips are tiny and perfect for pots in the cottage garden style for people who don’t have space for pots of big tulip bulbs.
There are many ways to have lovely 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.
In the low September sunshine some plants shine out more than others. Here are the loveliest in my garden right now.
Small spots of late summer colour amongst the green in the garden making them all the more treasured
On my new blog here is my personal view of a cottage garden style which I aim to create here in my North London city garden.
You need a bit of a budget for tulips but if you want a cheery splash of colour in April and May then tulips are your best bet and some can be used for more than one year. They really are part of the cottage garden tapestry.
Wonderful hardy geraniums from Cranesbill Nursery
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Real flowers and artificial flowers – both fabulous
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How to introduce a new colour in a cottage garden
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How to use colour in the cottage garden style
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Daffodils in a small garden – tips on how to grow them.
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