A description of how I renewed my little pond, a vital part of the cottage garden style and feel, in the hope of encouraging even more wildlife into the garden.
My garden is reassuring me that all is well underground in the healthy bug-filled soil and I can sit and wait till everything is ready to take its turn to shine. I can relax and just wait patiently.
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.
In a designed garden or a pristine perfect garden I wonder where they keep all the stuff that anyone pottering in their garden will need every few minutes? Where do they chuck stuff they don’t know what to do with?
Suddenly we have a nightly visiting hedgehog coming for food after years of not seeing one. They are such lovely little creatures – and mean there is a chain of Life in the garden from beetles to foxes all living and munching and having a lovely time.
I’ve discovered mail order fresh alstroemerias and am so happy to support Sussex grown flowers from @alstroemeriaben of Crosslands Flower Nursery. Supermarkets are full of them but his are something special.
Here are my tips for having wildlife in your garden to make it a lively and joyous place for you and all the other creatures we have to share our space with. We can all find our own balance.
Dedham Hall Hotel in Essex is in Constable country and as I walked to the front door I knew it was my kind of place – one of those fabulous gardens that looks abundant and artless and so natural – a garden that has soul and a sense of place – interesting ordinary plants in every corner and a garden that pulls and invites you in to sit and enjoy it. Such a treasure.
Wonderful hardy geraniums from Cranesbill Nursery
Hardy geraniums In my very first blog in 2016 I wrote about my love for wonderful hardy geraniums here They really are some of the…
Real flowers and artificial flowers – both fabulous
I've recently discovered some online artificial flowers from Alex James that I think are beautiful and look wonderful either on their own or mixed with…
How to introduce a new colour in a cottage garden
A new colour in early Spring Here's a way to introduce a new colour in a cottage garden in early Spring. Plants can't always provide…
How to use colour in the cottage garden style
How to have colour in the cottage garden style town garden without it being too much work for one person to manage. Well I would…
Daffodils in a small garden – tips on how to grow them.
If you have a small garden like a town garden and want to grow daffodils, here are my tips on how best to do it,…