Saturday 31 December 2011
Friday 30 December 2011
A Backward Glance
Chive flowers |
I started this blog in the middle of May 2011 and have written 192 posts since then. Out of curiosity I checked out the statistics to see what was the most popular post and The Last Rose of Summer came out on top with 35 pageviews. I find it intriguing why one post should attract more attention than another, when to my mind, they are of equal interest. Is it the title that draws a viewer initially or something they can associate with or maybe it's the pictures. The best month for pageviews was August when they totalled 1,629, a month when I would have thought people would either have been on holiday or too busy in their gardens to sit at a computer reading blogs.
Clematis |
Opium poppies |
I am not sure how useful it is to check on the statistics unless you can make use of the information to improve your posts, but I am not sure how I would go about doing that without changing the nature of the blog.
Purple Sensation Allium |
I do feel I have improved my blogging technique, or should I say, the way I put a post together, since I started eight months ago - but when I look at the more popular blogs - I feel I still have a long way to go - no matter, I write about my garden because I enjoy doing it, regardless of how many pageviews.
Regal Pelargonium |
Monday 26 December 2011
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is so called because it was the custom for tradesmen to collect their Christmas boxes or gifts in return for good and reliable service throughout the year. But it is thought the tradition stems from Roman times when money to pay for athletic games was collected in boxes. Later the Romans brought the idea of collecting boxes to Britain and the clergy used similar boxes to collect money for the poor at Christmas. On the day after Christmas the priests opened the boxes to distribute the contents.
Indoor Plants - Boxing Day |
Outdoor Flowers - Boxing Day |
Friday 23 December 2011
Four Seasons in the Rosebank Garden
As this will be the last post for the year 2011 I decided to show photographs which epitomise my garden through the year. I like to nurture a wild, overgrown look where possible - letting self-seeders do their thing and encouraging nature to take over but keeping some control. On the whole I have been successful this year, keeping the borders full of plants is a sure way to keep the weeds down. I have lots of plans for the flower garden next year - sowing more wild flower seeds and keeping the more blowsier plants confined to patio pots. The more books I read about natural gardening the more plans I make for the future. Exciting times to come. I doubt if I will ever get the garden as I would really wish it to be - but I am going to have a lot of fun trying.
Thank you to everyone who visits this blog and for all your kind comments - I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New year.
Autumn |
Spring
Summer |
Winter |
Thank you to everyone who visits this blog and for all your kind comments - I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New year.
Friday 16 December 2011
The Christmas Tree
A potted history
In the same room would have been the Christmas pyramid
a triangular construction of wood with shelves which held figurines, decorated with evergreens , candles and a star.
By the 16th century the pyramid and paradise tree merged, becoming the Christmas tree we know today, which was introduced to Britain by Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, in the 1800's and was popularised by Charles Dickens in his Christmas tales.
All information thanks to Wikipedia
Friday 9 December 2011
The Story Behind the Name
I have only been blogging since May of this year, and being a late-comer to this computer lark, had no idea that there was so much gardening going on in the blogosphere. I joined UK Veg Gardeners and found a site of like-minded people who just wanted to talk about veggie gardening, which was my greatest love. But it wasn't enough, I had got the bug and wanted more.
And so my blog was born, or should I say, sweated over. My technical computer knowledge was nil, it took me hours to set it up, with lots of swearing and frustration, it nearly didn't happen at all.
But what to call it. I hit on the 'Rosebank' part as that is the name of my house, the Ramblings came after trying all sorts of combinations Rantings, Ravings, Ruminating, Rural - anything beginning with the letter 'R'. And Ramblings from Rosebank it became.
My first post on Sunday, 15th May, 2011 was called Garden Allsorts I don't quite know why I called it that as I didn't actually say anything about gardening in the post at all - but I kinda wish I had actually called my blog by that name. And here we are, 186 posts later, still rambling on.
Friday 2 December 2011
Berried Treasure
As Christmas draws nearer I shall be making use of these plants by bringing prunings indoors for festive displays.
Ivy and Viburnam |
Cotoneaster |
Pyracantha |
Euonymous |
The there is the door wreath to think about, using evergreens such as conifers and leylandii, then adding a different texture with the smooth leaves of laurel or camellia. I already have a stash of pine cones to add to the mix that I have been picking up on my travels.
So all I have to do now is assemble all my ingredients and start cooking up a decorative Christmas storm.
I just thought I would show you a Holly tree grown to full size, at least 30ft., that I spotted in the village - now that's what I call a fine specimen.
Yellow-berried Holly |
Wistow Hall and Lake |
Wistow Church |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)