Ramblings from Rosebank

A Good Weekend for Weeding

2012-02-27T06:08:00.002Z

This weekend was perfect for gardening so I set to and managed to do quite a bit of clearing up of dead leaves that I had left as protection over winter - the blackbirds had been scuffling them about looking for worms and it was starting to look a bit messy - I filled a big trug with them. Unfortunately there were lots of ladybirds hiding in amongst the leaves, so they will have to find alternative hidey holes, like this:-

Can you spot them - two ladybirds snuggled up together in the flower-cup of a Hellebore - I am always amazed how these little insects can survive over winter.

google images

When you are kneeling down weeding and getting close to the soil it is good to see what is actually happening at ground level. I was thinking that all the Anemone Blanda that I planted last year had been accidentally dug up in a weeding frenzy - but I spotted one or two emerging (too small to photograph) so I was rather pleased. I always forget where I planted things as I don't leave any markers near the plants, it is always a surprise when they finally show up.

I kept four new Hebe plants in the greenhouse over winter to try and help them survive - but I think it was even too cold in the greenhouse for them and they look in a sorry state - I have planted them out into their final positions in the hope that they will perk up - this is their last chance, if the don't put on any new growth then I shall give up on Hebes altogether, much as I love them.

Although there are lots of leaves of tulips and daffodils coming through, the only bulbs I have with flowers, are a few crocus:-

These are in the ground, the ones I planted in containers, still have to make a show. Slowly but surely the garden is coming back to life I will just have to contain my impatience. But checking daily on the gardens' progress is very satisfying.

On Friday, as the beloved had a day off, we decided to go for lunch at Foxton Locks. This pub and restaurant overlooks the canal basin and is favourite stop-off for walkers and boaters in the summer. It has a glassed-in verandah area for eating, with overhead heaters and blankets available if you should need them. It is great fun to watch all the ducks racing about trying to be the first to get to the bread that the walkers bring especially for them.

Now that my greenhouse is cleared out I have begun sowing seed - broad beans and peas have been planted and hopefully this week I will begin re-potting overwintered plants. I think I can safely say 'the gardening season has begun' - about time too!

Greenhouse - Mission Accomplished

2012-02-25T18:23:00.000Z

With the advent of warmer weather over the last couple of days a concerted effort was made to finally clear out the greenhouse. I was moaning about the chaos in there last week, which was 'doin' my 'ed in'.
Mission Impossible has now become Mission Accomplished.

The beloved made a start by making more mess and shifting everything to one side - and the glass was washed, inside and out, and the moss removed from inbetween the panes of glass. The moss is a pain as it pushes the glass out so that it leaks. Then today we finished the job between us by cleaning the back of the greenhouse and clearing the work bench, disinfecting, getting rid of lots of rubbish, and putting everything back neatly. Voila! Now I can get down to the real business of seed-sowing, instead of trying to find a bit of space. We didn't bother cleaning the roof because we cover it with Cool Glass as the weather gets warmer, so that the plants don't get scorched.

Seed Box
I am always on the look out for practical containers to keep my seed packets in. The large packets of peas and beans are kept in a shoe box, the veg seeds in a flip-top filing box and the flower seeds in a margarine carton. They are all fine - just not very nice to look at. I still wanted something to put my home-saved seed in - and the other day in a charity shop, I found this:-

a pretty, carved wooden box just the right size for my little envelopes of seeds. Much better than a margarine carton wouldn't you say?

Backdoor Shoes
You know how it is - you need a lettuce for your lunchtime salad and you can't be bothered putting your wellies on when you go and fetch it - well, here is a solution - backdoor shoes:-

http://www.backdoorshoes.co.uk/

they are ideal for leaving by the back door to slip into and wander about the garden. There are all sorts of patterns - I chose the vegetable pattern, naturally - but you can get them in Rose or Chilli, Daisy or Bluebell, Strawberry or Tomato - there are 12 patterns to choose from. Pop over to their site and have a look I'm sure you'll love them.

Scentsational Sweet Peas

2012-02-24T08:30:00.000Z

One of my all-time favourite flowers is the Sweet Pea. I grow masses every year from seed - some bought, some saved. I usually buy Sweet Pea Collections, several types each in their own foil packet - when I went through my seed box I found a dozen different varieties.

Though I think of them lovely as cut flowers, my enthusiasm for sweet peas in the garden is boundless. I grow them up everything - the climbing roses, the apple trees, trained up obelisks in containers and my window box.

Cupani sweet pea

My favourite type are 'Cupani', one of the oldest varieties with amazing scent, originating from seed sent to England in 1699 by Father Cupani, they are native to the eastern Mediterranean from Sicily to Crete.

Henry Eckford (1823-1905) a nurseryman of Scottish descent, cross-bred and developed the sweet pea, turning it from a rather insignificant, if sweetly scented flower, into the floral sensation of the late Victorian era. see Wikipedia

Amongst those I am sowing this week are Beaujolais, bijou dwarf mixed, Cuthbertson mixed, old fashioned mixed, Spencer mixed, Swan Lake, blue velvet, Old Spice mixed. The old fashioned mixes are super-fragrant, and others are subtle and light.

Last year I had quite a few problems with greenfly on the Sweet Peas I grew in a container see here the problem was soon rectified but it could have been lack of water that caused it, so I will make sure that I pay attention this year. I am also going to try to remember to make one or two later sowings to try and extend the growing season a bit.

Lathyrus latifolius

In the front garden I grow the Everlasting Sweetpea, the flower is slightly different and there is no scent, it grows like wildfire and has seeded all along the front fence. It doesn't seem to care how rough you are with it, if it grows somewhere I don't particularly want I just yank it out, but it is really difficult to eradicate. Everyone admires the show it puts on, so on the whole I don't mind its bad habits too much.

I wouldn't like to be without these plants in the garden, they give me so much pleasure when I am working amongst them or when I pick a bunch for the house - and, of course, the more you pick the more flowers you get - as long as you keep nipping off the seed heads before they form seeds.

A Slice of the Good Life

2012-02-18T11:06:00.000Z

I can't resist a bargain, this pretty buttercup yellow Kalanchoe houseplant was reduced from £4 to 40p in our local shop - now that's what I call a bargain. A few other 'sale' items I have picked up just recently

Two large hanging baskets for this years Tumbling Toms reduced to £7
A metre long Grow Cover reduced from £30 to £10
A mesh cloche for £5 reduced from £15
and a propagator for £5 from £15

You just have to be in the right place at the right time, and if you are lucky you find a new pair of wellies for £4.

I also picked up a great book in the sale at our local garden centre

which is full of really useful information from growing to cooking, preserving to making your own products. So although I have had a little spending spree the total cost didn't actually amount to very much and I am delighted with all my purchases.

What's Happening in February?

2012-02-17T08:22:00.001Z

I have been having a bit of bother with the new Blogger format - it actually published my post whilst I was still typing it yesterday, so I have gone back to the old familiar format where I can at least access my dashboard. New and improved isn't always better Blogger!

Thank goodness for the rise in temperature over the last couple of days - our central heating decided to go on the blink on Monday, it hasn't been working too well in the cold weather and when the plumber removed the pump we found out why. It was totally blocked up with gunk and corrosion. So, new pump installed, we now have proper heat at last - trouble is, we have got so used to the house being on the chilly side, we are now finding it too hot, even with the temp. gauge turned down to practically nothing. Well at least it will save on heating costs.

There are one or two jobs that I would like to complete before the end of the month
*spreading and incorporating compost, and
*placing cloches or sheets of plastic to warm the soil ready for sowing seeds

Due to the cold snap most plants have been held back from flowering but as the weather warms up towards the end of the month we should be seeing

Crocus

February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March
Dr. J.R. Stockton

Cyclamen

The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size
Gertrude S. Wister

Daphne

Every gardener know that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle ... a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl
And the anticipation nurtures our dream
Barbara Winkler

Forsythia

Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.
John Boswell
and

Witchhazel

From December to March there are for many of us, three gardens:
The garden outdoors
The garden of pots and bowls in the house
and the garden of the mind's eye
Katherine S. White

and big fat red buds of the Peony should be developing

In the animal kingdom I shall be keeping a watch out for wood pigeons on my broccoli

and some moth caterpillars will start feeding especially angle shades and lesser yellow underwing

and blotches caused by holly leaf miners will become conspicuous

For more information of what is going on in February and jobs to be getting on with ,click on to the BBC's Gardening Calendar.

Quote from Mr. Middleton's Garden Book
"February is, in some respects, a dangerous month. The love songs of the birds, and the sudden bursts of sunshine, often bring on the gardening fever and tempt us to do those things which, for the time being, are better left undone."

Greenhouse Chaos

2012-02-10T09:10:00.000Z

My greenhouse is in a right old state at the moment. When it is not in use during the winter it tends to become a dumping ground for anything and everything .

It needs a really good clear out so I can wash all glass and benches and get it ready for filling up with plants and seedlings, but the weather has held me back, and it is driving me nuts. I am by nature a tidy person, but lack of space means that I am forever re-arranging things so I can get it all in without it looking like a tip.
Normally, in the spring, it looks like this

Spot the difference - nice and tidy - plenty of room for my tomato plants - just the way it should be. I don't know how I have accumulated so much stuff in there, and where am I going to put in all when the gardening season starts.

I have an idealistic fantasy greenhouse in my mind - that looks something like this

via Pinterest

or this

via Pinterest

Now they are what I call lovely growing places - so, suitably inspired - I resolve to get the greenhouse sorted out so that it looks as though I mean business - gardening business!

In Praise of the Crocus

2012-02-04T15:15:00.000Z

Crocus speciosa in enamel container

I wish now I had had the foresight to plant some crocus bulbs in containers for inside use. I always remember to buy hyacinths and paper white narcissus but never remember the smaller bulbs like crocus and scillas.

These small plants are much better seen at eye level, when you can observe the finer markings on their petals - of course, they still look beautiful planted out in the garden, but I am getting a little creaky in the joints to really get down that far to have a good look.

Crocus in ceramic bowl

Crocus tommasininanus

Blue Bowl with Crocus
by
Eithne Roberts

Any sort of container will do - but I think a shallow ceramic bowl would be perfect. In the depths of winter these exquisite little beauties are enough to bring a smile on a dreary day.

How to force Crocus flower bulbs for inside use

Fill a bowl with gravel until it is three-quarters full
Press the bulbs down firmly - they should be able to stand up without falling over
Carefully fill the bowl with water until it just reaches the top of the gravel and only just skims the bottom of the bulb
Place in a cool, dark place for six weeks to allow the roots to form
Gently remove the bulbs from the gravel and transplant to a pot containing potting compost
Completely cover the bulb with soil allowing any green shoots to remain uncovered
Place newly potted bulbs in a warm, sunny location for flowers to bloom in approx. 4 to 6 weeks.

Of course, I am giving this advice a little too late, it is only the thought of my outdoor crocus pushing their way through the soil outdoors, that made me wish I had potted some up sooner.

Have you been more organised than me and had the forethought to plant up some bulbs in August to be reaping the benefits now?

Chillin' Out (literally)

2012-02-03T07:31:00.000Z

The cows in the back field are all lined
up against the hedge
where the sun is warmest

I don't know whether you can remember as far back as last Saturday, but compared to the freezing cold weather we are having at the moment, it was positively balmy. I actually did some proper gardening - something I haven't done for quite a while. I worked outside (without a coat) emptying the compost bin and spreading the remaining compost over the raised beds. Then I turned the second bin and was left with about two feet in depth of lovely, crumbly compost from last year which I will spread once the weather warms up a bit. I pruned a climbing rose and the hardy fuschia and a buddleia. I was pleased with all the jobs I managed to get done - but then the weather turned, and we have had hard frosts all week - it really has been bitterly cold.

The good news is that we had an oil delivery, so even if it does snow or whatever, at least we will be warm - the bad news is that the price of oil has soared and it cost over £300 to half fill the tank. Sadly, we have no gas supply in the village, so the oil suppliers can charge what they want, and we can do nothing about it. We do have a communal delivery which is supposed to keep the price down - heaven knows what it would have cost otherwise!

So, wondering what I could do a post about today I wandered (well not exactly wandered, it is definitely too cold for wandering) - let's say I purposefully went outside to see if there was anything worth photographing - the answer is practically nothing - everything has flopped with the cold and the ground is rock hard - below are one or two plants that I found.

Euphorbia - Fireglow

This plant was new to the garden last year and seems to be doing very well - the new growth is a striking red and looks pretty good amongst all the dead brown stuff.

Perennial Wallflower

Despite everything, this plant just keeps on sending out flowers, and I am so grateful to it for adding grey foliage and purple flowers for so many months of the year.

Hellebore

There are loads of buds on this blush-pink hellebore but nothing showing on the claret coloured one at all - I hope it hasn't decided to give up the ghost.

Leeks

The leeks in the raised beds are doing ok, these are the ones that I have been cutting off at ground level, and are re-growing, hopefully into proper leeks and not just foliage.

Scarlet Kale

The kale is sending out new shoots all along the stem, which should make nice eating, as the older leaves are now getting a bit tough.

Indoor hyacinth

This is one of three hyacinth bulbs that I planted with the sole purpose of them flowering for Christmas - they are only a month late! When they have finished I will plant them outside, which I do every year, and I have a really nice collection out there now.

And that's it, pathetic isn't it - nothing else to show you. At least the days are lengthening slowly, so it isn't all doom and gloom. Plus my seeds arrived from Moreveg, a seed company I found out about through Flighty they were ones I was having difficulty sourcing elsewhere, and include Turks Turban and Spaghetti Squash, Chervil, Hyssop, Red Clover, Celery Leaves, Bronze Fennel and one or two others. My order arrived within two days, lovely little seed packets with not so many seeds that I won't know what to do with them all. Excellent, and if they all germinate, I shall definitely be going back to Moreveg next year.

The Garden is no place for Sartorial Elegance

2012-01-28T12:03:00.000Z

Have you ever noticed how t.v. gardeners adopt individual clothing styles to work in the garden?

Carol Kline prefers the wardrobe cast-off look

Sarah Raven with her long skirts, linen blouses and necklaces

Monty Don his French grape pickers look

Alys Fowler, with her, shall we say, very individual style

And Geoff Hamilton, who's uniform was a checked shirt and jeans (always) with a ribbed sweater with elbow patches in winter.

All, in their own way, have a gardening uniform.

Mine has changed over the years - when I kept smelly goats, overalls were my chosen attire, bib-and-tuckers in the summer. I have been through several Barbours, which ended up even smellier than the goats, with rips from brambles, pockets hanging off and in a general state of disrepair.

Coats feature heavily as part of my gardening get-up. My favourite was a lovatt green thick cord padded anorak type. I was devasted when the zip broke and I had to find a replacement coat.

Now my favoured coat is a waterproof, padded, fleece lined, zip up-to-the-neck bomber-type jacket that just falls short of keeping my backside warm. We have gardened together for several years, washed only when it has become so encrusted with dirt that it stands up on its own. We are good friends, it is a couple of sizes too big so that I can put plenty of layers underneath, should the occasion arise. I hope it will keep me company in the garden for a good few years yet. But when it finally bites the dust, I shall take great care selecting the next garment - after all, a girl must look her best at all times!

But I have forgotten the inimitable Percy Thrower (for you young 'uns he was a gardener in the 50's)

He was always smartly dressed in the garden, never without his attendant pipe. And think of the old-fashioned gardeners - waistcoats, ties and caps at all times. How times have changed!

Let's Mix It Up a Bit

2012-01-27T10:05:00.000Z

In the Rosebank garden I have four raised beds which are mainly used for salad crops - you know, things that need to be picked when you need them, instead of having to make a trip to the allotment garden, so all my herbs are grown at home as well. But because the beds are part of a flower garden I like to mix and match flowers with the the veg so that it all blends in. I have written about this before here and implemented most of the planting plans I had then.

Last year I split the Chives and planted them all along the edges of the beds together with California poppies, Nasturtiums, Sweet peas, Pinks and Morning Glory.

'Why on earth should it be a rigid rule that flowers

must be grown in one part of the garden

fruit in another and vegetables

always hidden away somewhere round the back?

Why not grow them all in the same border?

Geoff Hamilton

The Ornamental Kitchen Garden

I like to think of it as my Ornamental Garden and not just a veg patch. So if I want my Runner beans to look a bit special I use a metal arch to grow them up and leave the bamboo canes for the allotment.

I want it to be pleasing to the eye as well as functional. So, if I can do this in the raised beds, why not reverse it and put ornamental veg in the flower beds. I mean, why not have a Sungold tomato plant to give some height in the flower border with a Morning Glory plant twining around it or a few Rainbow chard plants to give lovely coloured foliage, or runner beans threading through a shrub, like you would with a clematis.

from The New Kitchen Garden by Anna Pavord

These thoughts are all in my head at the moment, but there is no reason why they can't become a reality. I have already begun to do this, with raspberry canes and fruit trees, in amongst the flowers, and I grow tumbling tomatoes in hanging baskets, rather than trailing petunias. After all, it is my garden, to do with as I wish - so why don't I work outside the box and have a little fun with it. There are no set rules are there, so I may just break a few.

from the New Kitchen Garden by Anna Pavord

July and January - Before and After

2012-01-23T22:20:00.000Z

I thought it would be interesting to look at all the borders in the garden at the moment, and compare them to photos taken in July of last year. (Click on any photo to enlarge)

Container garden - Jan 2012

Container garden - July 2011

The containers that are now full of bulbs and pansies were planted with pale pink geraniums in the summer. The purple clematis is in full flow on the fence which is beginning to get clothed in ivy which also surrounds the pots.

Purple patch - Jan 2012

Purple patch - July 2011

Only the lavender is prominent with the grey foliage in winter, in July this bed was full of delphiniums, erysimum and echium with pink and purple flowering shrubs at the back of the border. The patch of yellow argyranthemums (not sure if that's right - lets say yellow daisies) has been moved now, as it stuck out like a sore thumb.

Patchwork garden January 2012

Patchwork garden - July 2011

You would never necognise this as the same border it changes all year round dependant on what has self-sown that year. The orange blossom has made some significant growth in the corner and smells divine in the heat of the day.

Shrubbery January 2012

Shrubbery July 2011

The shrubbery can hardly be called that now as last winter finished off quite a few of the shrubs. I have several hebes waiting to take their place. I allow pineapple mint to roam free in this bed which gives it a kind of unity. I will be interested to see what comes up in this bed in the spring as I planted anemone blanda by the bucket load and various other plants that have disappeared underground - I just hope I haven't accidentally dug them up in a weeding frenzy.

Shrubbery

Raised beds January 2012

Raised beds July 2011

The planting of the raised beds is very luxuriant with every bit of space taken up with salady stuff, and anything spare that would not fit in at the allotment. I planted a lot more containers of veg last year, which were surprisingly successful.

Shade garden January 2012

Shade garden July 2011

The shade garden is under the apple trees and in early spring is full of aquilegia and sweet rocket, followed by feverfew and foxgloves, though by the time this picture was taken they had all disappeared.

Front garden January 2012

Front garden July 2011

I have gradually been replacing the plants in this border for yellow, orange and rust coloured flowers. But on looking at this photo I quite like the mismatch of colours. At the moment it is planted with wallflowers, which should look good mixed in with the tulips.

I have enjoyed looking back on last summers' pictures, you soon forget just what it looked like six months ago - and it gives you hope that it will all come back and be just as stunning this year. Later in the year when the garden is in full-swing I will do this excercise again and compare like for like in each area of the garden.

Nature, Beauty and Gratitude

2012-01-22T09:09:00.000Z

Need a daily dose of optimism - then watch this:-

Wasn't that great - it gives you something to think about doesn't it? Have a good Sunday.

A Winter Walk

2012-01-17T15:35:00.000Z

After waking to frost, the sun has been dazzling later in the day, but without any heat, and the frost has soon perished in all but the shadiest of places.

The sun has brought out all the gold in the garden where it glistens in the cold light. And on the Hydrangea Petiolaris outside the back door I found buds

All I could find along the lanes were the leftovers from Autmn

I take a familiar walk around the village, swaddled in scarf and gloves, to look for early buds or signs of spring - but there were none to be had. The pink campion is still hanging on to a last flower, a little ragged, but persevering.

A copper leaf in the hedgerow standing out amongst the decomposing leaf litter.

The gold of the lichen on the old bare branches

Ripening berries on the ivy turning from green to red to blueberry blue

And the sun casting my shadow, long and thin, on to the dried stalks of nettles

After a brisk walk I returned home and saw the sun highlighting a pink primula in the front garden the only plant flowering besides the poor old hebe which I chopped back to within an inch of its life after most of it died back last winter

And finally, just to make you smile

Lots of equine nostrils

A Very Frosty Morning

2012-01-14T09:06:00.000Z

I drew the curtains early this morning to find the world outside frosted over. We have had very few frosts so far this winter, this was the best one so far, the temperature has dropped to -2 deg., which after all the mild weather we have been having, came as quite a shock to my fingers and toes.

The farmer still has his cows out in the back field, usually they are in the cattle sheds, warm and dry. I expect there are a few frozen udders this morning.

All those plants that have dared to flower will be shocked also, pity the poor bulbs that are poking through the soil, thinking that Spring was round the corner. A few more weeks yet my beauties.

The sun is shining bright now and the frost will soon be melted, the heating has been turned up a notch and a hot bath is calling to bring life back to my frozen bones.

In Defiance of Winter

2012-01-09T15:17:00.000Z

Goldfinches

I spent some time in the greenhouse yesterday as it wasn't too cold, watching the birds come down to the feeders, that we have now hung again after the feeding station had been practically demolished with the winds. Although the greenhouse glass was pretty murky I managed to get a good shot of the Goldfinches feeding and squabbling. They are so colourful and exotic-looking it's hard to believe they are in a UK garden.

Snowdrops

I have just done a post on my other blog here about Snowdrops, so I though I had better check up on mine. At last they are pushing through the ground - I only have this small patch so far, but I would like to increase their number for next year.

Tulip leaves

Checking out what else is coming through I saw that the Tulips that I have planted in containers around the pond are making a show. Tulips - in January?

Lavender cuttings

I am a big fan of Lavender and the new plants I put in last year have bushed out really well so I took some cuttings to increase my stock. Most of them have taken, so I will put them into individual pots now and grow them on.

Cotoneaster

Usually, at this time of year, there are no berries left on the Cotoneaster - it is a sign that the winter hasn't been too cold, as I have hardly seen the usual Blackbirds and Redwings gulping them down like there is no tomorrow.

Redwing

I haven't seen any Redwings in flocks in the surrounding fields either - perhaps they have decided not to migrate this year. Come back - you're forgiven!

Hellebores

This beautiful dark purple Hellebore is in flower - I am so proud of myself - I grew it from seed, and it has taken two years to finally flower. The one on the bottom right is a huge plant with lime green flowers, not particularly a favourite, but the one top right is pale pink when it is young, then the flowers turn a dusky red as it ages. I can't believe that once I didn't like Hellebores, so glad I changed my mind.

Apple tree prunings

Finally, I spent a couple of hours this morning out in the gardening pruning the apple tree. My neighbour asked me to cut it back as it hung over her garden, and as her side gets the sun, the wasps arrive in their hundreds to eat the ripe fruit. So I cut off the best fruiting branches of the tree to satisfy her. If I hadn't done it, she would, so I had no choice really. My back was aching by the time I had finished - just shows how unfit I have become over the winter. Never mind - with all the jobs that need doing - I'll soon get back in shape for the busy year ahead.

The Calm after the Storm

2012-01-07T09:04:00.000Z

I took this photo the morning the storms arrived - can you see the whirlwind rising into the sky?

Today everything has calmed down, thank goodness - so I thought I would take a walk round the village and see if much damage had been done. The lanes were littered with branches - good news for those of us with wood-burning stoves. Gathered a big armful of kindling on my way round.

I found this row of Elder trees all leaning very precariously, they were mostly dead - well, if they weren't, they are now.

I also found several freshly dug Badger holes all around their sett - they obviously wanted to get further underground out of the wind.

Amazingly, this Rowan tree with pink berries, managed to hang on to them all despite the gusts.

And this Gorse bush was a welcoming sunny sight after being stuck indoors for most of the week.

Back at home I spotted these Raspberries defying the winter cold.

And this Jews Ear Fungus which had decided to sprout on one of the logs in the store. Gruesome or beautiful - I can't make my mind up.

The wind has also lifted the roofing felt on our shed, so that will need repairing, before the wind can do any more damage. If it's not one thing it's another! Hey ho.

The Promise of Spring

2012-01-06T10:20:00.000Z

Even in the coldest, darkest months of the year we can look forward to the dawn of a new season. Delight in the first awakenings as tiny buds burst forth and miniature leaves unfurl revealing the treasures of the new year.

Amelanchier, Clematis, Fern

One moment the earth is brown, bare and devoid of life, the next something catches the eye and there, defying the cold and pushing its way toward the light, is a delicate green shoot. It seems far too fragile to survive the hostile conditions, yet as you look around, you realise that it is not alone.

poppy, cornflower, limnanthes, aquilegia

Overhead, twigs and branches are flushing with colour, buds are fattening and there is the happy realisation that winter is on the wane.

On the downside the wind has been doing its best to wreck the garden. This is my mini greenhouse with the cover torn to shreds and the frame all in pieces. Luckily, it wasn't expensive and can be replaced. I should have taken it into the greenhouse for safety, but didn't really think of it till it was too late.

This is what remains of my suspended bird table, the chains that held it have snapped and the feeders have emptied their contents all over the floor. Some emergency surgery needed methinks! The lid of my compost bin was blown off and it smashed up a blackcurrant bush nearby, even though I had put a heavy weight on the bin lid. When will this wind stop!

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T08:57:00.000Z

A Backward Glance

2011-12-30T20:20:00.000Z

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

The other noticeable point is that not many people view the pages - I have to admit I don't do this myself very often - so I have to ask, is it worth adding information in the form of separate pages, except perhaps for your own use e.g. to make a list of plantings for reference purposes or when you sowed seed etc.

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

So, what conclusions have I drawn from the aforementioned statistics - not a lot really. But, as long as I feel that I am sharing the joy I get from gardening with others, then that's alright with me.

Boxing Day

2011-12-26T15:08:00.000Z

Indoor Plants - Boxing Day

Outdoor Flowers - 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.

Four Seasons in the Rosebank Garden

2011-12-23T08:39:00.000Z

Autumn

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.

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.

The Christmas Tree

2011-12-16T08:27:00.000Z

A potted history

In medieval times in Germany the Christmas tree was originally the Paradise tree, a fir tree hung with apples representing the garden of Eden eventually replaced by red baubles. The German people set up a tree in their homes on 24th December, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. Wafers were hung on it (symbolizing the host) which are now replaced by cookies. Candles were added as a symbol of Christ.

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

The Story Behind the Name

2011-12-09T08:25:00.000Z

I have linked up with Garden Faeries Musings where she wonders how different bloggers chose the name for their blog. There are quite a few weird and wonderful names for blogs out there and I have often pondered about their origins - Bumble Lush for one.

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.

Berried Treasure

2011-12-02T12:01:00.000Z

At this time of year, with little else to look at, foliage and berries come into their own. Luckily, my garden has an abundance of berries, ivy and euonymous that you wouldn't necessarily notice at other times of the year.

As Christmas draws nearer I shall be making use of these plants by bringing prunings indoors for festive displays.

Ivy and Viburnam

For me, reds and greens epitomise Christmas and I like to make full use of what is available a couple of days prior. I won't be bringing the foliage in too early as it tends to dry out fairly quickly in the warm conditions of the house. A display along the mantlepiece stuck into styrofoam bases of cotoneaster, pyracantha, holly and trailing ivy highlighted with the white flowers of the viburnam is a sight for sore eyes in the gloom of a dark winters' day.

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.

Yellow-berried Holly

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.

Wistow Hall and Lake

Wistow Church

After all the stormy weather we have had recently I thought I would finish on a calm and peaceful picture that I took this morning on the way to the farm shop. Alas, when I got there the shop had closed down, deciding not to renew its lease. A sign of the times I think!

Growing Wishes

2011-11-25T16:20:00.000Z

Over at my blog A Woman of the Soil I have been contemplating what new varieties of veg to try next year, but here in the Rosebank garden I shall be planting mainly annuals from seed. All of them have been bought (at end-of-season prices i.e. very cheap) with bees and butterflies in mind.
The only problem is, is that they are seed mixes, so I can't be sure what will come up.

I don't think I will do much direct sowing, which I think is a bit hit and miss - but I have read somewhere that if you sow them now in trays with an aerated lid on, then they will appear when the weather warms up and can be transplanted.

I also hope I will be able to extend my wild flower border around the allotment garden - so I think there is going to be an awful lot of seed-sowing going on in the spring.

With a bit of luck and a following wind there will be a lot of nectar-providers which will give a mass of colour for several weeks all summer creating a pretty wildlife habitat and a sea of seed heads later on in the season.

I also picked up a packet of first year flowering mixed perennials which should be an economical way to fill in the gaps in the herbaceous borders.

All this talk of seed-sowing has got me champing at the bit ready to get back into the swing of the gardening year. There are some great pictures where a designer has used wild flower borders on spare pieces of ground around Sheffield, @ Noels Garden blog.

A Guided Tour of the Raised Beds

2011-11-18T08:29:00.000Z

I bet you are getting fed up of seeing pictures of this perennial wallflower by now, but I keep showing it because I am astonished that the flowers keep coming. It has put on such a good display all year and I am really delighted with it.

At home in the Rosebank garden I have four raised beds which I use for summer produce, things that need a bit more care or that I need instant access to, like herbs. Two of them, which had lettuce and tomatoes in, are now empty, except for the last of the summer cabbage. I have weeded them and mulched with garden compost.

As you can see from the picture above, the compost is well rotted and crumbly and needed no sieving before laying it on the soil. But, after reading the Eartheasy Newsletter, I decided to do as they suggested, and put a layer of leaves over them as well, to suppress any weeds.

If they haven't rotted down sufficiently by the end of winter, then they can be raked off and added to the compost bin. To stop them all being blown off the raised bed I have netted over the leaves, which will also stop the neighbourhood cats from using it as a toilet.

I have planted my garlic in one of the other beds and as you can see they are about 3in. high now. If you remember, I started them off in trays in the greenhouse to give the roots a chance to form before I planted them out. This particular bed is still full of California Poppies which have already re-seeded themselves, so I had to work round them.

At the other end of same bed are my spring onions which are the result of four successive sowings. When I am ready to use them I slice them off at ground level and leave the roots in the ground to re-form new onions. This has been quite successful so far and well worth doing. As you can see, in the corner is a self -seeded foxglove which needs to be dug out and put in the woodland part of the garden. It is taking up a lot of valuable space but is also sheltering the onions from the wind that rips through the top of the garden from the open fields behind. So I will leave it there for the winter and try and move it successfully in the early spring.

I had one or two spare cavolo nero plants left over from the allotment plantings so I popped them in where I could find space. They suffered badly over the summer and practically disappeared, but now, although they are quite small still, they have started to recover - even though the companion Nasturtiums are threatening to take over.

And finally, this is a self-seeded raspberry plant, bang in the middle of the flower bed - and, me being me, I have left it alone to do its thing. What you can see is the new growth since I chopped it down after fruiting. The funny thing is, it doesn't taste like any of the other raspberries in the garden - it is much sweeter and quite delicious, so maybe it hasn't seeded from my plants, but my neighbours next door, or perhaps, because of the location, the soil is better for it and has affected the taste - whatever the cause I am not thinking of moving it any time soon - I love a bit of haphazardness (is that a word) where the garden does what it wants to do.

Just as an afterthought, I thought I would show you this lilac-coloured fungi that I spotted whilst I was out walking today, they were down a darkish alleyway right against a fence - stunning colour.
I couldn't find anything in my fungi reference book that looked anything like them, any ideas?

The Garden in November

2011-11-12T08:48:00.000Z

The garden in November

The last flower of the Crocosmia shining like

a little lantern hanging over the Marigolds

Nasturtiums glowing hot in the odd moment of

sunshine (still hanging on as we have not had a frost yet)

An early flowering Hellebore

that I grew from seed a couple of years ago

I found this last Hydrangea flower in my friend Janets' garden

and the Primulas have been flowering on and off all year

Mahonia in Janets garden

The school playing field, no longer in use as the school has closed down,
will be reverting back to pasture for grazing cows.

Fiery red Berberis

Now the garden is almost laid bare in readiness for winter it is easier
to see what needs to be remedied for next year.
Every year my aim to to make the garden more as Nature intended
and less 'man made'.
To this end I must try to combine plants in an informal and beneficial way
keeping it as loose as possible, inviting wildlife in to a mixture of
habitats, with light and shady areas, and try to create a natural balance.
A lot of this thinking goes against the grain for a gardener,
trying only to interfere with the natural process when necessary,
rather than imposing your will on the garden.
A lot more research and reading needs to be done over the winter,
a task which will keep me occupied during the long dark days.

Alone and Far Removed

2011-11-11T13:59:00.000Z

Alone and Far Removed

Audie Murphy

Alone and far removed from earthly care

The noble ruins of men lie buried here.

You were strong men, good men

Endowed with youth and much the will to live.

I hear no protest from the mute lips of the dead.

They rest; there is no more to give.

So long, my comrades,

Sleep ye where you fell upon the field.

But tread softly please

March o'er my heart with ease

March on and on,

But to God alone we kneeled.

Falling Leaves

2011-11-05T08:19:00.000Z

We have had our first lot of heavy rain today, the most rain we have had all year really; but it did stop for a couple of hours this afternoon and I decided, that after taking a walk, I would rake up the leaves from the lawn.

I suspect that this will be the first of many rakings, as the Willow and Cherry trees hang on to their leaves quite stubbornly. And, as the weather hasn't really been cold to date, I think it's going to be a long wait.

I don't have room for a leaf bin as yet, so I put them in pierced plastic bags, water them well and tie them up. Last years' rotted down really well and were put to use as a mulch.

But I would like to have more - I only collect one large bagful from my own garden - but I should like to have enough to be able to mix the rotted leaves in with potting compost. So, dare I go out into the street with a shovel and a bag and collect what I need, without feeling foolish?

I know in some parts of the village where leaves collect, they cause quite a problem blocking the drains, perhaps I should put on a fluorescent jacket and pretend I am from the Council.

The lengths I am prepared to go to for my garden - I don't know - I think I want my head testing!

Photo source: Pinterest

Dying in Bright Colours

2011-11-02T08:20:00.000Z

October is nature's funeral month.

Nature glories in death more than in life.

The month of departure is more beautiful than the month of coming

- October than May.

Everything green loves to die in bright colours.

Henry Ward Beecher

It was a glorious day here yesterday, chilly, but full of sunshine. Whilst out walking I saw the trees lit up and dappley with shade, all turning in varying degrees of yellow.

Then I saw this hedgerow blazing like fire.

And gradually the garden is changing

The Hydrangea petiolaris just outside the kitchen window is ready to shed its leaves

putting on a show of gold.

The evenings are getting colder and fires are lit.

Time for toasty toes.

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,

No comfortable feel in any member -

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds -

November.

Thomas Hood

A Patchwork Garden

2011-10-31T09:30:00.000Z

Some borders in my garden are left to their own devices. There is no specific planting I just let everything seed itself about and wait to see the results. Foxgloves, Sweet Rocket, Forget-me-nots, Aquilegia all mixed up. Primulas are split and transplanted, underplantings of bulbs like Hyacinth, which have been indoors over winter are planted willy-nilly. The result, hopefully, is a natural looking garden - probably a bit messy for those who like a weedless perfect look, sometimes one flower will dominate and a few are pulled out to give other plants a chance to shine - but on the whole, it works, with very little effort.

One of the good things about this way of patchwork gardening is that it leaves very little of the soil bare, so not many weeds are able to take hold. I have one or two problems with ground elder, but that too is mostly left unless it becomes too invasive, and spurge, which seems to predominate. is easily removed.

Although I enjoy gardening, I don't want it to become too much of a chore - this way the plants do most of the work for me, keeping the ground covered and keeping the weeds out.

Spring Garden 2010

As you may have noticed I have given the blog a face lift - not sure whether I will keep it or not - it may be just be a little bit in your face We'll see.

Late bloomers and other things

2011-10-26T08:45:00.000+01:00

Verbena bonariensis

Some sort of Acer I guess

Village tree at the crossroads

Village trees

At the weekend I finally dug up the Dahlias - they were looking pretty bedraggled and sorry for themselves - they haven't had a good year. I decided against leaving them in the ground as I want to plant them at the allotment next year. I lost all of last years' tubers during the winter so I am going to wrap them in newspaper, as Mark Willis suggested, keep them in the shed, and hope for the best.

I usually get rid of all the leaf litter that covers the flower beds, but this year I am leaving it for the bugs and beetles to deal with as I am trying to have a more insect-friendly garden - my motto this year is don't be too quick to tidy up.

Euphorbia

I had a wander round with the camera to see if I could find any autumnal photos, as everyone else's blogs I read are full of beautiful shots. Here are a few I found:-

Hydrangea petiolaris

Stonecrop

driftwood - nicely rotting

Lilac

Borage still in flower, self-seeded by the front gate

Flowers of the Choisya just opening

Erysium - the wonder plant

Not a big haul, sadly, but mine isn't a very shrubby garden - so I will just have to be satisfied with what I have.

I also dug up some Wallflower plants from their nursery bed at the allotment and planted them in the front garden. They were really healthy looking plants - whereas, the ones that I planted out a few weeks ago are much smaller and the leaves are full of holes, do flea beetles attack wallflowers? I love the variety of colours and the fragrance of them and grow them every year amongst the daffodils and tulips

Fuzzy White Stars

2011-10-24T11:12:00.000+01:00

You know when you have a picture hanging on the wall for years, you hardly even notice it, because it has always been there - well, that's how it is with some garden plants for me. The Viburnam Tinus which I use as hedging and a windbreak in a couple of places in the garden, hardly gets a second look. But yesterday, whilst I was pottering about, I suddenly caught sight of the Viburnam in flower, and thought 'when did that happen'.

For part of the year it is quite a dull-looking plant, which serves its purpose on the shady side of the garden, then it comes alive with beautiful pink, tight-curled buds, which open out into little fizzy white stars, which have a rather nice fragrance and are handy for bringing indoors when little else is flowering. One of the downsides to this shrub is that they grow very quickly to a great height, but they can take a severe pruning and recover well.

Last year I cut one of them down to nothing, as it had well outgrown its space - and now it is showing lots of new leaves which are a lovely fresh green before they turn to their rather dull colour again. After flowering it produces little berries - so all in all I think it warrants a place in the garden. Oh and they grow easily from cuttings as well.

Put on your Dress of Red and Gold

2011-10-21T16:46:00.000+01:00

There are still a few hangers-on in the garden, unwilling to give in to the season, but soon their time will be at an end for another year.

The Dahlias are looking very scruffy now but until they are hit by frost they will stay as they are, giving just a little more pleasure.
And the hardy Fuschia with the Eryngium behind have flowered and flowered and show no signs of stopping.

The Sempervivum theatre is also going strong and increases every year, they are supposed to be drought-resistant, but some are looking a little sorry for themselves. I will have to give them a good sort out next spring, if they survive the winter.

The sky early this morning was tinted with lavender and pink hues which changed by the minute - you know what they say about 'red sky in the morning'. We shall have to wait and see.

Tawny Leaves and Withered Hedges

2011-10-20T16:01:00.000+01:00

One of my favourite tv adaptations of a Jane Austen novel is Persuasion with Rupert Penry-Jones (drool, drool). I had never read the book,( I have to be in the right frame of mind to read the 'classics'), but today on my trawl through the charity bookshops, I came across this for £1.50 and when I opened it, found the words:-

"Her pleasure in the walk must arise from the exercise and the day, from the view of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves and withered hedges, and from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant of autumn, that season which has drawn from every poet, worthy of being read, some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling."

The last smiles of the year. That is how it has been today - the sun has been smiling down, so this afternoon, I donned my walking boots and warm coat and set off road walking.

My pace was brisk and I felt full of energy as I strode down the road, looking for autumn.

There are still plenty of berries around and they sung out at me as I passed by. These are on a Cotoneaster Horizontalis, which the birds tend to leave alone for some reason.

The hips on the dog roses are becoming fewer as they shrivel and fall.

The stems of the Bryony trail and twist around other plants, their berries soft and succulent.

And the Hawthorn in the hedgerow is still festooned with berried ornament.

The Berberis in the garden has little red droplets all along its stems.

And as I walk home, feeling fully invigorated, I see the cows all queuing up waiting to go in for milking.

But just taking a little time out to see what I was doing.

I guess days like this will become fewer and further in between, but I intend to make the most of them while they last.

Winter Preparations

2011-10-19T12:17:00.000+01:00

Autumn is marching on: even the scarecrows are wearing dead leaves.

Otsuyu Nakagawa

Photo: Pinterest

In the garden at home I have four raised beds which I use to grow small vegetables, lettuce, radish etc., and any spare plants left over from the allotment. They are mostly empty now so I have spread manure and compost and covered them to stop cats, badgers and other nuisances from digging holes and leaving their droppings. I spent the fine weekend completing this task and am glad I did, as the weather here has now turned chilly, and it isn't as pleasant working outside.

As I have been working I have been collecting seedheads for use next year and have a small collection that will be kept in envelopes in a dry, dark place - Sweet Williams, Sweet Peas, Rudbeckia and Sunflower - there are far more than I will need but it is always best to be on the safe side.

Then, as I was tidying everything way, to my horror, I found another box of stored tulip bulbs. I thought I had finished my bulb planting for the year - how could I have missed these? The easiest solution was to take them up to the allotment and dig a trench and plant them in straight lines. If they don't come to much it won't particularly matter, but if they do come good then there will be plenty for picking for the house.

Rabbits Running Free

2011-10-14T14:57:00.000+01:00

So, I was making my way back from the allotment this morning and saw what looked like a pile of horse poo
in the middle of the road, I swerved to miss it and to my surprise, it moved. I couldn't believe my eyes - admittedly it was still a little dark - but, there they were - two lop-eared grey rabbits. I don't know how long they had been running free from the confines of the rabbit hutch, but they were having a whale of a time racing about, going under parked cars, up garden paths - but never straying very far from home turf.

I had a feeling I knew who they belonged to and banged on the front door - I was afraid for the rabbits as the morning traffic was picking up and moving a little too fast for fat little hoppities to get out of the way. There was no answer to my knocking and the rabbits had disappeared again - oh dear - what to do! Bunnies are notoriously hard to catch and these two were no exception.

Eventually I found the owners who had no idea that the hutches were empty. I thought of the distress of their children going to feed the rabbits their breakfast and finding them gone. So I helped to round them up and made my way home. Just a little bit too much excitement for that early in the morning, thank you very much.

Bulb Planting Bonanza

2011-10-13T08:18:00.000+01:00

I have had bags of bulbs hanging around for a few weeks now just waiting for me to get off my backside and get them planted. Finally, yesterday, I made a concerted effort as the weather was fine, and planted 30 containers, 2 buckets, 2 hanging baskets, 2 troughs and a window box full of Minnow and Tete a Tete Daffoldils, dwarf and full-sized Tulips, before planting 80 Pansy plants in pale lemon and lilac over the top to stop the rain washing the potting compost away.

I am now officially exhausted - I knew there was a reason I kept putting it off - my back is killing me - but it is done, finito. Whew!

Just a few of the pots I planted up, seeing this photo makes me realise I must just go out and tidy the rims up a bit. All that is needed now is a bit of watering every so often and a long wait till next spring.

Wandering the Lanes

2011-10-12T08:34:00.000+01:00

Whilst wandering the lanes yesterday I spotted this Holly in the hedgerow its leaves bright and gleaming with the berries singing out in the dull and cloudy weather.

These are some of this years' lambs, who, with a whole field of grass to eat, decide instead to climb the rubbish heap and play at 'I'm the king of the castle' investigating if there is anything good to have a munch at.

I found hidden gems in the grass

and back in the garden I saw that this Geranium has flowered for the third time.

There's no stopping nature.

The Name of the Rose

2011-10-11T13:42:00.000+01:00

The other day I posted a picture of an unknown rose and I just wanted to thank http://wellywoman.wordpress.com/ for all the trouble she went to trying to find out the name of the rose for me. The one she found was very similar in description, but it didn't ring any bells with me. So I went on t'internet and eventually found it. The name is 'Josephs Coat' for obvious reasons, as the pictures above will show. The rose changes colour day by day, hence the name. At last I can sleep at night.

Rosy Cushion

2011-10-11T08:35:00.000+01:00

Another late bloomer ... this one is called ... Rosy Cushion

and grows by the picket fence in the front garden.

It is a bit spindley at the moment ...

but a good dollop of well rotted horse manure

should do the trick.

Sunrise yesterday morning...

a very angry looking sky which didn't really develop into anything much

except lots of wind.

Bountiful Berries

2011-10-10T08:28:00.000+01:00

Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster 'John Waterer' - this vigorous semi-evergreen shrub is a magnet for Field Fares and Redwings

during the winter - they love the berries. Most years it is absolutely smothered in them, but this year there aren't as many, possibly because it was pruned quite heavily last year. It has grown to about 15ft. high and is really more like a tree - come next Spring every last berry will have been eaten. From the bedroom window I can watch Blackbirds gulping them down like there's no tomorrow. Next year some drastic action, in the form of cutting off branches, will have to be done, as it is beginning to get too big for its boots.

The Last Rose of Summer

2011-10-07T08:34:00.000+01:00

In the 70's this rose was all the rage because of its dual colour - it starts off lemon and gradually turns pink then dark crimson as it gets older. But I'm blowed if I can remember its name. It is still pushing out buds, but nearly all the leaves have dropped off, and it gets blackspot. I don't get on very well with roses in my garden, the soil is too light I think - but I haven't the heart to dig it out as it keeps flowering against the odds.

I have no idea what this plant is either, I use it in my container planting, where it flowers all summer. I have potted it up in the hope that it will overwinter in the greenhouse. The flowers open and close with the sun and it trails over the edge of the container looking really pretty (purple flowers are a favourite). Could be some variety of Aubretia maybe - whatever it is, I hope it survives, to be replanted next year.

Whilst I was working in the garden yesterday this tree kept appearing in the corner of my eye - it is a few gardens away and dominates the skyline - a huge Sycamore where thousands of Starlings have roosted some years when huge flocks performed their acrobatic dances in the back field. I haven't seen that happen for a number of years now but the tree stands waiting for them to come back and offer them shelter.

Oi - hands off me nuts

Oranges and Lemons

2011-10-06T08:12:00.000+01:00

I find the yellows and oranges very difficult to place in the garden - they don't seem to fit in with my mainly blue, lilac and pink colour scheme - so I plonk them all in the front garden where they can shout out their colour together. As you can probably spot, there are one or two anomalies here which need to be removed, namely, the Japanese Anemone and the bright cerise pink Geranium, which don't exactly blend in with the scheme of things - well, we all make mistakes - don't we?

(Excuse the patchwork brickwork in the background - it has just been re-pointed). So far in this bed I have Nasturtiums, Crocosmia, Calendula and Rudbeckia. Yesterday I took out a bluey/lavender Penstemon which needed a bit of tlc, so I have potted it up, cut it right back and taken cuttings. I also did the same with an Aster which looked a bit poorly. In the space that was left by removing these two I will be transplanting a pale lemon Anthemis which is in the wrong spot in the back garden. So it is all change - for the better I hope.

These are the Penstemon cuttings - if they all take I will be a happy bunny.

Autumn Sowings

2011-10-05T08:35:00.000+01:00

I love cutting Sunflowers for my kitchen windowsill it cheers the room up no end

Had another good afternoon in the garden yesterday and sowed some mixed wildflower seed in one border, I bought the seed at 75% off the normal price when the shop was getting rid of all end of season seed packets. I buy a lot of my seed like this as it saves a lot of money. I'm not sure what will come up though, the picture on the packet shows lots of varieties, but I expect one flower will dominate, one that I probably don't want, but it will be interesting to see what happens. I also sowed Cornflowers outside, so if it works it will hopefully give a nice natural display. I don't usually do this because of the cat problem we have, but you never know, it might work.

These are the four Hebe plants that I bought as replacements for the ones lost overwinter. I have potted them up into bigger plant pots and will be keeping them in the greenhouse before planting out next spring. They were only £2.99 each, good value I reckon. I have a real soft spot for Hebes, they flower for a long time and I love the glossy foliage and they come in all shapes and sizes. I just hope I can hang on to these four - I will try and find reasonably sheltered spots for them once I do plant them out.

I have begun dismantling all my summer containers, a job I hate doing when the flowers, like the Pelargoniums above, are still going strong, but I need to get the Daffodils in soon - I have taken cuttings but they don't do very well overwinter in my unheated greenhouse, I always try - you never know, one day I may succeed.

Last of the Autumn Wine

2011-10-04T09:10:00.000+01:00

Making the most of the last few days of this amber coloured autumnal sunshine the garden is hanging on to the last of its flowers, I don't want it to end, but end it will - and then the garden it will go into hibernation biding its time before springing into life again in a few months.

Yesterday the weather was really blowy, a warm wind that has dried the soil out even more, so I decided to spend some time in the greenhouse, clearing up and clearing out. I checked through the stored apples and ditched those that had gone bad and did the same with the onions - a few had gone rotten. Then I potted up cuttings in to bigger pots sage and lavender and anthemis plus some replacement Hebes that I had bought (I had said that I wouldn't have them in the garden any more) but I couldn't resist when I saw four different coloured ones on sale, but I will keep them in the greenhouse till spring, just in case.

Over the summer the greenhouse seems to get full of all sorts of things that shouldn't really be there, so that is my next job - clearing out under the bench, buckets, fleece, plastic milk bottles that I have stored comfrey juice in etc. And, lastly, I am going to bring my container herbs in - if the weather turns like the forecasters say it will, then these jobs need to be done fairly soon.

Looking out of the window this morning though, it is still fine and sunny and the wind has gone - plenty to do still, all the things I was hoping to get done during the last week still haven't been done as it has been too hot to work outside doing physical jobs, for me anyway. Perhaps I should make a list, then I would get the satisfaction of ticking them off, one by one - on the other hand, seeing everything that needs tackling might overwhelm me, and I'll just say blow it and not do anything.

Convolvulus Cutie

2011-10-03T08:49:00.000+01:00

Did you know that Hover Flies or Flower Flies migrate here from the Continent, no, neither did I. Apparently the hovering is to attract females, didn't know that either. It has been a good year for them, there have been hundreds about especially on this small Convolvulus which I had planted in one of my containers. I have emptied the container now to re-plant with bulbs, but have potted it up in the hope that it will overwinter in the greenhouse. It is such a lovely colour, only small flower heads on a trailing stems, great for container growing.

The leaves are starting to fall with a vengeance now, looking beautiful in the churchyard early this morning.

Tough Love

2011-10-02T09:11:00.000+01:00

This Campanula carpatica has sprung into life again it is growing at the base of my Victoria plum tree and its delightful blue-mauve flowers just keep coming. It seems to like the position of dappled shade and thrives without any attention from me. It likes to warm itself on path edges in a well-drained soil and can be propagated by division.

A couple of weeks ago I spotted some new leaves forming on the Delphiniums and lo and behold a new flower spike has developed - I have never known this happen before - so I can only presume that it likes the crazy weather we have been having.

At the beginning of the summer my Camellia was looking rather poorly and was an eyesore that hadn't flowered for a couple of years - I decided drastic action was needed, either throw it out or give it one last chance. I picked the latter option and chopped the whole plant off to within two inches of the main stem leaving a small stump - pretty drastic I think you would agree. Well, this picture shows lots of new growth, so hopefully it will reach its former glory and flower once more.

I also did this with a Viburnam which had grown too large for its space - I cut it right down to ground level, thinking well that's that then, I've killed it, but no, it has put on a lot of new growth

This plant flowers from late autumn right through to spring, and is a welcome spot of colour in an otherwise bare garden, till the bulbs start to flower. So sometimes a bit of drastic action pays dividends.

Burnished Gold Beauty

2011-10-01T11:27:00.000+01:00

I was given this plant a few weeks ago and have only just got round to planting it out in my 'orange' border. There was no label with it but it is obviously a Rudbeckia of some sort - I have checked in my plant encyclopedia but it isn't there - can anyone help with identification? It is quite a stocky little plant, and shorter than most, but there are still plenty of buds on it - I can only presume it is an annual. I really love the burnished gold colour of the flower.

I just had to add this Calendula - buttercup yellow and multi-petalled - lovely. I will definitely be collecting the seed from this one.

And finally, this warm weather has induced these lovely pale lemon Primulas to flower well before their time, so pretty and delicate.

Tales of the Riverbank

2011-09-30T08:59:00.000+01:00

When I pop into the local market town on a Thursday to do a bit of shopping I always stop on a particular bridge over the River Welland to check the wildlife. I am always amazed at just how much you can spot right in the middle of town.

Yesterday was no exception I spotted a Water Vole, swimming for all he was worth to reach the bank. As you probably know wild life preservationists are doing all they can to bring Water Voles back from the brink, so I felt really honoured that I had spotted one - unfortunately I wasn't quick enough with my camera, so I have borrowed this photo from google images

Standing at the very same spot a few weeks ago I got really excited to see a Grass Snake swimming upstream

I wasn't sure what type of snake it was at first, but noticed that it had an orangey-yellow band across its neck. I was on my own and desperately wanted to share my discovery with somebody, but no one stopped when I said out loud "Oo look at that" so I felt a bit stupid.

The river must be really clean for such creatures to take to the water, in fact by another of the bridges there is a bed of watercress, a plant which definitely likes clean running water. Except for the odd supermarket trolley that finds its way in there, there are plenty of Mallard, who congregate on the grass outside Sainsbury's and plenty of small Brown Trout that collect in shoals in the same spot as I saw the other creatures.

The level of the river is pretty low at the moment, but in winter I have seen it as a raging torrent carrying all sorts of debris in its wake. The council have been giving all the Willows a haircut recently so they look a bit strange and bald, but come next spring they will push out plenty of new growth and grace the riverbank once more.

Lazy Hazy Days

2011-09-29T08:51:00.000+01:00

As I rode up to the allotment this morning

there was a hazy mist

above the fields

silhouetting the horses grazing

The Cosmos planted around the edge of the plot

their petals dappled with shade

accentuating the purity of

the white Cosmos

a mixture of flowers that have

grown together of their own accord

the Sunflower heads getting

smaller and smaller

still with plenty of flowers to come

the mint is in flower

attracting hoverflies and bees

and a beautiful pale lilac Zinnia

completes the picture

Early Morning Mushroom Ramble

2011-09-28T08:42:00.000+01:00

The best morning of the year so far I reckon, bright warm sunshine and heavy dew, just a hazy mist - so I decided to go for an early morning ramble to look for Field Mushrooms. By 7.30 I was up and running, well not quite running, but you know what I mean. I didn't have to look too far - the horsey field next door to ours was full of them, glinting white in the early morning sun. I came back home with a good haul, and excited by this I went into the field behind our house to check that out as well. Only a few Horse Mushrooms I'm afraid - and they were fairly old.

Once I start mushrooming I tend to get a little greedy for more, as (I may have mentioned before) they really are my favourite free food. So if the weather holds, I shall be out again tomorrow - before anyone else cottons on.

Mushrooms on toast here we come!
Pop over to my other blog http://elaineintheslowlane.blogspot.com/
to see more about the fungi I found whilst on holiday.

Season of Mists ...

2011-09-27T08:36:00.000+01:00

Today was the first of misty autumnal mornings, the leaves are beginning to fall, and cobwebs are woven inbetween the plants like little parachutes.

We had a wonderful day weather-wise yesterday and I was able to make headway into all the jobs that had been piling up. I planted out five containers with bulbs and pansies, with more to come, then I began clearing debris and cutting back plants that were past their best and transplanting foxglove seedlings that have popped up in all the wrong places. They have all now been grouped together with some new hollyhock plants to give a good display next year.

Hopefully, once the mist has burned off, I should be able to carry on weeding and mulching and putting everything to rights. Putting the garden to bed for winter is one of my favourite gardening pursuits, once all the bulbs and wallflowers are planted I can sit back and think 'good job done' nothing left to do till next year.

Then I can clean all my tools, store them away oiled and protected, but not for a while yet - there is still work to be done.
Photo source: Pinterest

Autumn Round Up

2011-09-26T08:55:00.000+01:00

It rained heavily overnight, a rain which was very welcome, now the sun shines and the garden glows in the morning light. The flowers are making a last push before winter sets in -

The white of the double Feverfew in its second flush brings a bright spot of relief to the otherwise dying foliage all around it -

The Erysium, bowed down with the weight of water droplets, has performed brilliantly all summer and looks set to carry on for a few weeks yet. I have already taken a few cuttings which have taken root, but I will take a few more whilst the weather is still warm.

The Nasturtiums are just hanging on although they are looking a bit moth eaten now, I have been collecting seed to ensure an equally good display next year.

The Pelargoniums are past their best now and will be replaced with bulbs, but not before I have taken plenty of cuttings for next years' display - sometimes the cuttings don't make it through the winter in my cold greenhouse, but I will give it a go anyway.

And finally, my little apple tree has bravely hung on to its fruit, it needs re-staking as the winds have taken their toll, but as it is quite a young tree, it is still quite pliable and will straighten without any trouble, I hope.

I bought a new Crocosmia whilst I was away, there was no label on it, but I just loved the darker markings on the flowerheads, I also bought some Asters -

Again, no label, but a very pretty pink, don't you think?

Also a more compact Aster which won't need staking. There are plenty of unopened buds on this one, so plenty to look forward to. This is practically the sum total of colour in my garden at the moment except for Dahlias which haven't had the best year.

Bulb planting is next on the agenda, mainly in containers, but last years bulbs will be put into the garden proper, then if they don't amount to much it won't really matter. I like to give them a second chance, then if they don't perform - out they go.

Pensthorpe Prairie Gardens

2011-09-24T16:47:00.000+01:00

Echinacae

Last week, whilst on holiday in North Norfolk, we visited Pensthorpe Nature Reserve - a beautiful place with lakes full of ducks, woodland walks and gardens that bloom at different times.

The Millenium Garden, designed by Piet Outdolf, is a glorious example of prairie gardening. At this time of year most of the flowers have gone to seed, but there are still great swathes of different grasses, swishing in the breeze. The garden is built on a slope and gives various views through the plants till you reach the bottom, then you are eye to eye with the low-growers.

This is a view of Geraniums that you wouldn't normally get unless you lay on your stomach.

We have been to Pensthorpe at different times of the year, in March the plants were being split by the gardeners and it was very bare.

In June it starts to come into its own , but by the middle of summer it is in full swing and takes your breath away.

These are the tall grasses - I don't know the variety - that sway and whisper .

Double Japanese Anemones

There was still plenty of autumn colour in the form of Anemones and Asters - planted the way plants should be in large drifts.

If you are a nature lover, plant lover or any other sort of lover then Pensthorpe is well worth a visit - if only to see the sculpture in the Bug Garden.

There is a breeding programme for red squirrels who scamper around in wire tunnels in the tree tops

And beautiful Stilts and Cranes in enclosures with pools and reeds and running water in an environment as close to their natural surroundings as possible - this particular enclosure would be my ideal garden.

Even though there are lots of visitors - the place is so vast that you hardly encounter anyone else whilst walking round. You can understand why the 'Springwatch' programmes took place here - there is so much to see, we have visited when the television crews were there, and everywhere you went there were cables and the car park reserved for the BBC was full of outdoor units - and it makes you realise that a helluva lot of people are needed to produce a programme like this.

If you get the chance - it is well worth a visit at any time of year.

The Golden Season

2011-09-16T08:48:00.000+01:00

I though I would start with this image, it isn't my garden, I hasten to add, just to prove to myself that an autumn garden can look good. This morning the weather is a bit grey and it's starting to rain - why can't the weather stay the same for two days running?

The Rudbeckias in the cutting patch are starting to look a bit sorry for themselves, they are getting a bit droopy and ragged now, but they have been a really good bright spot of colour for weeks, so I musn't mind too much. The rusts and yellows always seem more appropriate at this time of year, than the pinks and blues, I really must try to inject the garden with more next year.

The Sunflowers are still flowering well, despite the fact that the are all leaning at dangerous angles, and they are still pushing out plenty of buds.

Even though we have hardly had any rain, and I haven't watered them since they were seedlings, they have survived the harsh treatment and neglect.

These self-seeded Antirhinums have also done well, why is it that self-seeders seem stronger plants than those that we plant out. Is it because they decide where they want to grow, and choose the best spot?

Finally, a picture of the Phaecalia, green manure, that I sowed in the empty potato patch - I love this plant for its fuzzy flower heads - and it's great to know that it is doing a good job as well as looking pretty.

Rabbits in the Mist

2011-09-15T13:37:00.000+01:00

Image source Pinterest - I think this is a hare not a rabbit, but I liked this picture

Some years there are plenty of rabbits about, coming into the veg garden and causing havoc, digging crops up, nibbling the rest and generally being anywhere they shouldn't be. At my allotment garden they build their warrens under my old goat shed. The paving slabs in front of the shed have sunk due to their burrowing. What you might call a bloomin' nuisance.

Other years we hardly see any - myxomatosis - killing them off (a rabbit with this disease is a terrible thing to see).

This year is a good year for rabbits and a bad year for humans. On my way to town this morning, every few hundred yards, there was a squashed rabbit on the road. I don't know whether drivers aim for them or not - but the rabbits timing crossing the roads, leaves a lot to be desired. Of course this outcome is good for the crows and magpies, who stand in the road enjoying the carrion, flying off with the rabbits entrails to eat in comfort somewhere a bit safer.

On a more pleasant note - as I was walking through the market place, I heard the sound of some rather excellent music. Following the sound, I came across three buskers playing a splendid jazzed-up version of 'Sweet Georgia Brown'. A violin, double bass and guitar - making the market sound like a French side street or something. I don't know about you, but when I hear street-music it brings a lump to my throat and makes me very tearful. I get even worse at Christmas when groups stand round singing carols.

google image

Of course, I dropped some money into the violin case - as they had made my morning that little bit more special.

Laid Back or Lazy Gardening?

2011-09-14T08:39:00.000+01:00

At this time of the year the garden wants a right-good seeing-to, as they say in Yorkshire. Most plants are past it now, and are on their last-flowering legs. They have flopped over - sprawled out and died back. The weather has been prohibitive these last few days and not much has been done that desperately needs doing. No excuses I know - but when it gets to autumn, I feel all gardened-out. Should I just leave it to Mother Nature to sort it out, she's been doing it without our help all along, after all? If we left our lawns alone, would they automatically become a meadow?

Shall we let the seedlings seed where they will, the result will probably be far more natural than with our manipulations. What about no pruning - bushes and shrubs left to run riot to be covered in flowers next year ... I'm all for that. Should we pull out the plants that are struggling, they will never come good however much tlc you give them, and replace them with wild flowers that will flourish. Are you getting my drift?

I'm all for a natural-looking garden, that looks as if it's meant to be there, that is what I try to achieve, but which is quite difficult to do. I should think most gardens have plants that originated from all four corners of the world, how different they would look if we just used native plants, but these are what we call weeds - so that will never do, would it?

But then we wouldn't be gardeners would we - we would just be caretakers, standing on the sidelines watching, whilst Nature takes her course. Maybe a little tweeking here and there would be enough to keep the garden looking good. Of course, come next spring, when I have my gardening head on again all this laid-back attitude will be gone out of the window and I will take charge and force my will on the garden. Oh well - it was just a thought!

see the latest post at my new blog http://elaineintheslowlane.blogspot.com/

An Autumn Walk

2011-09-13T08:37:00.000+01:00

As we are in the midst of a 'mini' hurricane at the moment

gardening is almost impossible

so I ventured out into the autumn sunshine and decided to walk the

length of the Saddington Tunnel.

This tunnel has the distinction of being the longest narrow boat tunnel

in Europe at 808metres long.

The tunnel was opened for boat traffic if 1797 and the original

towpath carries on over the top of the tunnel.

In the days of the horse-drawn boat the horse would be led

over the top whilst the men lay on their backs on top

of the boat and pushed it through the tunnel with their feet

on the ceiling.

I saw lots of signs of autumn

Fungi in the leaf litter

Elder leaves turning into beautiful shades

Mysterious symbols set in stone

The canal strewn with leaves

Make-shift bridges on the tow path

Secret pathways

Old Bridges

And finally journeys end.

The view from the top of the tunnel.

The Saddington Tunnel was a great feat of engineering

and has provided modern-day narrow boaters

with an exciting part of their journey on the Grand Union Canal.

(see the latest post on my blog http://elaineintheslowlane.blogspot.com/)
'The Wild Woman of Exmoor'

Absolute Perfection

2011-09-12T08:18:00.000+01:00

This Pom pom Dahlia, only has a small flower head, and it certainly isn't as showy as most Dahlias, but I love the compact neatness of the flower head and the incurved petals. It is quite vigorous producing lots of perfect little flowers. The awful weather we have had this year has affected the plants and they have been bashed and battered, flattened by badgers, dug up by cats and the blooms spoiled by rain. But are we downhearted! The answer is yes - but we'll try again next year, and hope for better results.

My Favourite Flower from the Cutting Patch

2011-09-11T10:25:00.000+01:00

My cutting patch this year hasn't been as floriferous as usual, mainly down to the appalling weather we have had this year. That said, the Zinnias have been amazing. I planted two dozen grown from seed, and although they were slow to start, have been producing flowers since early summer, and they are still going strong.

I shall definitely be growing them next year, all these flowers from a packet of seed , how could I resist.

The Feast of St. Michael

2011-09-10T08:40:00.000+01:00

Aster (Michaelmas Daisy)

Autumn is the time when Asters come into their own. They are called Michaelmas Daisies because they bloom at the time of the Feast of St. Michael on 29th September, universities also use Michaelmas for the name of the autumn term.

They flower all autumn long with varying shades of lilac-coloured flowers, but can be prone to mildew. The one in my garden is only about 1ft. tall, but others can grow to 3ft. The flower heads are quite small but there are usually plenty of them, and they can be quite invasive. The Aster novi-belgii are a double variety which are easy to raise from seed and usually are cerise coloured.

They prefer sun or partial shade in fertile, well drained soil - I shall be moving mine this year as it is not thriving in the front garden where the soil is hard-baked and also it is planted near to the edge of the lawn, and because it leans forward, often gets strimmed by mistake.

An Obsessive Collector

2011-09-09T08:46:00.000+01:00

I am one of those people who can't resist picking up things when I am out and about, (I'm the one with my head down on a beautiful beach in Norfolk looking for pretty shells instead of admiring the views). Or when I am going for my daily outing on my bike or just walking I bring home sticks for the fire or bags full of hedgerow fruits (I never go out without a bag in my pocket) - I just can't help myself - it must be the hunter-gatherer in me.

The collection includes weird shaped fossilly things, shells, horseshoes, twisty bits of driftwood and a sheeps skull. Does anyone else have this obsession or am I just a weirdo?

I thought I would share pictures of last nights' sunset with you - it was amazing - this seems to be another obsession at the moment (the pictures really don't do it justice)

Finally, I thought I would just pay tribute to this Hebe, one of only two that survived last winter in my garden. I thought it was a gonner just like all the rest, so I cut it right down to the ground in the hope that it would put out shoots, and it has. Prior to last winter it had been my pride and joy, taking up a lot of the front garden border, but putting on a wonderful show of colour practically all year round. It has got a long way to go to get back to what it was, and, to be honest, looks a bit of a mess at the moment, but I have high hopes for it and may well give it some TLC overwinter this year to make sure it survives.

Garden Surprises

2011-09-08T08:24:00.000+01:00

I like to grow Cosmos from seed every year in the cutting garden as it is so easy and gives good value for money, flowering right until the first frosts. It is long-lasting in a vase and comes in pale pink, deep pink and white. But this year hasn't been so good. I'm going to blame the weather again. In a mixed packet of seed it has thrown up this deviation, a flower with rolled petals (it may be from the Shell series). To be honest, I'm not sure if I really like it, and don't think I will save the seed from this plant. Due to the windy weather I had to pick the blooms in order to photograph them.

The other surprise is the re-flowering of the Weigela, this variety is praecox variegata which has leaves with creamy-white margins. I grew this one from a cutting, and it normally flowers in early spring, which it did, but it has decided to give a second showing for autumn. What a weird gardening year it has been. Have any of your flowers sprung any surprises?

Bulb Bounty

2011-09-07T08:40:00.000+01:00

To cheer myself up, because the weather has been so, over-the-top, these last few days, I decided to choose my selection of bulbs for the spring display in the garden. I always store the bulbs from the previous spring to use again - but they aren't always successful a second time, so I generally buy back-up bulbs for my containers. This selection is Anemone Blanda, Daffodil 'Tete a Tete' (miniature), Large Mixed Crocus, Tulipa Tarda (miniature) and Chinodoxia.

I usually plant the bulbs in layers in the pots, finishing off with a top planting of Pansies, so that I have a long-lasting display right through the spring. I hate disposing of the summer flowers from the containers whilst they still have plenty of flowers, but they are going over pretty quickly now and are looking a little bit tatty, so I may bring this job forward a little. What will your choice of spring bulbs be this year?

Stunning Sunset

2011-09-07T08:22:00.000+01:00

Because of the gale force winds that have been buffeting us for the last couple of days, the sky has been ever-changing, but by the time the evening came, it gave us its best shot:-

Is this, or is this not, an absolutely stunning sunset. One to remember I think!

Village Walkabout

2011-09-06T07:55:00.000+01:00

Yesterday the weather was very blustery so I decided on a village walkabout to blow away the cobwebs.

There are quite a few secret little walks around the village that aren't much used. So I started by walking through fields on the public footpath till I came to the kissing gate

And after walking across a few fields and climbing a fence I saw leaf shadows dancing in the road

I then took another footpath through a sheep field and found a secret plum tree in the hedgerow that I have been picking from for years, no one else seems to walk along the hedge, so they were all mine -
then I passed a Chestnut tree full of green nuts that will eventually be used for playing 'Conkers'

I walked through the alleyway, past the ancient mud-built walls that have been attacked by miner bees who drill holes in the hardened mud to make their homes

I then walked through the churchyard full of ancient gravestones of former members of the village
past the Victorian lamp post

and past the church of St. Nicholas with its small windows in the porch and the heavy oak door

I passed a stone trough full of flowers

and a zig-zag tree, that couldn't decided whether to grow left or right

past fields that have been harvested and cleared

with all the straw bailed and stored for winter

then back home feeling clear-headed and invigorated

A nice gentle stroll in the afternoon sun - what could be better?

Cobwebs and Raindrops

2011-09-05T08:08:00.000+01:00

The last couple of days it has rained early in the morning then turned lovely and sunny in the afternoons. The cobwebs in and around the plants were all glistening with raindrops.

And the netting over the brassicas was dotted all over with perfect little diamonds set in every corner. It is these unexpected delights that give me so much pleasure in the garden. What does it for you?

Sun and Shadows

2011-09-04T08:31:00.000+01:00

The last few days have been really sunny, beautiful September weather and my favourite time of year. My kitchen gets all the afternoon sun, so the blinds have to be pulled down. I noticed this wonderful shadow picture of the plant on the windowsill. Can you guess what it is?

We are Japanese if you please

2011-09-03T08:19:00.000+01:00

Japanese Anemone (Anemone Hybrida)

Introduced in 1848, this wonderful autumn flowerer produces heads of striking, rounded, pink blooms with golden stamens. You can grown them in sun or part-shade and they can become invasive. This is what is says in the books, but mine, (I have had it a few years now), has hardly grown at all. I was hoping for a mass of pink flowers spread across the flower bed. No such luck - the plant is exactly the same size as when I put it in. Not one of my better successes I'm afraid.

The back of the flowerhead is almost as pretty as the front

This cactus-type Dahlia has such a large flower head, as big as a side plate, that I couldn't find a vase for it, so I snipped the stem to a couple of inches and have floated it in a dish. It looks stunning, don't you think.

Little Miss Sunshine

2011-09-02T08:45:00.000+01:00

Sedum (Stonecrop)

How can you fail to notice this little patch of sunshine in a garden. This plant is a self-seeder that has decided to grow in a patch of gravel and really brightens up its little corner. It is easy to propagate from cuttings of non-flowering shoots or by division. It has also seeded itself on the flat roof of our house extension, but I have never seen it in flower there, so we have a 'living' roof. In our nearby market town I noticed that one of the bus shelters has also been planted as a living roof - I wonder how many other people have noticed it, not many I bet. I think a 'living roof' is a great idea and would like to add to it in some way, but I am not sure of what plants would be suitable. A bit of research is needed I think. I know you can buy roof mats which are already planted with sedum that you just lay on the roof which is another good idea, although the cost may be restrictive - maybe something to look into.

There are quite a few ways of decorating your house outdoors, using trellis for climbing plants in pots where there is no soil. Or maybe, as in our case, growing downwards - we have a bay window which has a flat roof - I could put containers around the edge and plant climbers without support so that they trail downwards.

So. if you run out of planting space in the garden - with just a bit of lateral thinking - you could increase your growing capacity quite considerably.

Second Flush Flowering

2011-09-01T08:32:00.000+01:00

I was mooching round the garden yesterday, camera in hand, looking for something to blog about today, when I spotted this Campanula which has decided to come into flower again. They start flowering in the early summer and that is it, why should this year be different - who knows? But this caused me to look more closely to see what else had decided to give a second flush.

New growth on the Delphiniums for a start. What is going on? Normally, once they have finished flowering I cut them down, and they disappear till the following year. Not this year, they are pushing out new foliage, which looks bright and fresh against the surrounding plants. I doubt much else will happen with it as it is far too late in the year - but what a nice surprise.

The Pyracantha too have decided to put on a beautiful display for late summer.

They certainly bring a little sunshine to the dull days.

Garden Visiting

2011-08-31T08:45:00.000+01:00

Because my garden flowers are practically over, I decided to visit my friend Janets garden to see how hers was faring. Janet is a very keen gardener who specialises in unusual plants and every available space is crammed with colour. What she can't get in the ground she puts in pots, she has dozens of them, plus hanging baskets and troughs. When I have volunteered to water her garden whilst she is on holiday, I can vouch for the fact that it is a mammoth task to keep them all well-watered, but it is worth it because they put on an amazing display.

Her garden, unlike mine, is beautifully kept; she works very hard at it, and any time you pop round unexpectedly, there she is on her knees, weeding.

These are some of the Sunflower plants that I gave her, which under her care have done far better than my own.

Every border is a delight of mixed planting

and as you can see for yourself there is still plenty of colour to be had at this time of year

as long as you choose the right plants.

I should like to thank Janet for giving me permission to photograph her garden to show to you, unfortunately, Janet herself, is camera-shy. I must say though that it is always a pleasure to take a wander around a garden which puts mine to shame. But on the other hand, it gives me something to aspire to.

Willy Nilly Growing Dill

2011-08-30T08:49:00.000+01:00

Anthemum graveolens

This morning I found this self-seeded Dill plant amongst the Zinnias at my allotment garden.

During the Middle Ages Dill was prescribed as a protection against witchcraft and as an aid to digestion. It is still used for the latter purpose for young children, in gripe water.

It is an aromatic annual that has blue-green thread-like foliage and umbels of summer flowers. It is uniquely flavoured with an aniseed taste and is used to flavour savoury and sweet dishes, particularly in Scandinavia and Europe. It gives character to dill pickles, vinegar and potato salad.

If the seeds are infused it reduces flatulence, hiccups, stomach ache and insomnia.

Grow in a sunny spot in rich, well-drained soil, but keep it away from Fennel or it will cross-pollinate.

On a walk by the reservoir yesterday morning I noticed that the boats all had their covers on as protection overwinter, the clinking sound of the sailwires against the mast reminded me of the harbour at Blakeney where we visit during our Norfolk holidays.

Boats moored up at the sailing club by the reservoir

The Reluctant Gardener

2011-08-29T09:38:00.000+01:00

Late summer garden

Late summer in the garden is a difficult time, most plants are going to seed, the annuals have given up the ghost and everything in general is in a state of transition. In the picture above you can see the odd last ditch attempt at flowering, but mostly it is a sprawly, mixed up mess, that desperately needs attention. But I am in a state of indecision. Is now the right time to pull plants up, trim them back or just leave them till the last minute, before I need the space to plant my spring bulbs.

Bare earth, at this time of year, just invites weeds to take up residence. I know what will happen; it will get to the stage where I can't stand it any longer, and I will be brutal - chop everything back to within an inch of it's life - and then wonder what I am going to do to fill all the space.

I have already begun the autumn clear-up - the cornflowers and nicotiana have been thrown on the compost heap, the tomato plants have been unstaked and felled, and my overlarge Kolwitzia shrub, that badly needed pruning, has been despatched, waiting to go to the tip.

In a few weeks the garden will be unrecognisable, only the bare bones left, ready to start anew in the spring.

Just thought I would share this picture with you of last evenings' sunset. Amazing or what!

Gardening on a Shoestring

2011-08-28T08:55:00.000+01:00

Erysium cutting

It is a matter of pride and principal that I spend as little money as possible on my garden. Growing most of my plants from seed, taking cuttings, and splitting plants to increase my stock.

The Erysium (Perennial Wallflower) pictured above is a cutting, one of three, that I took from the parent plant as soon as I bought it. Already I have increased my plants, fourfold, from just one. There is no magic formula for taking cuttings, just snip off a healthy shoot and pop it into potting compost, put a pop bottle (cut in two) over the top, until it makes root, and bingo a plant for free.

So far I have taken Lavender, Argyranthemum. Pelargonium and Dianthus cuttings, as a safeguard, just in case they don't make it through the winter.

This is a good time of year to start increasing your plant stocks and also for a little forward planning; sowing hardy annuals and saving seed from this years plants. I am sure that you, like me, spend far more money than we intend to keep our gardens beautiful, but with a little work, you can keep the costs right down.

Top 5 Favourite Summer Flowers

2011-08-27T08:45:00.000+01:00

As it is the end of the month, I thought, instead of doing an August review, I would pick what my best performing plants have been throughout the summer.

The Clematis Victoria which adorns the fence of my patio garden has been a really good 'doer' this year. Some years the slugs strip the soft covering off the stems and it dies back. Because of the dry weather this year the slugs didn't manage to do any damage and the plant has blossomed it's little socks off.

The Rudbeckia 'Rustic Dwarfs' in my allotment cutting garden reappeared magically after the hard winter and set about growing themselves, even though they were supposed to be annuals. I have been cutting them all summer long, and there are still plenty of flowers on the plant.

After a very slow start the Sweetpeas eventually came good. I planted three stands of them in different parts of the garden and a long row in the cutting garden, using up all the old seeds I had accumulated, even those past their 'sow before' date. As a result I have had a bounteous harvest every day. The ones in the cutting garden are finished now, but those in pots are still growing strong, but the stems are very short now and can't really be cut. But, they have definitely been value for money.

This is the only Hollyhock that I have in the garden, it still has flowers at the very top of the stem. I have been so impressed with it that I have made a decision to grow a lot more of them next year.

And finally, Zinnias. This is the first year that I have been really successful with them. I love their range of dusky colours, and they have truly been an asset in the cutting garden. I have kept cutting the central flower stalk and they keep sending out new flowers. They are still going strong, and will hopefully carry on right through to the first frosts. Definitely on my 'must have' list for next year.

It would be interesting to know what other people's Top Five would include.

Our Summer Visitors

2011-08-26T08:29:00.000+01:00

Birds on the wire - Swallows and Martins this morning

Birds on the wire yesterday morning

You can see the difference in the number of birds between yesterday and today; as the summer draws on more and more Swallows and House Martins gather on the telephone wires. This morning the sky is full of them twittering and gathering into large flocks.

When I looked out of the window at 6.30 a.m. there wasn't a single one to be seen - then I heard them heading in from the east, they have possibly been roosting down at the reservoir - they came in one big mass, you could hear them before you saw them. They sit on the wires preening, vying for position and having a good natter to their neighbours.

They have been my constant companions in the garden all summer, performing their aerial feats above my head, chattering all the while. The martins build their nests in the eaves of the houses down the street, and come back every year to the same nests, making repairs with mud collected from the puddles. They dip and swoop across each others path without missing a wing-beat.

They appear magically in spring after their hazardous journey across continents and oceans and raise their young, who, in a very short time, are able to dash through the air with the swiftness of a meteor, catching insects and generally enjoying themselves showing off with their aerial acrobatics.

Soon they will gather on the wires for the last time, before making their epic journey back to Africa for the winter. I will miss my little flighty friends, the countryside will be quieter without them, but hopefully, we will see them once again next year.

From Mighty Oaks

2011-08-25T08:25:00.000+01:00

The fruit of the Oak - Acorns

This noble, deciduous tree, once a powerful pagan symbol, has large, spreading branches, lobed leaves, and male catkins. Oak bark provides a leather tan, and as tanners seemed immune to tuberculosis, the bark was used for treatment of the disease. Acorns have been used as human food in times of famine, though they were mainly used as animal fodder. The raw kernels are bitter, but chopped and roasted that can be used as a substitute for almonds. The Californian Indians used acorns as one of the basic items in their domestic economy and were used in the form of a coarse-ground meal. The bitterness had to be removed this was done by pulverising the nuts then leaching them in repeated doses of water. The result was a mush having a consistency of peanut butter and having a flavour of sour cream and grapenuts. It was regarded as an extremely substantial food. In Europe the most common recent use of acorns has been in the roast form, as a substitute for coffee during the war. The kernels were chopped, roasted to a light brown colour, ground up, and then roasted again. The oak apple and leaves were once worn as a symbol of loyalty to the Crown and the US military awards the bronze or silver oak leaf cluster for heroism.

A Walk on the Wild Side

2011-08-24T09:41:00.000+01:00

Our garden backs on to open fields where cows graze and field mushrooms flourish in autumn.

In medieval times this was where the old Brabazon family built their manor house.

The land dips down steeply and this was where the old water mill was and the fishponds,

which until a few years ago was still filled with water.

The farmer who owned the land dug out a trench to let the water escape as it was a hazard

for the grazing animals.

The area is now covered in Horsetails

which is an ancient, primitive, non-flowering herb, the young heads of which

can be eaten boiled. It's minerals and salts enrich the blood and strengthen hair and nails.

The land was shaped by glaciers rolling through the valleys, and all along the bottom

are streams and ponds which reflect the sky and trees.

At this time of years almost all of the wild flowers have gone to seed.

I found a few whilst walking

Yarrow

(Achillea millefolium)

In folklore, Chiron the centaur, is supposed to have taught Achilles about the

healing virtues of yarrow, and he used it extensively

to keep his armies healthy, so much so, that the plant took on his name.

It has many healing properties, but the peppery leaves can also be finely chopped

into salads and the flowers used to flavour liqueurs.

Autumn Hawkbit

Meadowsweet (also called Queen of the Meadow)

The almond-scented cream flowers add flavour to herb wines, jam and stewed fruit.

Herbalists use flower tea for stomach ulcers and headaches.

Meadowsweet was sacred to the Druids and the favoured strewing herb

of Elizabeth I.

Oxford Ragwort

Supposedly brought over by the Romans, for what reason, I don't know.

This plant is fatal for grazing animals and the whole plant should be pulled out.

Dead ivy vines lay at the foot of a tree.

In the Domesday Book this area where I live now only had eight families living here, no more than 30 inhabitants working the land. The purpose of the village was simple.

To keep the peasants alive so that they could keep the land in good heart

and pay dues to the manorial lords and thus to the Crown.

Beguiling Begonias

2011-08-23T09:01:00.000+01:00

There are many different types of Begonia, they can be evergreen or deciduous shrubs, and small tree-like plants, or perennials and annuals, grown for their colourful flowers and/or ornamental leaves. The one shown in the picture is in the tuberous group, grown for their flowers, produced in summer. Large-flowered double types are known as Begonia x tuberhybrida which form bushy plants suitable for containers and hanging baskets. They like to grow in dappled shade in moist conditions and are frost-tender. The tubers are dormant in winter and should be brought inside in much the same way as dahlias. They can be propagated by seed in spring, or by stem or basal cuttings or division of tubers. They bring colour to dark corners and are fairly easy, but can be subject to mildew. I have not always successfully saved the tubers overwinter, it is a bit hit and miss, but for long-lasting colour in the garden, they can't be beaten.

Fabulous Fuschias

2011-08-22T09:56:00.000+01:00

Fuschia 'Nellie Nuttall'

To my mind these are the most feminine of flowers with their elegantly recurved sepals like ballerinas on tiptoe with tutus and arms outstretched. Yet no one seems to mention them, I must read through hundreds of blog posts in a week, and don't recall one post about them. Is this because they are 'out of fashion', too common or gaudy - I don't know why, but surely they are good value for money in containers flowering all summer long, with so many varieties to choose from. They are raised easily from cuttings and can be trained as standards.

Celebration

2011-08-21T08:47:00.000+01:00

Purple Petunia

Yesterday we were invited to a special celebration. One of the oldest houses in the village had a birthday, it was 250 years old, built in 1761. The occupants of the house held a party in its honour and a birthday cake had been made which exactly resembled it, even down to the red telephone box outside. All the villagers got together for the celebration and it was a good opportunity for everyone to catch up on the gossip, eat lovely food and raise a glass.

Just to put 1761 into a historical context (thank you Wikipedia) I will just list a few events that took place in that year:-

George III married Charlotte of Mecklenburg and they were crowned King and Queen the same year.
Earthquakes occured in London.
The tune Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star was published in France.
The Faber-Castell company was founded in Nuremberg.
The slave trade to and within Portugal is forbidden.
The British capture Pondicherry, India, from the French.
Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder fails to garner support to declare war on Spain.

All in all, it was a good excuse for a get-together, and everyone enjoyed it - and if the house could speak, I am sure it enjoyed it too. Here's to the next 250.