I forget where my nemesias came from. Or, just how long ago I got them. At some point two to three years ago, I popped a couple into two of the big pots right outside my front door, which otherwise contain a daphne odora and a coprosma. The daphne promised ‘very fragrant, deep pink and … Continue reading Nemesia – non-stop flowers
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The image for this post shows: the sole pear produced by what is still pretty much a stick in my front garden a Crystal lemon cucumber from my greenhouse inadvertently, but inevitably, some dog hairs! Glossing over 1 and 3, the cucumbers were a fun experiment I shall definitely repeat next year. The plants are … Continue reading Green tomatoes and yellow cucumbers
Peasant Pudding is presumably so called because it’s simple and cheap to make. It’s also quick to throw together and yummy to eat. This version is heavy on the apples in proportion to the pudding side of things, and comes from an old notebook of my Mum’s. The quantities are therefore British Imperial measures. Peasant … Continue reading Peasant Pudding
There may not be a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Plants. But sometimes, you kind of wish there was. Following my previous post about pebbles/shingle, here are a couple of related photos. Where people have gone for pebbles or paving slabs, for low-maintenance; then tried to make them look less sterile with plants. … Continue reading Cruelty to plants
The main picture isn't part of a car park or industrial site. It is someone's front 'garden' in a wholly residential area. Here is a fuller view/: Being one big island and a bunch of small ones, Great Britain has a LOT of coastline. It’s hard to measure – there is even a thing … Continue reading Leave pebbles on the beach
A while ago, I shared some Useful Hints for the Home from the 1940s, which I found tucked into the back of an inherited, hand-written recipe book. Here are a few more that have not really stood the test of time. Though in the case of the first one, you COULD try it, if you … Continue reading More 1940s household tips
In the language of flowers, bluebells denote constancy. They are also a true harbinger of long sunny days – and they are beautiful, too. It may seem odd to be talking about them in the height of summer, but someone gave me a packet of bluebell seeds that say ‘scatter in the ground in August/September’. … Continue reading Bluebells for constancy
The first time I saw Haloragis erecta Wellington bronze (Toatoa) wasn’t in New Zealand but in Oxford, England. Well, the first time I'm aware of having seen it, that is. I could have seen it in NZ and not noticed it. It is quite easy to not notice Haloragis erecta Wellington bronze. It is a … Continue reading Toatoa: one man’s wonder is another man’s weed
Supermarket plants – good or bad? Well yes. And no. ! Just over a year ago, Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don stirred up the argument by urging gardeners to steer clear of supermarket plants. His argument was that they diminish choice: “You get lots of exactly the same thing, mass-produced to be as cheap as … Continue reading Supermarket plants
Sticks can be incredibly dangerous As can tree stumps, branches, twigs – and hard leaves. I had a dog who gashed his leg, plunging into a river, on a bit of tree submerged in the mud (luckily, missing anything vital: he needed stitches, but quickly recovered). Throwing sticks for dogs is also the cause of … Continue reading Simple garden safety tips
