Growing through phases (phase 1)
The last few months I’ve been thinking a lot about how to design my new back garden. With the past couple of gardens, I confess, my plans were based on hope. I mean, all garden plans are, but mine were …
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Postcards from Penarth: Cosmeston Lakes, August – December 2022
This, is one of the reasons we chose to live in this part of Penarth. Cosmeston Lakes, the path to which is about 5 minutes from our new home. As you can see, there are plenty of paths I can …
First glimpse of the new garden
As you can imagine, a combination of moving from Sheffield to Penarth, along with managing my health, has meant blogging has been low down on the list of things to do. I’m going to focus on short and sweet blogs …
Garlic harvest 2022, and news
On the weekend we harvested my garlic crop, and as the weather is so dry (hot!) at the moment, I’m letting them cure in the sun for a few days. The bulbs are smaller this year. This may be a …
Amour Amaryllis
Last winter I watched as people posted their photos of Amaryllis to social media, admiring the large and loud flowers that cheered up the darkest winter day. I decided that I needed to have a try at growing them. Following …
Sorrel and lentil soup
This is a simple recipe, and a nice light soup for a windy and wet summers day. Serves 4 25g butter 5-6 garlic cloves 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 150g red lentils 1 litre vegetable stock 200g sorrel, coarse …
Update 1: Using a heart rate monitor to better manage MECFS (including HRV)
In mid June, I talked about using a heart rate monitor to better manage MECFS. I thought it might be useful to post an update and let you know how it’s going. And I’m adding information about another useful measurement, …
Notice to subscribers regarding Feedburner
Just an FYI that Feedburner, which is how emails about new posts on the blog are sent to you, is closing down from the beginning of July. I’ve downloaded the subscriber list just for the purposes of transferring this information …
Iris chrysographes
This beauty is Iris chrysographes, the gold-marked iris. Isn’t she splendid?! I mean, wow. You can also see what look like tiny white crystals on the petals at the top, leading down to where the pollen is found. I think …
Creating an alpine scree bed
I have long wanted to create an alpine scree bed, after admiring them elsewhere, such as the alpine scree beds found at Edinburgh Botanical Gardens. Scree beds aim to emulate the rocky sides of mountains, only, in an urban garden. …