Garden visit: Hodsock Priory – snowdrops
Now that we have moved ‘up North’, we are in the process of discovering our new annual flower pilgrimages. In Oxfordshire, each year we would see the snowdrops at Kingston Bagpuize Gardens in February, the fritillaries at Iffley Meadows in …
Something new
In recent years, I have challenged myself to try to grow something new each year. Originally it was more unusual varieties of potato, such as Salad Blue or Highland Burgundy Red. As my confidence with growing vegetables developed, I then …
Crop rotations for the vegetable beds
It’s February, it’s sunny, at the moment anyway, and I finally feel like the growing season has begun. So I thought it was time to work out what vegetables I plan on growing, and plan the vegetable bed rotations. Garden …
End of month view: January 2014
Now that the landscaping of my back garden is complete and a new year has dawned, I have decided to join Helen, @patientgardener in writing a End of Month View (EMOV) post each month. The aim is to see how this newly designed …
Plant memories
Plants can contain memories. That is, beyond the memories within their genetic make up, they have memories tied up within them that can be deeply personal to the grower planting them. Some plants contain the memory of place from where …
Garden visit: Anglesey Abbey (photo essay, 3rd visit)
I have previously written about the winter garden at Anglesey Abbey, in February 2012 and March 2011. Kevin’s mum lives in Cambridge so yearly visits can usually be made. We only missed 2013 as we were busy preparing to move …
Landscaping complete, let the growing commence
After finally deciding on the final layout for my back garden and sourcing a landscaper to do the hard landscaping work, I now have a new look! First the ‘before’: March 2013: when we moved in (the plants/compost bins from …
Landscaping photo essay
For the really keen(!), as much as for my future reference, this is a photo essay giving a step-by-step guide to how the landscaping was done. Removing the old grass Rotovating the soil which was heavily compacted, heavy clay Raking …
Winter light on sculpture: a winter visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Kevin & I decided to make the most of the amazingly beautiful winter weather today and enjoy it, because tomorrow the bad weather hits again. We have been meaning to visit Yorkshire Sculpture Park since we moved to Sheffield and …