Last week, a lazy afternoon in our Welsh garden turned into a bee observation exercise - I'd been lying on my sun lounger with a few magazines (while Chris was busy pruning his wall trained pyracantha) and was struck by the low hum of bees harmonising with the river flowing through. Close inspection revealed many … Continue reading Bees..and more bees

  It's been another fabulous sunny day - this year they just keep on coming...and now we're into August the show stopping hot plants  are starting to strut their stuff - and how! First up and what a plant -  Crocosmia 'Lucifer', a fabulous and essential element to the hot border - it's got height, vibrancy, structure … Continue reading Feeling hot hot hot!

We've had a great week in Majorca and took some time out to visit the picturesque town of Valldemossa. In the centre there is a13th century Carthusian monastery where the composer Frederic Chopin spent a short period of time with his lover George Sand - it was hoped the climate would help him recover from … Continue reading A week in the sun

If you're anything like me, you'll spontaneously decide a particular plant is your absolute favourite .....only to change your mind when another beauty bursts into bloom. This morning the sun was out, the air still and we spent time relaxing amongst a plethora of flowering specimens -  June is the best month in the garden … Continue reading Favourites

June is without doubt the most successful month for us as far as gardening is concerned, a feast of colour that we'd love to reproduce across the seasons - we'll keep on trying! A couple of favourites.......

This is Ollie, our miniature schnauzer pup who arrived at the beginning of May - and he's certainly kept us busy over the last couple of weeks! He's just 9 weeks old in this photograph and looking a bit lost - missing his mum! First trip outside and Ollie made himself at home with a … Continue reading Ollie makes his debut

On Sunday afternoon I was pottering around in the garden at Scott Road when these two ducks descended on our pond. They were pretty non-plussed by my presence and as you can see, let me get quite close to them. They stayed until dark when I must admit I started to worry that they'd settle … Continue reading Ducks!!

  After all the snow and cold weather, it's no surprise that plants are emerging much later than usual - but I am so pleased that the hellebore I planted last year at Scott Road has completely recovered from being covered in a blanket of snow in March - it was in full flower before … Continue reading Resilient hellebores

We're having a short break in Wales where the ground looks pretty bare now that the snow has all but melted away, but I can imagine how this will look by July - we certainly won't be able to see the river from this point as there will be iris, leucanthemum, globe thistles and crocosmia … Continue reading Preparations

Must learn to believe in the weather forecast and then waking to scenes like this wouldn't be such a shock! Pretty as it is, snowfall like this is so disruptive, not only to day to day life (have to use the bus as my car is rear wheel drive and just can't cope with these … Continue reading More snow