Daphne is one of my wish list plants this winter and I'm really happy with the odora aureomarginata my mother in law gave me for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. The flowers are now emerging and as it has been indoors since I received it, the scent has filled our living room! Along … Continue reading Plant Profile – Daphne Odora Aureomarginata
Last week, having spent a marvellous morning at Mona's Garden in Highgate, London, our group of Garden Media Guild members proceeded to Southwood Lodge, a handsome 18th century house set amidst a most charming garden. The house has previously functioned as a care home and school, but in 1963 it was purchased by an architect … Continue reading Garden Media Guild visit to Southwood Lodge
Yesterday afternoon, minutes before dusk and as I was finishing off in the garden, the bird chatter and whistling I'd been listening to suddenly notched up a few decibels - hundreds of starlings had landed in trees on the farm land opposite us in Wales, it was unbelievably loud! Suddenly silence fell; just as the … Continue reading Murmuration?
There's only so much you can do in a greenhouse during a wet weekend and so after I'd taken our dog Ollie for a very damp walk this afternoon, I decided to try and identify the wildflowers I photographed last weekend in Wales - I think I've got most of them! Ferns, gorse and heather … Continue reading Coastal Wildflowers
After a sun drenched week interspersed with the odd thunderstorm, it started pouring with rain at around 9am this morning and as it seems to have set in, it'll be a greenhouse afternoon for me! My star plant this week has to be the delightful daylily - it's a hard working stalwart of the mid-summer … Continue reading Six on Saturday – Delightful Daylilies
I've made quite a decision this week after visiting a friend's charity garden party last Saturday - the bed below is going to be filled with roses! The great bonus to visiting other gardens is that there is always at least one eureka moment when you suddenly see a solution you can apply to your … Continue reading Which Rose? Dilemma!
The June edition of the RHS's 'The Garden' journal included a thought provoking essay advocating that gardeners should 'read (and write) more poetry'. The author Sarah Salway contributed this interesting piece - I'm not intending to review it here (suffice to say it's well worth reading), my purpose in referring to it is that it … Continue reading Creative Writing Exercise
Last July, amidst plans for year-round colour in the garden (as I'd just got my much hankered after greenhouse), I sowed two varieties of wallflower, 'Blood Red' and 'Ruby Gem', for my hot border. These were planted out as very small young plants at the end of September, along with some white ones I'd grown … Continue reading Wallflowers – to save or not to save
Roses are probably my favourite flowers (certainly every June anyway!). They have such appeal to the senses; beautiful to look at, highly and deliciously scented and silky smooth to touch. I've previously written about roses on this blog, but today, I'm extolling the virtues of a particular favourite and one I look forward to every … Continue reading Rosa ‘Albertine’
Minding my mind, one thought at a time.
Places in Korea and Financial Education to Filipinos
Creativity & Chronic Illness
There's always room for one more plant.
The Occasional Gardener
Teaching the art of composition for photography.
Cultivating the art of patience while gardening in a small space
Moving forward carrying grief
Flora in Focus Journal 