Tag: #gardenerswhowrite

SoS- 15/8/20

August 15, 2020

Gosh, snow last week, and flooding rains this week. It makes gardening difficult to say the least as spring begins to burst around us. I have plans and it seems as they’ll have to be put on hold for a while. At least the ground of the orchard will be wet enough to plant a couple more trees. We planted a 6 foot high flowering gum before the rain yesterday, and a slightly smaller bay tree. But knowing SoS was almost upon us, I dashed out before the resumption of rain today and snapped a few plants:

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SoS 11/7/20

July 11, 2020

I’ve been a bit busy lately getting a new book ‘out there’ and dealing with the oddness of publishing something so far outside my usual genre. A pillowbook, for heaven’s sake!

And in amongst that, taking time to push on with the next in a hist.fict series – this one entitled Reliquary. Such things serve to remove one somewhat from the garden and gardening. Then again, it’s been so damned cold that one could barely pick up secateurs, let alone open them.

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SoS 6th June, 2020

June 6, 2020

Strange that we’re coming into winter whilst so many of the Sos-ers wander through  summer gardens filled with so much beauty. I think that globally, we gardeners are coping with the world’s vicissitudes better than most because we have a place into which we can escape. And nothing more so than a beautiful summer garden.

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SoS 9/11/19

November 9, 2019

We’ve just had a ghastly bout of weather. Last week we had 32 degrees and we were swimming. Yesterday, it was 9 degrees with galeforce winds and icy rain. My poor garden has been battered and bruised but plucky thing that it is, it continues to bloom regardless. That’s the wonderful thing about nature.

My six were taken in haste this evening after freezing rain earlier today.

Firstly my flower purchases.

White petunias for terracotta tubs here and there. Three packets of different varieties of sunflowers for the veggie garden. Pachystegia Insignis for tubs. Dicentra formosa. It’s delightful.  Primula auricula with a ‘blackish’ flower.

Next, my veggies. Firstly parsnip seed. Then seedlings: cucumber, zucchini, basil, mixed lettuces and pak choy. I’ve already planted potatoes, snap peas, snow peas, carrots and beetroot.

Thirdly: my propagated sweetpeas. I complained a few SOS’s ago because they seemed only to produce blue flowers but in the last week they have started with pinks, so I’m quite happy. And I can’t believe that I grew this fence-load of plants from seed I collected myself. Thanks Mr. P for the encouragement.

Fourthly: Madame Alfred Carriere on the veggie garden fence. A picture, despite the gales we’ve had.

Fifthly: I wintered poor little Euphorbia Diamond Frost in my cold frame but it looks appalling! I hope evidence of green stems means it will survive. What I don’t like is the horrid seedling/triffid taking over the pot. How dare it! I ripped all the white foxgloves out of the garden last year and expect the rest of my life will now be stopping them taking over.

And finally six. It’s not hail or snow. It’s white petals off the Guelder Rose after the winds. Poor plant.

To have a look at other global gardens, pop over to Mr.P

Cheers all.

Once upon a time there was a matchbox…

July 28, 2019

Once upon a time…

… we downsized to a small house with a tiny garden. The garden, once established, had to give us (and the dog) joy. And an escape from the city outside the gates, because we’re not city folk.

It also had to promise to care for itself for large tracts of time.

So not a lot to ask really…

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