Category Archives: Gardening
In a Vase on Monday: Keen as Mustard
Narcissi are always not far behind snowdrops, hellebore and crocus, keen as mustard to remind us that spring is just around the corner. With the first ‘Tête-à-tête’ opening here this week, their appearance in a vase today was probably inevitable. … Continue reading
End of a Sunny Month View
February will leave us with the impression that it was a generally sunny month, and a fairly dry one too, with our weather monitor confirming we had only 38mm of rain, unlike stormy February last year when we had 130mm! … Continue reading
Six Saturday Smiles
We have continued with gloriously sunny days this week, albeit with the downside of frosts at night – it’s strange how one can almost forget, after the lower light levels of a winter season, the joys that a bright and … Continue reading
In a Vase on Monday: Measure for Measure
I was determined to have sprigs of my pink pussy willow, Salix gracilistyla ‘Mount Aso’, in a vase today, and ventured forth to find suitable accompaniments. Scorning the emerging blooms on Iris reticulata for being ‘too blue’, I chose different … Continue reading
Six on Saturday: Christmas Comes Late
Back in December, I ordered three shrubs to add to the winter interest in the garden, including Camellia ‘Yuletide’, a replacement for a small potted specimen that had turned up its toes: two came within a few days, unlike Yuletide … Continue reading
Winter Gems in Mid February
With double-digit temperatures yesterday and periods of sunshine instead of the promised showers, I managed to take the promised video of the winter gems – some of the winter gems, that is, because despite thinking before Christmas that everything looked … Continue reading
In a Vase on Monday: Not What They Seem
With a very restricted choice of blooms, I had had these Leucojum vernum or ‘spring snowflakes’ in mind for several days, and fortunately they were still blooming happily on the edge of the woodland when I went to pick them … Continue reading
Six on Saturday: a Cold Week
Temperatures have barely made it above freezing this week although, at -5°C, our lowest temperature was not as cold as in some areas and we only had a sprinkling of snow – but the little we had has lingered on … Continue reading
In a Vase on Monday: Winterest and Boxes
I was writing an email this week and referring to the winter interest in our garden when I realised my fingers (the 4 or 5 I use on a keyboard) had got ahead of themselves and written ‘winterest’ instead. I … Continue reading