June was unusually rather unpredictable and wet, but with summer solstice behind us summer must surely, finally, arrive. Day length is now on the decrease, but with warmer days and nights many of the plants we have come to think of as typical garden plants, but which originate from central america, start to romp away … Continue reading July Garden To Do List
Summer is here! Day length is at its maximum and the garden reaches peak growth this month. With many now working from home and some in a self-imposed isolation there is plenty of time to get in the garden, just don't forget to take time to enjoy it too! Here is your June garden to … Continue reading June Garden To Do List
This is the month when the garden really takes flight. Its been on the dry side, but with March giboulées and April's occasional storms, increasing soil temperatures and day length nearing its peak, the garden appears to grow before your very eyes. As the Alliums and Camassia come to the fore so too do the … Continue reading May Garden To Do List
Spring is now firmly under way and brings with it the optimism of the year to come. Equinox is firmly behind us and the days are rapidly drawing out. It means our gardening to do list is on the increase, but with lockdown well underway here is a helpful to do list the things you … Continue reading April Garden To Do List
At long last spring finally arrives this month and we have equinox to look forward to. The clocks go forward late in the month and the days become longer than the nights. From hereon in its all go in the garden. Lawns We have had an awful lot of rain this autumn in the Poitou-Charentes … Continue reading March Garden To Do List
Like the world, gardening is going through a period of substantial change. Subjects of climate change and sustainability are (hopefully) changing the way we garden. Big issues such as herbicide/pesticide and single use/non recyclable plastic use (something which the horticultural community is very much guilty of) are being tackled. Pollinating insects essential to food production, … Continue reading Making a meadow
By February I am more than sick of winter. The winter blues have thoroughly set in and yearning for warm, sunny days reaches maximum levels. But the signs are there: The tops of spring bulbs tease at what is to come by poking through. Daylight is creeping in the right direction and the nights noticeably … Continue reading February Garden To Do List
There's something so fresh and lovely about filling your house with flowers, with their various scent and colour. And what better way to do so than with your own cut flower arrangements. The process of growing flowers can be relatively cheap. It is also good for pollinating wildlife and lifts the spirits. Additionally, growing your … Continue reading Cut flowers & arrangements
I remember climate change and the greenhouse effect being talked about when I was at school in the 1980's and here we are still talking about it nearly 40 years later. Whether you accept that global warming is caused by human activity or not, the ongoing Australian bush fires provide stark evidence that the climate … Continue reading Tackle climate change and plant a tree
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL. On the bleakest of winter days, lots of persuasion is needed to head out into the garden, especially when being lured indoors by a comfy chair and a hot cuppa beside a warm fire. If you are a regular reader of my blog and you have already undertaken all … Continue reading My book recommendations
