Early summer has well and truly arrived in the garden. It’s been a good year for the roses, with Generous Gardener providing some beautiful pale pink blooms, and my new Rosa mutabilis already growing out of its pot. I have high hopes for this one, as it is said to flower almost all year round.… Read More »
grow your own
Calm and wonderment at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025
I set off to RHS Chelsea Flower Show press day from my home in Stamford early on Monday morning. It was very chilly, under a blanket of cloud, but there was a promise of sunshine for later on. Emerging from Sloane Square underground, the sky was already looking brighter. I followed the flock of brightly… Read More »
And just like that…..
Summer went past in a flash…it never really got going, here in the UK. We had a few sunny days, but there was no long, warm stretch when the days slip past like beads on a string. The garden suffered, with dips in temperature, some torrential rain, gusting winds and brooding grey skies. But when… Read More »
A few updates….
Apologies if you tried to access my website recently. It crashed for the first time ever, owing to increased traffic. I’m not sure if everyone was trying to read my RHS Chelsea report – or if it was just a glitch. I like to think it was my enormous popularity, but…. Anyway, normal service has… Read More »
Spring joys
The garden is blooming despite – or maybe because of – the torrential rain over the last few months. What bliss it has been to get outside over the Easter weekend, and start enjoying my little courtyard again. The star of the show is undoubtedly my amelanchier larmarkii tree. In full blossom for just a… Read More »
Stirrings…
Already mid-February, and after a slow start, when January seemed interminable, the year suddenly seems to be accelerating, with new hope springing up along with green shoots. I’ve had the house to myself for the last few weeks, and I’d made a list of all things that I wanted to do while I was home… Read More »