Holiday perils

Holiday perils

One of us had a week off recently.  It coincided with the start of the lovely weather and was the perfect time to unwind by the sea.  Unfortunately the garden didn’t get the memo and continued to grow apace in all directions and in all departments.  Lawns turned into meadows, infant plants turned into unruly teenagers, and weeds took the opportunity to have a week-long illegal rave.

Despite the heat, work needed to be done and everything was dealt with as well as could be expected in the energy sapping heat.  In the greenhouse tomatoes and peppers were transferred from 3 litre pots into larger 10 litre pots and watered well.  Lawns were cut with the collection box emptied twice as much as in a regular week, and the weeds in the vegetable garden were pulled and transferred to the compost heap.

The exuberant growth in the flower garden highlighted the one or two plants we missed when carrying out the staking a month or so ago and an online order has been placed for extra supports.  In the morning we noticed five huge thrush fledglings crammed into a teacup sized nest hidden in the ivy and by late afternoon they had left the safety of their tiny home and dispersed throughout the garden.  It seems it was a busy day for everyone in the garden.

Clothes in action today: Men's Eden Gardening Jersey


Modern heroes of horticulture - Tamsin Westhorpe

Take a little bit of Gerald Durrell, a pinch of Felicity Kendall from the Good Life, and a slice of Mini the Minx, and you’ll have a good idea of...
Read More

Plant folklore - snowdrops

It’s surprising for a plant that has become so entrenched in folklore that snowdrops are not actually indigenous to Britain.  While the precise date of their introduction remains a subject...
Read More

Wildlife in the garden - winter migrants

We always celebrate the arrival of our spring and summer migrants such as swallows, swifts, cuckoos and nightingales.  Less celebrated and often creeping in under the radar are our winter...
Read More