Nobody forgets their first meeting with a gunnera (Gunnera manicata) in all its glory…
Read moreThe Gardens, Weeds & Words podcast, Series 3 Episode 4
“Something I believe is missing from conversations about the climate crisis is the need for us to build a stronger emotional connection to our planet and each other”, writes Hannah McDonald in the wake of COP26. In this episode, we consider how our readiness to engage with the great outdoors not only benefits our own sense of wellbeing, but lies at the heart of necessary and urgent change.
Read moreDay 332: Salvia x involucrata 'Hadspen'
Whilst waffling enthusiastically on about the Sabra spike sage that I’ve not yet written a post on Salvia x involucrata ‘Hadspen’…
Read moreDay 331: Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy'
Still on the subject of trees for small gardens, Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ deserves a place towards the top of the list…
Read moreDay 330: the fluffiness of asters
Of all the many reasons to grow asters, their fluffy button-ness rarely gets a mention…
Read moreDay 329: Malus ‘Adirondack’
Named for the mountain range, rather than the garden furniture style icons, Malus halliana ‘Adirondack’ …
Read moreDay 328: chocolate cosmos
Chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus) is still in flower in the borders…
Read moreDay 327: Sabra spike sage
The Sabra spike sage (Salvia confertiflora) is a whopper of a salvia hailing from Brazil…
Read moreDay 326: fire
The cold snap is moving in, and this gardener is in need of warming. Energetically raking up leaves creates a comfortable glow inside…
Read moreDay 325: winter greens
Almost t-shirt weather in the garden again today, pleasant gardening weather if a little gloomy…
Read moreDay 324: foxglove preparation
Foxgloves know all about preparation – the biennial ones at least, like our bog standard Digitalis purpurea…
Read moreDay 323: birch leaves
I don’t care that some think of the silver birch Betula pendula as a weed tree…
Read moreDay 322: the yellowness of the ginkgo
It’s been raining gold from clear blue skies this past day or so…
Read moreDay 321: the West Ham bush
Returning to a familiar garden today, I noticed a shrub I’d whose presence I’d never before remarked upon…
Read moreDay 320: the overwintered pelargonium
November is no time for reticence or squeamishness, at least, not when it comes to pelargoniums…
Read moreDay 319: making room for tulips
Rarely, if ever, moved to dig a tulip up, I just shovel more in every autumn…
Read moreDay 318: hunting the tulip tree
Studying leaves on the footpath a few days ago, surprised to see the unmistakable form of tulip tree foliage…
Read moreDay 317: Echinacea ‘White Swan’
Echinacea ‘White Swan’ has got her feet down now, which I was expecting, as an early autumn planting…
Read moreDay 316: essential objects
One object that you can’t imagine getting through your day without, whose absence would send you into a flat spin…
Read moreDay 315: waiting for hips
I am doing a poor impression of a patient person while waiting for the hips on the dog rose to form…
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