Gardening resolutions
Gardening resolutions Continue reading Gardening resolutions
Tag: Gardening
Autumn fruitfulness and an unwelcome visitor…
I find autumn to be a very satisfying season. You quite literally can enjoy the fruits of your labour, or even just enjoy the fruits that you didn’t necessarily labour over! Have you tried Quince? It’s been a great year for quince, a forgotten fruit that is enjoying a bit of a revival. We are lucky enough to have a tree in our communal allotment … Continue reading Autumn fruitfulness and an unwelcome visitor…
Six plants to beat the summer slump
You know how everything builds up in spring to culminate in extravagant floral exuberance in May and June? By contrast July and August can seem a tad underwhelming in the garden. But a few summer troopers will lift the mood and keep the interest going. Here are six of my favourites to beat that summer slump: 1- Hemerocallis (daylilies) Producing classic lily flowers in sunny … Continue reading Six plants to beat the summer slump
The indispensable gap filler: Forget-me-not
There’s a specific moment in the garden when it’s poised between the excitement of early spring, when each sign of life is a treasure beyond compare, and the mad rush of exuberant growth in the heady months of May and June. A lot of the spring bulbs have done their thing, but the herbaceous perennials aren’t quite ready to fill the gap. This is where … Continue reading The indispensable gap filler: Forget-me-not
A Six on Saturday: Spring Surprises
Hello! It’s a while since I did a Six on Saturday, a more personal post about my garden and what I’m doing. There are some lovely highlights to share with you at this exciting time of year when everything is bursting into leaf and life. 1 Bulbs and breakfast The garden table, still covered, is put to good use at this time of year, serving … Continue reading A Six on Saturday: Spring Surprises
The garden in winter
…is sometimes dreary, grey, a little drab. Let’s be honest, unless you have a garden stuffed with artfully placed, tightly clipped evergreens, that look good no matter the weather, this is just par for the course. Plants die, colours fade, the light is low and weak, the sun becomes a stranger, and it rains. And rains. And rains. And yet…gardeners can always can find little … Continue reading The garden in winter
Spring in waiting (Six on Saturday)
I thought I would bounce into a Six on Saturday for a little analysis of the garden in early spring (which began yesterday, on 1st March, as far as I am concerned!). What’s more, it’s a sunny morning, such a rarity that it’s worth celebrating in writing! We really have had dreary weather lately, and horrible horrible things happening in the world, it’s hard for … Continue reading Spring in waiting (Six on Saturday)
Tree of the gods: Lebanese Cedar
Continuing my mini-series on marvellous Middle Eastern plants, this one is so impressive that it warrants a post all of its own. PS: this is an expanded version of my recent post on Instagram/FB. Cedar of Lebanon, Cedrus libani, ‘Arz libnani The mighty and venerable Cedar of Lebanon is associated with divinity, epic heroism and the exploits of some of the greatest ancient civilisations to … Continue reading Tree of the gods: Lebanese Cedar
More Marvellous Middle Eastern plants! (Part 2)
Welcome back and Happy New Year to you. I’m in rain-soaked Kent after a very bumpy channel crossing from France on the ferry. It feels like a long way from the Middle East, let me tell you. But these plants are a great form of escapism, a distraction from dark and dank January in northern Europe, and a delve into another world, but one that’s … Continue reading More Marvellous Middle Eastern plants! (Part 2)
Middle Eastern plants in the spotlight
Hello everyone! I hope you’re all doing well and not feeling overwhelmed by preparations for Christmas, if you’re celebrating. I wanted to let you know about a series I’ve been doing throughout this month on Middle Eastern plants. If you follow me on social media @the_nostalgic_gardener on Instagram or on my personal FaceBook @Selwa Calderbank then you might have seen these! If you have, I … Continue reading Middle Eastern plants in the spotlight