Am having a bit of a slow day today. Is it maybe related to the time of year? August is a month of relaxing holidays, balmy evenings and that niggling almost back-to-school feeling that summer is slipping through one’s fingers. Something about all of these things begets slowness. Luckily, from a gardening perspective, there’s still plenty going on with the veg harvests coming in thick … Continue reading August harvests and sowings (Six on Saturday)
I am typing this on my phone in the garden on a Friday evening, sitting in the sun, the washing drying on the line for the first time in ages. The sun feels good on my skin. The pollinating insects know it too, they are out with the very fist ray. Yesterday I sent out August’s edition of my newsletter – The Green Gardening Newsletter … Continue reading Six on Saturday: the pollinator edition
After a short break in the sun in Barcelona last week, am finding it difficult to readjust to life back in Belgium. Mainly because of the weather. It has rained pretty much non-stop for the past week, and while the slugs are delighted, I am not. There are upsides. Tithonias (Mexican sunflowers) love the rain and they are doing a good job adding some brightness … Continue reading Six on Saturday: Where is the sun?!
Hello! It’s been an interesting July so far from a gardening perspective: the weather has been cool and there have been quite a few rain showers at regular intervals. This has been most welcome as I haven’t had to water much (apart from the greenhouse) and I feel that everything is looking fresher than usual at this time of year. I have felt torn between … Continue reading Six on Saturday: July highlights
Hello! We’re entering June splendour and as it’s been a while, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to take you on a little tour of the garden, meeting you at the front gate, ambling slowly up the path and then round the corner for a little surprise. Starting at the gate, spilling out onto the pavement is a mound of campanula, all abuzz with bees. Just … Continue reading A Saturday stroll up the garden path
A little snapshot today of some spring highlights from the garden. First up a trio of tulips. Orange Emperor, a bunch from the allotment and a mix of Sunny Prince and Purple Prince. Which are your favourite? I love the allotment ones, which come back reliably each year, I must dig some up for the garden. A view of the garden from the south-east corner. … Continue reading Spring delights
I don’t think I have ever planted bulbs in autumn and got too hot doing it. But I did this week. It was 23 degrees C in my area of Brussels on 28 October, breaking meteorological records. As I popped tulips, alliums and iris into the ground and pots, I wondered what the future hold for them. Bulbs benefit from cold winters, so what happens … Continue reading Balmy October
It looks like this is going to go down as one of the driest summers in Europe – so far, I say with trepidation. Despite the lack of rain, the allotment harvests have been incredible. I can hardly keep up with processing all this food in the kitchen. It’s hard work, of the old-fashioned sort, but I haven’t had to go out and buy fruit … Continue reading Vegtastic Six on Saturday
Who captured the feel of autumn better than John Keats, with his ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’? Well, we are not quite there yet, it’s a bit early for mist, and fruitfulness is a bit disappointing, as we’ve had very few apples and no grapes this year. But there is most definitely a mellowing of the light, which is to be welcomed, making the … Continue reading Six on Saturday: 04 Sep 2021: mellowing
I’m late posting today as I had an early morning appointment to get my first Covid vaccine. Hopefully my antibodies are swinging into action as I write. So without further ado, let me dive straight into this week’s Six on Saturday: 1 Alliums. We’re back to the purple and orange contrasts in the new vibrant border, with Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ joining the manic-flowering Geum ‘Scarlet … Continue reading Six on Saturday: 22 May 2021
