January 2023 – reasons to be cheerful… and, better late than never

Happy New Year! I’ve neglected both blog and garden terribly in the past month or so. The weather has been terrible, life has been very busy… I have a catalogue of excuses. I had every intention of posting here for New Year’s Day, but that didn’t happen… no matter. I must remind myself that gardening

Friday 28th & Sunday 30th January 2022 – getting stuff done

I love houseplants but I really hate caring for them. Gardening indoors does not do it for me at all. Our house is ill-suited to houseplants, having insufficient windowsills, awkward light levels and lots of draughts. I’m a messy gardener at the best of times and houseplant care results in a lot of frustrating mess

Friday 7th & Sunday 9th January 2022 – how many bulbs does it take to exhaust a Head Gardener?

200 snowdrops, 100 gladioli byzantinus and 22 cloves of garlic, that’s how many… The last of my bulb orders arrived today (150 tulips, 50 crocus , 50 alliums and an uncertain number of daffodils went in late last year). Buying snowdrops ‘in the green’’ like this makes them more likely to establish well, and more