Why I garden7 Comments

Changing seasons

Reclaiming Paradise

Everyone does #SixonSaturday differently. My usual approach is to have a quick look around the garden and see what strikes me as new, special or a useful pattern of six. Today I did a quick tour of the front and back gardens to see what was going on. It was raining a bit but what struck me most was the signs of the changing seasons. Early spring changing to late spring, but with signs of summer and autumn too. So in one bed there were late daffodils, with forget-me-nots in the background 2. In another, the roses are beginning to … Continue reading Changing seasons

Growing vegetables, fruit and flowers, Why I garden4 Comments

Blossom Season

Reclaiming Paradise

For #SixonSaturday this week, here are six beautiful fruit blossom trees in my garden just now. Bird cherry Or at least that’s what the label said when I bought it – I’m growing it as part of my hedge rejuvenation project. Apparently it produces bitter fruits – for the birds. My theory is that the birds eat this one and not the edible cherry in the front garden but that is probably wishful thinking. Pear I know, I’ve blogged about this before but I am very excited by this tree producing its first ever flowers and, I hope, its first … Continue reading Blossom Season

Growing vegetables, fruit and flowers, Why I garden6 Comments

There may be pears

Reclaiming Paradise

Yes, pears, not bears. The baby pear tree which has done nothing very much for the last three and a half years, has blossom. I’m very excited but also a little worried. This little tree has chosen to have it’s blossom debut in the middle of a cold snap, just after a mini heatwave. I covered it with some ‘may come in handy some time’ plastic from the shed during the very cold nights last week and it seems to have survived Just as well. We had ice on the pond on a couple of mornings. Bella likes to check … Continue reading There may be pears

Growing vegetables, fruit and flowers, Why I garden2 Comments

Falling behind

Reclaiming Paradise

Apologies that I’ve fallen behind on blogging – life has got in the way a bit – but exciting things are happening in the garden. Here’s a snapshot from last week’s glorious sunshine. Plum blossom, crocuses, a tiny self-sown nasturtium in beside the tulips, the wild primroses all coming up. Now it’s all rainy and cold and nasty, but my cucumbers have germinated, so life is good: Continue reading Falling behind

Growing vegetables, fruit and flowers7 Comments

Seed sowing at last

Reclaiming Paradise

After what seems like a very long winter, I’ve made a start on this year’s seed sowing. Back at Christmas time we had some home made crackers which I cunningly filled with chilli and and tomato seeds (and chocolate) to encourage my green fingered family to grow their own veg. Most of them (possibly all of them) chose the ‘pass on to someone who will’ option, leaving me with the joyous task of sowing the tiny seeds today. Here they are in relatively well labelled pots and off to their home in my heated propagator for a couple of weeks. … Continue reading Seed sowing at last

Growing vegetables, fruit and flowers, Why I garden1 Comment

A day of contrasts

Reclaiming Paradise

It’s been a day of contrasts – frost and ice first thing in the morning followed by glorious sunshine. Bella went out to check the ice on the pond, which was surrounded by frosty grass. Meanwhile, at the back of the garden the sun was shining on the first daffodils. Everything was glorious and I should have spent the day in the garden, or the allotment, or at the very least, sowing seeds indoors. Instead I made a trip to an out of town garden centre. I had a choice between going to one where I can get a bus … Continue reading A day of contrasts

Growing vegetables, fruit and flowers, Why I garden1 Comment

Sunshine at last

Reclaiming Paradise

I’ve been away for a week or so but returned to the garden in glorious sunshine today. The crocuses all opened up to welcome the sun. Bella got outside in the sunshine to admire the daffodils. I pruned the autumn fruiting raspberries, did a bit of weeding and harvested a tiny garden salad. Lettuce, rocket, rocket flowers and some chives – more tiny signs of spring. Later I got out to the allotment for the first time in weeks, did some more weeding, pruned some more autumn fruiting raspberries and brought home some leeks and sprouts. The plot is looking … Continue reading Sunshine at last

Growing vegetables, fruit and flowers, Why I garden4 Comments

Tiny signs of spring

Reclaiming Paradise

It’s been a rather damp and miserable weekend but I nipped into the garden on Saturday morning to see what was happening for #SixonSaturday – took some photos but didn’t get round to blogging until now. Anyway here’s a sign of spring, a single iris reticulata blooming away all by itself in the bed behind the raspberries. The snowdrops are looking rather lovely all round the garden. The hammamelis is still doing rather well with its spidery yellow flowers The crocuses are coming up very slowly but these two bright yellow lovelies are flowering in a pot The winter box … Continue reading Tiny signs of spring

Why I garden, Wildlife5 Comments

Birds’ Eye View

Reclaiming Paradise

This weekend has been the Big Garden Bird Watch, the weekend when everyone tries to count the birds in their gardens, and the birds go off for their holidays somewhere else. This weekend the birds in my garden had two very good excuses not to hang about: on Saturday storm Malik blew most of them away, apart from a couple of brave wood pigeons; and on Sunday this impressive beast decided to sunbathe in the garden, scaring off the birds somewhat. Sorry it’s a bit blurred. I didn’t want to get too close in case I scared it away. It … Continue reading Birds’ Eye View