Why I garden, Wildlife4 Comments

April blossom and a robin

Reclaiming Paradise

Just a quick update from the garden, where the edible cherry has joined the apple blossom to cheer us all up: The apples are also looking very promising: Both the pears have had a good crop of flowers this year but I’ll not be counting too many chickens regarding actual pears. We’ll see. Last weekend I visited my niece’s garden in her rented house. She has what can best be described as a ‘wildflower lawn’, mainly because her landlord has not provided her with a useable lawnmower. As a reward it was absolutely filled with the most glorious Lady’s Smock … Continue reading April blossom and a robin

Growing vegetables, fruit and flowers, Why I garden2 Comments

Marking ninety years

Reclaiming Paradise

Today would have been my father’s ninetieth birthday. Sadly, he didn’t make it to eighty but today seemed like a day to do something to mark his day – the Ides of March, as he always told us. He was a serious amateur actor and knew his Shakespeare off by heart. Apart from the Ides of March and its less inspiring connotations, we’ve always associated his birthday with daffodils and they were out in force today despite some torrential rain. I brought some of the fallen over ones into the house: I was careful to remove a couple of slugs … Continue reading Marking ninety years

Growing vegetables, fruit and flowers, Why I garden3 Comments

Seedlings

Reclaiming Paradise

Last week I sowed some seeds and this week I have some tiny tiny tomato seedlings: Barely there but hopefully they will grow big and strong and produce tomatoes in August and September. The chillies, sweetpeas, broad beans and salad that I sowed last week are taking their time. It’s been nasty and cold outside most days so the seeds in the seed palace have not had much to spur them on. The ones in the house have no excuse but I’m patient. Meanwhile the daffodils are coming in waves, starting at the back of the garden which gets the … Continue reading Seedlings

Growing vegetables, fruit and flowers, Why I garden2 Comments

Signs of life

Reclaiming Paradise

And so we have made it through the dark days of January and into February. Yesterday the sun shone a bit and it almost felt like spring. In the garden the snowdrops are springing up everywhere: A few iris reticulata have appeared in unexpected places. This one in a flash of blue in a pot at the patio door And these ones poking up between self-seeded strawberries and foxgloves I’m not sure I planted them there but I’m happy to see them never-the-less. The faithful rhubarb has sprouted already and maybe we’ll be harvesting it before the stash in the freezer from … Continue reading Signs of life

Why I garden, Wildlife7 Comments

Six on the sixth for Six on Saturday

Reclaiming Paradise

So here we are in a new year and the gloomy rain has turned to beautiful frost. I went out in the garden this morning to see what was happening on this 12th and last day of Christmas. 2. The hammamelis has produced its first spidery flowers 3. The oak and apple leaves which I’ve left where they fell were looking rather lovely in the frosted grass 4. the frost has been leaving lovely patterns on the uninspiring piece of black sheeting which covers the patio table 5. This little winter flowering jasmine flower was in a patch of sunlight … Continue reading Six on the sixth for Six on Saturday