No dig veg growing throws up the odd dilemma, like do I or do I not earth up my spuds. I chose to do so, but not to the extent that everyone else has done theirs. Having made and carried out the decision, it seems a bit late to turn to Charles Dowding's book and…
Author: Jim Stephens
Gardener, no-dig allotmenteer, camellia enthusiast.
I love colour, it cheers me up.
Retired nurseryman.
Shopping trip
You know how it goes; you go to a garden, Rosemoor in this instance and see a plant you simply must have, Polygonatum x hybridum 'Betburg' on this outing. You get home and look at the RHS website to see who is listing it; excellent, a nursery quite close by, Barracott Plants, at Gunnislake. Thought…
Wordless Wednesday 18/05/2016
A day in May
I see myself as the sort of gardener who is very interested in individual plants and rather less interested in the overall composition. That said, I am not indifferent to it and to group plants by their cultural requirements often leads to a visually harmonious effect. I don't have a large garden and in order…
Wordless Wednesday 11/5/2016
Wordless wednesday 4/5/16
End of month view April 2016
Three months ago we arrived back from seven weeks in Australia thinking that in large measure we'd put winter behind us while we were away. It seems to have been an exceptionally long haul into better weather and though the days are longer and the light brighter, the temperatures are no higher than they've been…
Wordless Wednesday 27-04-2016
Mid month muse
Years ago, there was an Astelia at RHS Rosemoor called 'Alpine Ruby'. It was very nice, I wanted one. At the time I worked on a nursery and looking for sources of supply, there was one, in Northern Ireland. There still is. Around the same time a new variety called 'Red Devil' was launched and…
End of month view, March 2016
There's actually quite a lot going on in the garden now, but almost all of it is only visible close up. Shoots are pushing up, buds are swelling, flowers are emerging. From any distance though, it looks the same as it did in January. What I need to do is focus on individuals, not the…
garden ruminations 