The last post of the year. I feel like I should make an extra effort but the season's festivities have taken their toll. Yesterday we visited Maleny Botanic garden, which was very interesting, but full of exotics. I could do six from there, but instead I'm going to give you six indigenous plants to end…
Six on Saturday – 23/12/2017
Two days after midwinter and two days until Christmas and we've had a week in the low to mid 30's. When I was out in the midday sun yesterday I was casting no shadow. Phew! For someone who has worked in horticulture and gardened in the UK all their lives, one of the pleasures of…
Six on Saturday – 16/12/2017
We're running at around 32°C by day and 20°C by night. Can't believe we've been here a week. Our host's garden is a modest affair, as are most gardens in the very many new housing developments hereabouts. All the houses are single storey, so have a big footprint, not leaving a lot of room for…
Six on Saturday – 9/12/2017
Maisie decided I needed some help. Not with the gardening, help to make the blog more appealing in difficult times. What is it with cats and grasses. One. Rhododendron 'Merganser'. This is the only Rhododendron we have left now, other than a couple of deciduous Azaleas and, come to think of it, a couple of…
Six on Saturday – 2/12/2017
I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm having to pretend it's winter down here in rainy Cornwall, but while there has been frost on the car a couple of times, we've had nothing to do any damage. There are odds and ends of flowers everywhere, but mostly bedraggled and looking sorry for themselves. So…
End of month view – November 2017
I first contributed to Helen's end of month view two years ago so I now have the same view of the garden for the last three years. It's like visiting a town you've not been to in years; most of it is unchanged and familiar, a few bits have changed completely. In the garden a large magnolia, clump…
Hakonechloa
If ever there were a plant that gives of its best when it's needed the most, it's Hakonechloa. I took the picture above under heavily overcast skies and with a hint of drizzle in the air. I have done nothing to enhance the colour of the Hakonechloa as it assumes its autumn raiment. The foliage…
Six on Saturday – 25/11/2017
This morning has a flavour of winter about it. Sleet showers and the sunrise getting weird through them. Car didn't want to start. Flowers are in short supply now, except for a few that I've already used recently. We still haven't had any frost to speak of so the big move in has proceeded in…
Six on Saturday – 18/11/2017
Once more I can avoid having to think too hard about items to include as there are odd little planty things going on that I can report on. We had just a suggestion of ground frost yesterday but I haven't seen any damage, even Fuchsia boliviana is unscathed. This morning's sunrise was lovely, it's cold but only just…
Allotment update.
During the summer I was up to my plot at least every other day, now it's more like every other week. Such crops as I have still standing seem to include several that have not covered themselves in glory this year, rusty leeks, piddling little parsnips, moth eaten spinach. Cauli's were not bad, but you…
garden ruminations 