The Deceiving Spaniard!

A spot of light blue in the short grass caught my eye. It was a small flower and short with a cluster of light blue flowers atop a dark stem. It didn't fit with the picture of any previously seen plant and this made it all the more interesting. A closer look and several photographs, …

Seven Lady’s Smocks

Now, you might think I have changed the style of my wardrobe but that is not the case. Rather it is the celebration of a little moment in the garden. We have a small area which has changed over the years from being a "bulb lawn" to a wildflower patch. Originally, we planted a large …

I was Moved by This.

My preferred morning is a gentle one, a slow start, a leisurely and quiet beginning to the day but I was moved into action this morning well ahead of my more comfortable schedule and it was a tree which prompted this uncharacteristic exuberance - for, to me, anything beyond a quiet breakfast, a gentle chat …

Tulips in Their Pots.

A pictorial look at tulips in the garden at the moment, mainly those purchased last autumn for pot culture and display and destined to be short-lived garden plants as is their breeding. They are bright and cheering while in flower and a wonderful addition to the garden. And individually:

The John Milton Border?

Some plants get their deserved appreciation only occasionally. For most of the time they are simply stalwart performers without that flamboyance which allows other plants to catch the eye and, because of this lack of seasonal flash, we give them little attention. There is a border directly in front of our house with a number …

A Frosty Reception!

Waterford, south-east Ireland, Saturday 17th April 2021 We have had the most persistent period of frost so far this year. Each night for over the last week has brought frost, quite heavy some nights, a contrast to the bright and sunny days which we have enjoyed. It is also notable that it has been dry …

Florapedia

Carol Gracie – you may remember her from those two fabulous books of hers, Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast and Summer Wildflowers of the Northeast – has just written the perfect book for that impossible-to-satisfy gardening nerd in your life. This is a book which has across the board – I suppose I should say …

Then and Then and Now!

Great Dixter, Then & Now is the title and I suppose “Then, Then and Now” would have been too cumbersome a title for this small volume but it would have reflected the contents more accurately for this is a pictorial tour of the garden illustrated with present-day photographs, others taken by Christopher Lloyd himself and …

The Photoshoot.

He spends some time each day admiring himself in the glass of the glasshouse though the pecking at the glass might indicate he is not entirely happy with what he sees there. I suppose he imagines it is another cock in his territory and he could not abide that. On other occasions he will stand …

Just Tipping Around!

We were sitting in Elsie Power's Bar at the bottom of The Fair Lane in Dungarvan, my father and I, when he took a notebook from the inside pocket of his sports jacket. After retirement he had been asked by a few families who had known him for many years to do some light gardening …