The Snowdrop Scene

It won't last; I know it won't; well, it probably won't - a diary of sorts reporting on how the snowdrops are doing in the garden! A report at this time of the year is a simple and straight-forward affair as the number of snowdrops in flower is small but, as the season continues and …

Dinner for Two!

I'll be brief for that would be most appropriate on the evening that's in it - Christmas Eve! Our practices of many years have come down upon us with more than a sense of "There's no fool like an old fool" for we have continued the practices of many years without ever considering that times …

A Mid-Winter Miscellany

We each have two gardens, that garden that our eye sees and that garden of our mind and of our imagination. There are days through the year, generally in summer, when these two versions of our gardens align and we look at our work with a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness. However, this aligning …

Snowdrop Anxiety.

To the best of my knowledge psychiatrists have yet to place this condition within the spectrum of mental ill health but there is little doubt that it is a cause of great tension, stress even suffering for those with a more than normal interest in growing snowdrops and is particularly prevalent at this time of …

A Dirty Day!

It's a dirty day, a day without a glimmer of sun, a day dull and overcast and, while it hasn't rained, it and everything about it is wet and clammy and miserable. It is as day when those with any semblance of sense would settle down with a good book, a coffee or something stronger, …

Barra-caded!

Storm Barra has arrived, is with us and will remain with us for a while longer. Our area has an Orange-level weather warning in operation - very strong winds, heavy rain, probable flooding, some damage etc - and has lived up to the forecast so far today. I was woken around six this morning by …

The Leaves are Gone.

It's about time for the leaves to be gone. It's mid Winter with the shortest day of the year approaching. They should be gone by now. The mornings are dark and the evening close in early, an hour earlier in our north-facing garden while I can watch the sun shine for an hour longer on …

Gardens under Big Skies – Noel Kingsbury & Maayke de Ridder

This has been my most enjoyable gardening read in ages and certainly one of my top books of the year. It is one I recommend without hesitation. A large format book crammed with excellent photography showing wonderful gardens. Noel Kingsbury has been a frequent visitor to The Netherlands since the mid-1990s, initially to follow the …

Treepedia

This little volume is a collection of fact-filled snippets about trees and related topics – people and places, facts and figures, the odd and unusual, the fascinating and the amazing, nearly 100 entries covering all matters arboreal. Jane Maloof is founder and director of the Old-Growth Forest Network and the perfect person, given her experience …