Dear lovely readers…when I began my gardening blog over three years ago, I set myself three rules for it. I’d not pretend to know something I didn’t. I’d share the disasters as well as the triumphs. And if the blog was to share my joy of gardening then writing the blog had to feel a joy too. Well, since January, as I’ve sat down to write my blog on a Sunday morning, I’ve struggled. Not because I don’t love gardening any more, or haven’t got plenty of disasters (and the odd triumph) to share, but because I’ve lacked inspiration. I felt I ought to write the blog, rather than wanted to. I’ve fal ..read more

Each year I usually set myself some gardening resolutions. It’s a bit of a wish list if I’m honest. As while I do start out with good intentions, as the year progresses I inevitably go ‘off piste.’ I distract myself with other gardening jobs and forget to do things. Sometimes my priorities change. Or life simply gets in the way. Well for 2023 life certainly got in the way. Mr F-W became rather unwell in March and I got very distracted by that. So I’m afraid a number of gardening resolutions were partially completed and are therefor still on my list for 2024. So apologies if this feels like a s ..read more

One of the big gardening trends at the moment is terrariums and that means terrarium plants. It’s easy to see why. They don’t take up much space; even people without as much as a window box can have a glorious mini garden. They also can look very stylish and yet require minimal care. So when I was given a terrarium kit by my youngest, Henry, for Christmas, I quickly put down the Quality Street and started reading up on terrarium plants and how to plant them. Here’s what I discovered. What Makes Good Terrarium Plants? A terrarium is a bit like a miniature garden contained inside a glass, often ..read more

Making a Christmas wreath is a wonderful way to make use of the greenery and berries in your winter garden. And just as it’s satisfying – and environmentally sound – growing flowers for your home, so it has to be good to make your own wreath too? But when it comes to arts and crafts I’m the world’s worst. Luckily though, I have a very creative and patient friend called Kay. You may recall she helped me make a stone looking trough using hypertufa. I walked the Camino with Kay and three other walking friends – Bo, Caroline and Desi – and we train every Saturday morning. But when our walk yesterd ..read more

When it comes to December gardening jobs, you might be forgiven for feeling it’s all a bit gloomy. After all, the general theme seems to be protecting and tidying. It doesn’t sound or feel very creative. However, I think there’s a lot of satisfaction to be had out of nurturing the plants you have. Which is really what December’s gardening is all about. And when they reward you by looking absolutely splendid next year, you’ll feel so thrilled with yourself. Furthermore, these jobs get you out of the house and into the fresh air, and that’s good for the spirits – especially during our darker, sh ..read more

Some of you may have noticed that I haven’t blogged for a couple of weeks. Mr F-W hasn’t been very well and it has rather thrown me and any November gardening – or blogging – off course. So much so that, shock horror, I haven’t planted any tulips in my raised lower tulip bed this year. Me messing about in my raised tulip bed a few years ago – why do I decide to garden when wearing white trousers? I’ve also barely planted up any spring flowering bulbs (tulips included) in pots. The lack of tulip planting in the raised bed means I am forcing myself to see how last year’s tulips, which have been ..read more

Last week I looked at some of the bulbs and perennials you can plants under trees to brighten up this often neglected bit of the garden. But what about leafy plants? Some of these do particularly well in the shaded conditions that a tree provides. So, to restore the balance here are some of the best plants for under trees, where the leaves are the star attraction. Best plants for under trees – Hostas If there’s one hardy, shade loving plant to grow under trees, it’s the hosta. A quick warning – I’m a hosta-hollic. I love them, and love any excuse to add one to my collection. Why do I love the ..read more

Trees are a wonderful addition to a garden. They provide height, structure, interest, shade and make a garden look well established. And, of course, there’s a whole host of wildlife which thrives living in or near our trees. But despite all these benefits, the area under a tree can feel like a bit of a gardening challenge. So I thought over the next couple of weeks I’d share some suggestions of plants for under trees. This week I’m covering some of my favourite bulbs, corms and perennials…but before I do, here’s what you need to first think about. Plants for under trees – the considerations On ..read more

I’m about to lift my dahlias from their pots and store them. This will free up two large pots in which I will create a bulb lasagne. I’m the world’s worst cook, but this lasagne creation is right up my street. For those who don’t know, it’s simply when you plant bulbs in typically two or three layers in a container. The Advantages of a Bulb Lasagne There are a few good reasons to give a bulb lasagne a go. First up, you can plant things with a slightly different flowering period in the same pot – say crocuses and tulips. This creates a lovely long succession of flowers – so you get a lot of pr ..read more

Anyone who’s visited a garden centre this year will have seen how much more expensive things are. I’m not sure whether it’s worker costs, energy prices or problems with supply chains, but gardening essentials such as plants, seeds, and compost are all more pricey. So I thought it was time to share some money saving gardening tips. #1.Divide Perennials in Your Garden I’ve increased my stock of this hosta by dividing it I’ve written about dividing perennials before. I typically do this with my own plants when they’re too overcrowded and start looking a bit poor at the centre of the plant. Dividi ..read more