I can't believe I haven't posted since April.  I mentioned then that life was a bit fraught - storms causing damage to our house and devastation in the garden, then serious illness in the family. Hmm well, yes the year has been somewhat difficult since then, but I know it has for many, many people. So as a dear friend once said 'Let's Look on the Bright Side of Life'.  Mother Nature has helped us through the year - gardening is the most wonderful distraction  - and brings such lovely little surprises along the way. When our huge, old and long fence fell down it took out three e ..read more

Although I have been reading your blogs I've not posted for a while...life's been a bit fraught lately. When there are days that are difficult, sometimes just a smile from a lovely neighbour, a phone call from a friend or a bunch of flowers from a special friend, makes everything so much better. Aren't these fabulous daffodils? A gift from a lovely friend; my other half immediately decided we must grow some next year.  Rushed to online plant sales and we reckon they might be 'Tahiti'. Made a note for the autumn ordering. As things go - not too well this year - we have loads of planti ..read more

Here in Oxfordshire the first snowdrops are out, daffodils are pushing through the soggy or frozen ground and finally in our garden the primroses are raising their delicate heads.  At last!!   Every year I buy the first English daffodils which are such a cheery herald of spring.  They are likely to be Cornish from a county I love and lived in for several years.  Late winter or early spring brought forth daffodils in abundance; from gardens, the foot of hedges and verges to glorious golden fields of them. The story goes that during the second world war the daffodil fields ..read more

  Once again it will be a difficult Christmas for many  but I hope that you will find some joy and happiness, however you celebrate it. I sincerely hope that 2022 will be a much better year for us all, and thank all the very many people who are doing all they can to keep us safe, and hope that they too remain safe. Children bring fun and happiness at this time of year so I hope you like this little card  made by  lovely little girl. Robin xx ..read more

 Oh my word...my last blog was back in July.....so without actually meaning to, I've taken the summer off. The ongoing covid pandemic still affects the lives of most of us, of course, so like everyone else we've seen less of our extended family and missed regular 'outings'.....but Hey! We've got a super garden and that's where we've been. You might remember my moan earlier in the year about the local squirrels 'out to get me', digging up my bulbs and burying nuts - hazel, horse chestnut, almond and walnut - which they forget, so consequently sprout like mad all over the garden.  A co ..read more

since my last blog, but I see I'm in good company because it does seem that many of us have been taking a mini break.  So I don't know about everyone else but I've been gardening - for weeks - avidly watching Wimbledon tennis and the wonderful England fotball squad....and.... well just messing about I suppose! With nothing vaguely interesting to report - covid has meant we're all missing family and friends and trips to the cinemas and theatres, I shall fall back on the flowers that always lift my spirits. The following pictures are of the garden over the last few weeks.   &nb ..read more

I do enjoy seeing the cheeky little squirrels running around, scrambling along the fences and tight-rope walking the telephone wires.....but....I wish they'd stay out of my garden. Early in the year we spotted, to our great surprise, three very healthy broad bean plants coming up in the front garden. It didn't take much working out to figure the squirrels had buried them as they do nuts - and forgotten them. So I dug them up and replanted them in the back garden where we planned to plant a row, and they are thriving. In a rare moment of assisting the vegetable chief (husband) I actually plant ..read more

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter - wherever you are and however you are spending the weekend. Stay safe - take care. Robin x   ..read more

It occurred to me when I was planting up my Mum's old basket, pictured below, then again when the first crocus began to bloom that I don't ever remember learning about gardening...somehow or other it led me to being a really keen gardener.  It got me thinking... Back in the day when I was a girl in the 1950s/60s - SO many years ago now!!! - most families had a garden and gardened - fruit, veg and flowers...the old cottage garden principle.  A little of what you fancy does you good! As a product of wartime austerity and make do and mend principles, as well as her own upbringing it ..read more

At last I feel that Spring is coming - the garden, emerging from its frozen weeks, is waking up at last and it's a delight to walk up there each morning and see what else is flowering.  It has even been possible to start a little proper gardening again - although it remains very soggy. The miniature iris (Katherine's Gold) are just lovely as are the purple Reticulata just beginning to emerge in another pan, alongside is a pot of tiny hoop daffodils which I've planted in with Ophiopogon (Black Lily Grass) which still looks good with tiny purple flowers and then black berries, when the daf ..read more