Composting

Waterperry Gardens

Categories Alpine, Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Bedding, Bulbs, Climbing plants, Composting, container gardening, dark foliage plants, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Exotic, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Open to the public, Roses, Seasonal colour, Summer gardenLeave a Comment on Waterperry Gardens

    Another unapologetic walk down memory lane, this day in 2018, to the remarkable Waterperry Gardens. A joy on so many levels. I was at the HTA National Plant Show at Stoneleigh Park near Coventry yesterday, a tedious journey up and down the M40, especially back but I did make a grateful stop at…

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Explaining a little about fertilisers; What N:P:K means; the benefits of Organic Matter, mulches & green manure – and making your own compost & manure brews. Some steps towards Organic Gardening

Categories Bee Friendly Plants, Composting, container gardening, General comment, jobs to do in ..., Organic Gardening, Pest control, Roses, Spring Garden, Wildlife gardening2 Comments on Explaining a little about fertilisers; What N:P:K means; the benefits of Organic Matter, mulches & green manure – and making your own compost & manure brews. Some steps towards Organic Gardening

I had quite a few ideas about gardening that I believed wholeheartedly but quite without foundation - that is before I started my formal horticultural training. One of these truths was that there was no such thing as the over-use of fertilisers. A little more would surely provide extra benefit. Well, no, it turned out.…

Continue reading ➞ Explaining a little about fertilisers; What N:P:K means; the benefits of Organic Matter, mulches & green manure – and making your own compost & manure brews. Some steps towards Organic Gardening

My own private oasis – lots of green, a little pink summery loveliness, bamboo, bananas, charity shop finds and lots that love the shade ….

Categories colour, Composting, cookery, Evergreen shrubs, General comment, Organic Gardening, Organic pest control, Plants for a shady garden?, Shrubs, Summer garden, Woodland GardenLeave a Comment on My own private oasis – lots of green, a little pink summery loveliness, bamboo, bananas, charity shop finds and lots that love the shade ….

This is a small private garden, no more than 24' wide and a little longer, well possible maybe twice as long, with a mature Horse Chestnut tree, from a neighbouring garden, that shades at least half of it. It was the reason we bought this house, such a beautiful sight in full flower and broke up…

Continue reading ➞ My own private oasis – lots of green, a little pink summery loveliness, bamboo, bananas, charity shop finds and lots that love the shade ….

Waterperry Gardens

Categories Alpine, Architectural Plants, Art in the landscape, Bedding, Bulbs, Climbing plants, Composting, container gardening, dark foliage plants, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Exotic, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, General comment, herbaceous, Open to the public, Roses, Seasonal colour, Summer gardenLeave a Comment on Waterperry Gardens

I was at the HTA National Plant Show at Stoneleigh Park near Coventry yesterday, a tedious journey up and down the M40, especially back but I did make a grateful stop at the wonderful Waterperry Gardens near Oxford. Formerly Miss Havergal's School of Horticulture for Ladies (who trained the Land Girls and much more...) these…

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Cottage Gardens

Categories Architectural Plants, Bedding, Bulbs, Clematis, Climbing plants, colour, Composting, container gardening, Cottage Garden, Cutting Garden, Dahlias, dark foliage plants, David Austin roses, Dry Garden, evergreen perennial, Evergreen shrubs, Flowering Cherry, Fragrant plants, Fruit Trees, Garden Design, Great Dixter, Hellebore, herbaceous, Hydrangea, Iris, Kitchen Garden, late summer border, Mottisfont Abbey, National Trust Gardens, nerines, Open to the public, Organic Gardening, Organic pest control, Ornamental trees, Petersham Nurseries, plants for roses, Propagation, RHS WIsley, Roses, Seasonal colour, Seeds, Shrubs, soft fruit, Spring Garden, Summer garden, Trees for smaller gardens, Vegetables, Wild Food/Foraging, Wildlife gardeningLeave a Comment on Cottage Gardens

Phyllis Bide – the perfect rambling rose for a cottage garden – informal flowers in a muddle of apricot and cream – and not a monster either, like Kiftsgate or Wedding Day… The Story cover photo is from the Welcome to Yorkshire Garden at RHS Chelsea this year. Proof if it were needed of the…

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Another day, another visit to Kew Gardens – and not one, two, three nor four – but five Glasshouses and #barkwatch continues – deep joy …

Categories Alpine, Architectural Plants, Composting, Indoor gardening, Open to the public, Orchids, Ornamental trees, Roses, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Seasonal colour, Travel broadens the mind, Tropical, Wildlife gardening, Winter Garden1 Comment on Another day, another visit to Kew Gardens – and not one, two, three nor four – but five Glasshouses and #barkwatch continues – deep joy …

Into the Palm House first, on a rather dull morning (I missed both brilliantly bright days earlier this week, one at Petersham Nurseries, the other being a Good Boy and doing some housework, washing and much-needed shopping). But hey, it's still looking grand and my kitchen floor is shiny shiny clean. The Palm House was…

Continue reading ➞ Another day, another visit to Kew Gardens – and not one, two, three nor four – but five Glasshouses and #barkwatch continues – deep joy …

Plant tonics expertly explained and recommended – thank you ‘The Telegraph’ – with some home thoughts too …

Categories Composting, General comment, Organic Gardening, Organic pest control, Pest controlLeave a Comment on Plant tonics expertly explained and recommended – thank you ‘The Telegraph’ – with some home thoughts too …

Plant tonics expertly explained and recommended .... I'm very taken with this article on plant tonics that appeared in The Telegraph today - always the bastion of excellent gardening advice (regular readers to my blog will know this already and be converted as I am). Taken so much am I that here it is in…

Continue reading ➞ Plant tonics expertly explained and recommended – thank you ‘The Telegraph’ – with some home thoughts too …

If you really do go down to the woods today… Leith Hill, composting, bluebells and birdsong

Categories Abstract Photography, Composting, Organic Gardening, Petersham Nurseries, Plants for a shady garden?, spring flowering, Wildlife gardeningLeave a Comment on If you really do go down to the woods today… Leith Hill, composting, bluebells and birdsong

A long walk through the Surrey countryside from Westcott near Dorking, south across woodland and vale to Leith Hill, the highest point in Surrey. A National Trust property now, it has a commanding view across the landscape - and from the top of the tower, you have more altitude than the viewing platform of The…

Continue reading ➞ If you really do go down to the woods today… Leith Hill, composting, bluebells and birdsong

Teddington Gardener Review of the Year – May 2014 – Kew Gardens, Composting, Auriculas, the first Roses, Wild Food Foraging, Chelsea Fringe and Chelsea Flower Show, Petersham Nurseries. Intimations of Summer.

Categories Abstract Photography, Acid-loving plants, Alpine, Architectural Plants, Auricula, Bedding, Bulbs, Camellias, Clematis, Composting, container gardening, cookery, Cutting Garden, David Austin roses, Flower Shows, Fragrant plants, General comment, herbaceous, my projects, Open to the public, Ornamental trees, Petersham Nurseries, plants for roses, Roses, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Seasonal colour, spring flowering, Spring Garden, Wild Food/ForagingLeave a Comment on Teddington Gardener Review of the Year – May 2014 – Kew Gardens, Composting, Auriculas, the first Roses, Wild Food Foraging, Chelsea Fringe and Chelsea Flower Show, Petersham Nurseries. Intimations of Summer.

Roses, amazingly early, appreciating the mild winter and warm, early Spring. Kew Gardens, Auriculas, Paeonies, Chelsea Fringe and a brief call in at the Chelsea Flower Show, more roses, much at Petersham Nurseries, Wild Food foraging with Claudio Bincoletto, the Joy of Composting... another glorious month!