Spring salads ~ 19/4/2016

Get a big sack type planter for your greenhouse or conservatory; fill it with some lovely growing media of your choice (I use good quality multipurpose compost mixed with some delicious homemade compost) and sow yourself some salad crops. 

I am currently enjoying small harvests of salad bowl lettuce, lollo rosso lettuce, coriander and beautiful, shiny, red radishes. It is so, so worth the effort if you have the space and the facilities. I mean, look at these stunners.....

What are you waiting for?! Wide reaching frosts have been forecast for this coming weekend so I am delaying planting out or sowing anything remotely tender outside but I am not at all displeased because I have my radishes. (#annoyinglysmug) 

Confession ~ 4/4/2016

It is time to come clean. 

I frequently post photographs on my website and Instagram of beautiful plants, flowers and garden scenes. 

Some of the beautiful plants and flowers are from my own garden. None of the beautiful garden scenes are from my own garden. I do not live in a pretty part of town. 

We moved to our ex-council house just over three years ago. It's not much but it is ours and we have grown to love it. We live right next door to a large secondary school so, although it is not a pastoral view, we do have a view - and it could be a lot worse than netball courts! 

Our home comes with a reasonably large South-west facing garden and it is (or, at least, it will be) quite wonderful. Because, you see, when you start with something ugly, the potential for increasing the interest, colour and beauty is huge! 

When you garden in a lovely spot you have a duty to honour it's loveliness. When you garden in a place that is really quite plain.....the only way is......oasis. 

I am aiming for an oasis in the middle of a small market town Bronx. 

We are slowly turning our blank canvas into a garden that we can be proud of. 

I have worked in world renowned gardens, quintessential Cotswold gardens, immaculately designed gardens, gardens with vast budgets, gardens with small budgets, tasteful gardens,minimalist gardens, maximalist gardens and Royal gardens and I have learnt the rules......now I get to break them! 

(This is not my garden!!!⬇️)

 My garden will evolve slowly. My budget and time is limited but I have my skills, my experience, some lovely plants and now my extremely exciting new Rhino greenhouse. I also have my helpers .....human and feline

......I feel better now that I have confessed. 

Now you all know that I do not live in a pretty Cotswold Stone cottage with a view over a peaceful valley ~ not that I ever stated that I did. 

Now you know that I live in a solidly built 1950's ex-council house with a view over the Craft, Design and Technology Block and I can let you all know exactly how I am getting on. 

.....just don't expect miracles straight away! 

.......and you can still expect quintessential Cotswold scenes ~ I am lucky enough to look after some stunning gardens. 

England v Spain (Bluebell League) 2/4/2016

Today is the day ~ First bluebell sighting of the year! 

I need to qualify this statement. 

It was my first sighting of the beautiful, delicate, deep and true royal blue English bluebell but I've been digging up heaps of it's brutish cousin, the Spanish bluebell, for weeks now. 

There is no comparison. 

This is the gorgeous, dainty English Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta.....

I have no photograph of the Spanish one, Hyacinthoides hispanica, because it's not nearly so pretty and I get rather cross when I see one. These Spanish blighters are clunky, paler blue and lack the lovely, pendulous habit of the English blooms. 

Worse still, they hybridise with our dinky, sweet-smelling, native bluebell and threaten their very existence. 

A plea from me: do not buy, plant, or encourage the Spanish bluebell and if you see it about, dig it out! 

The English Bluebell is one of my favourite plants (can you tell?!). Please help me protect it. 

Today was also the day that I decided to take the girls to my childhood den. I was pretty sure they were old enough to appreciate the sideways growing tree over the top of the stagnant pond. I was right. Next time we are bringing scotch eggs (current outside snack of choice). 

Simple pleasures