What's Looking Good
Snowdrop Carpet
After many years of effort - dividing and planting - at last I think we can say we have a carpet of snowdrops in our little copse. Perhaps a rather threadbare carpet but a carpet nonetheless. When the sun shines, especially in the early evening they glisten magically...
A lovely surprise
I had quite thought that the charming yellow snowdrop I extravagantly bought last year had succumbed to the dreadful deluges of December and January. It had not appeared by the beginning of this month and then the snow covered the garden for a week. After the thaw I...
Where are our snowdrops?
About 4 inches of snow have entirely covered the snowdrops which had been looking gorgeous. I don't think it will harm them. It will probably keep them in a deep freeze until the thaw when they will lift their heads up again. They are so resilient. Until then the snow...
More Snowdrops
A brief respite from the dreadful wet weather brought a few hours of sunshine and suddenly the snowdrops seemed to be everywhere, glistening and sparkling in the pale winter light. Several of my favourites are already almost at their best. Fly Fishing which is so...
Mud, mud, mud
This incessant rain is rather dispiriting. We have had more than 3 inches of rain this month already and even our usually well drained soil is soaking. I hardly dare walk on the flower beds as my feet leave soggy prints which can't be quickly raked away. But still the...
Daphne Jacqueline Postill
This wonderful Daphne has been flowering for at least a month now
Glorious Daphne brings a hint of summer
Rounding a corner of the garden on a freezing dark day I was suddenly aware of the most delicious scent filling the air. It is Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill' which we planted 15 years ago and is now about twelve feet high. Every branch and twig is smothered in...
Colour in the gloom
In these long grey days it is important to keep one's spirits up. You must take pleasure where you can in these dreary December days of lockdown. My spirits lift when I see the brave bright yellow of the winter jasmine (jasmine nudiflorum). It has no scent unlike its...
The snowdrop season begins
Despite the recent snow and dreadful rainy weather (more than an inch already) our snowdrops are emerging. We have had Peter Gatehouse and Donald Sims in flower for several weeks but I really think of them as autumn snowdrops. Now the first of the real early snowdrops...
Brilliant Berries
Not all is gloom in the garden even now in dank November. The berries and fruit are especially wonderful this year, perhaps because of last year's mild winter which allowed more pollinating insects to survive. Cratageus prunifolia was spectacular though now past its...