Swept up and cast aside by the sparkle of Christmas and washed away by months of rain I slither and slide down the slippery path of the New Year into my waterlogged garden. Seeing all my sad and sodden potted Primulas and Cowslips, I gather them up lovingly and head for the greenhouse. Surely these … Continue reading
My pre-breakfast morning walk is a push for power; for a fast-paced, heart-pumping, energizing surge where battling against the wind and weather helps me to reclaim some of the adrenalin driven lifestyle I once had. Yes, I rise when the bats are still following their flight paths home to roost and with a torch strapped … Continue reading
Well…it’s a roadside stall really. Just a little wonky table and some shelves painted the colour of a blackbird’s egg. But when the Sweet Peas and scented Sweet Williams and old fashioned Pinks are picked and the baby carrots are bunched and tied and the Rhubarb is piled high, my little stand becomes a natural, … Continue reading
Gently rounded, honey-brown and dappled by the sun, but with a slightly fragile outer shell…. something has happened to me! I have finally become just like a Burford Brown hen’s egg! This is no surprise because during the month before my garden open day, scrambled eggs was all I had time to cook and eat as … Continue reading
Removing faded blooms from Summer flowering plants is essential if you want to prolong blooming. But am I the only one who finds it tedious? But with some flowers, like these Poppy seed heads, it is really easy. Each little pod in shades of soft bluey green through to pale olive is a mini work … Continue reading
Smashing up vintage china with a hammer sends shards of pottery embellished with rich paisley pattern, gold leaf and hand painted swallows flying through the air. I am in no mood for safety, technique or planning. I am making a mosaic; nothing slick and polished, but something free spirited and easy and very, very last … Continue reading
Capture a fragrant memory of this evocative, heady perfume by tossing some dry Lilac blossoms between layer upon layer of fine sugar crystals. This scented time- capsule containing the essence of spring will be there for you until long after the Lilac in your garden has faded and died. Then later, sprinkle a little romance … Continue reading
” Patti Smith taught me I can draw my own door and walk through. When I feel the weight of ageism and the weight of sexism pushing down on my shoulders, I think of her and try to negotiate my life in the same way she has hers” Shirley Manson It’s time to celebrate; we … Continue reading
This post is dedicated to my friend, Robbie, of Palm Rae Urban Potager and to the memory of her beloved dog Punk, who was her constant gardening companion. The air is at once softer and more gentle, yet at the same time tentatively hopeful and new. The Crocus buds are fat and in bloom as … Continue reading
Dartmoor Flower Shed 