A few years ago, a friend gave me a barely liftable, large trug of snowdrops. I was very, very grateful and happily began adding them to the Priory's meagre showing. Eventually running out of time, I temporarily stuffed the last few into a small bed beneath a standard Viburnum tinus 'Eve Price'. And there they … Continue reading March Of Snowdrops
English Country Garden
Win A Copy Of ‘Making A Wildflower Meadow’
I try to keep only a sensible number of gardening books - really I do. I've even given some away to charity ... once or twice. But occasionally I'm offered a book to review and my resolve shrivels. 'Making a Wildflower Meadow: The Definitive Guide To Grassland Gardening' by Pam Lewis was one of those … Continue reading Win A Copy Of ‘Making A Wildflower Meadow’
A Spot Of Rain
January tends to be wet in Sussex but this year it was seriously, I'm-not-kidding-you wet. Lying at the bottom of a valley, the garden is a convenient sump for all the run-off from the surrounding woods and fields. During and after heavy rain, water streams through the grounds and into the ponds; it races through … Continue reading A Spot Of Rain
Win A Copy Of ‘Secret Gardens Of The Cotswolds’
It's been a while since there's been a book competition on The Anxious Gardener. Time to rectify that with an opportunity to win 'Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds' published by Frances Lincoln. Here's what they have to say about it: Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds is a personal tour of some of the UK’s most … Continue reading Win A Copy Of ‘Secret Gardens Of The Cotswolds’
2015 Calendar
I was reading a post on Christina's blog the other day about a calendar she made from photos of her garden and remembered that I too normally make one. I haven't for a couple of years but with that prod from Christina, I decided to leap purposefully into action. Using an online company, I uploaded … Continue reading 2015 Calendar
A Winter’s Day
After a short Christmas break, I returned to a frozen Priory. Icy, sparkling, frosted, prickly. The valley softened by cloudy breath (if you'll allow me a little purple prose) and the ponds frozen hard. As I crunched about the grounds, I pictured a favourite childhood book - the marvelous Ladybird 'What to look for in … Continue reading A Winter’s Day
Clematis
I was a little disappointed that the Priory's old and established garden only boasted one clematis. Over the last six years I have rectified that shortcoming by adding a further twenty or so and today there are almost two dozen clematis dotted about the grounds. Here are some of them. The original Priory clematis is … Continue reading Clematis