The Priory is a grand, old Dame and I love her dearly. But will she be rushed? She will not; she will put on a show in her own good time - thank you very much. Despite my whines that everybody else's gardening blog was awash with pretty flower pictures, she blithely ignored me and … Continue reading Finally
Photography
Priory Picture Post # 21
Having depressed you with a tale of duck desperation, duck derring-do, duck despair and duck death (see last post), I thought it would be fun to carry on in a similar vein. Who needs good times and chuckles, anyhow? A couple of weeks ago, Jim called me into the garden to look at a large … Continue reading Priory Picture Post # 21
The Fox And The Duck
I was packing up after work today, when I heard an almighty racket from out on the meadow. I grabbed my camera and ran round the house to see what on earth was going on. I couldn't see anything untoward at first, but then I caught a glimpse of burnt orange amongst the meadow-grass; a … Continue reading The Fox And The Duck
Slowly, slowly …
... as we head into June, May is arriving. What should have been a show-stopping leap centre-stage, has been a slow, very late and frankly embarrassing shuffle in from the wings. Not much is flowering at the Priory therefore though there is plenty of new, green growth. Here in the rock border, ferns (which survived … Continue reading Slowly, slowly …
Rhodohypoxis Fervour
I have a silly number of rhodohypoxis but, in my defence, I was smitten when I first saw them. I was working at an alpine nursery and watched entranced as hundreds and hundreds of 6cm pots burst into flower; crammed full of red, pink and white flowers. They flower for weeks on end and are … Continue reading Rhodohypoxis Fervour
An Arum By Any Other Name
Were you to visit The Priory at this time of year, and were I to gently push your nose under bushes and hedges and into shady, damp corners you would certainly notice Arum maculatum. You might not know it by its Latin name but perhaps you call it Lords and Ladies. Or Cuckoo flower - … Continue reading An Arum By Any Other Name
Tending Trees Part 1
When I took the job at the Priory, I (naively) didn't appreciate how much time and care the trees would require. Each year, I arrange for any sickly, dangerous or unwanted trees to be felled and for dead, rotten and restricted branches to be removed. If a smallish tree needs felling or a low branch … Continue reading Tending Trees Part 1
The Anxious Gardener 