I just wanted to say ... ... very much indeed to every one who voted for my post in the RHS Gardening Blogs Competition 2013 and for all the very kind messages I have received since winning. (I've responded to some on Twitter and Facebook but not all - I have been gardening today after all). … Continue reading A Quick Word
Wordless Wednesday … With Some Words
Aconitum napellus has bloomed in the nick of time: the first Priory frost can only be a few days away. oooOOOooo I'm flying off to Spain for a few days paddling, frolicking and general misbehaviour. But before I go, I'll just mention that the Royal Horticultural Society is holding a new blogging competition. Four judges … Continue reading Wordless Wednesday … With Some Words
Dear Friend And Gardener – A Book Review
When I was last asked to review a book, I chose instead to offer it up as a competition prize. Not so with the new illustrated edition of 'Dear Friend and Gardener.' Here was a book I wanted all for myself. Mine, I tell you; it's all mine. First published in 1998, 'Dear Friend and … Continue reading Dear Friend And Gardener – A Book Review
Flowering Lithops
It was only as I was damping down one of the greenhouses that I noticed the flowers. For most of the year, my lithops sit in their pots like well behaved little pebble plants or living stones (their other names). But in autumn, having spent several months doing very little, their time in the limelight … Continue reading Flowering Lithops
From Up On High
Scaffolding has gone up at the Priory. Though I don't have a head for heights, I couldn't wait to get up there and see the gardens from a new perspective. At the first (gutter height) level I could look down on to the tropical border. And, after a deep breath, I white-knuckle-climbed the second ladder … Continue reading From Up On High
Pale Tussock Moth
The caterpillar of the Pale Tussock Moth (Calliteara pudibunda) is large and very visible. Which is just as well. Otherwise, I would have trundled over this one with the ride-on mower. It seemed out of place somehow and far too exotic for a Sussex garden. The caterpillars feed on a range of tree leaves including … Continue reading Pale Tussock Moth
Cutting Back
Though it doesn't officially start until tomorrow, autumn has crept up on me these past couple of weeks. Low sun and pale mist greet me when I arrive - soon the mist down here in the valley will be heavier: cold, dense and wet. Dock seed-heads (of which there are far too many) sparkle with … Continue reading Cutting Back
The Anxious Gardener 