Diary Of A Wild Country Garden

These days I cannot walk past a garden center without checking out the far end of the plant section where they usually put all the discounted plants. These poor plants are generally tired, limp and dry as a bone. All jumbled up together unloved and unwanted. Frankly, I find it very sad that had they just been watered regularly they would probably be just fine right now.  Anyway, usually heavily discounted, I search through them all to find ones that have a chance of survival. Often I find ones with good root systems and given a little tender loving care I take a chance on reviving them.  Today it was the turn of three Rosemary plants and a French Lavender. In particular, the French Lavender was a sorry looking plant half dead and very limp, I wasn't sure, but it had a good root system and urged on by my hubby (a recent gardening convert !) decided to take it home. An hour later after a good watering and re-potting and light pruning, it stands up proud in its new pot o...

Now is the time of year many people like to get away on holiday. It may be somewhere abroad for a week or two or in your own country for a short or longer break. Wherever you go it does mean leaving your plants behind at sometimes a critical time.  Action Plan For Your Plants While You Are On Vacation 1. If you can ask a friend, family member or neighbour to come in check them, mow the lawn, open greenhouse windows and close them again, water and feed your plants. It is quite a big ask, I know I have done it for a friend who had a huge garden with a massive veg plot for 3 weeks once!If the kind soul does this for you it is so nice to get them a gift. If they are a gardener maybe a lovely plant or cuttings from plants they admire in your own garden, some veg from your garden or just a beautiful gift. Even better offer to do it for their garden when they go away.  2. If that is not possible then you need to help the plants through what could be variable weather. I also a...

I had a lovely surprise last weekend. We went to the farmers market and after getting all our veg and necessary items we wandered over to the plant stalls. I wasn't really considering buying any plants right now. Still, I always love looking around :) I was looking at the beautiful Camellia plants. They are gorgeous with lovely shiny thick leaves and a nice growth habit and the blooms are so delicate looking and beautiful. I think they are as gorgeous looking as a rose but without the thorns. Anyway Hubby is always full of surprises and is not really an avid gardener like me (-yet :) )  So he just said I am getting you one for a present! Choose which one you like. Isn't that sweet of him! I am a lucky lass. No arguments here, well you do not have to say "choose a plant" to me twice! So I started looking at the plants and what colour blooms are available. Hubby leaves this up to me as he knows I know what I am looking for. We already have a pink Came...

Why I Love Summertime Summer is a lovely time of year. In summer we have long days and hopefully longer warmer days and sunshine, vacation time and beautiful flowers. Its quite an easy time of year to love. Life is easier in the Summertime... Vivaldi Four Seasons-Summer Gorgeous music which is beautiful to listen to. You may like to have this video playing while you look through the rest of the page....I find it puts you in the summertime mood. I'm Loving Summer!! What can I say about Summer? In a country where it's not that warm most of the year Summertime is our big chance at some high temperatures, occasional balmy days and warmer evenings....for a little while at least :)  A time where we can actually eat out of doors have picnics and breakfast on the patio.  Summer is a time to wear lovely dresses and beautiful cool fabrics. Maybe even a sun hat! A time where the days are long,...

Spiders, how do people feel about them I wonder... do you love them or hate them or fear them? I struggle with spiders. I love nature and all animals, birds and bugs but I do have a problem with spiders. For some reason I just cannot get on with them. It didn't come from my parents as neither of them were bothered in the slightest by spiders. I think it may all stem from an incident when I was five years old when a massive black thick legged spider fell on me from the ceiling into my bath- what a shock! What was that !! I never moved so fast! Anyway since that day I was afraid of them. However no matter how I felt there was no way I could kill a spider or let anyone else kill a spider. So from that day all seen spiders had to be carefully and gently caught and taken outside to a nice safe place in the garden. Spider At Work Keyring by RaintreeDesigns It's a phobia and can be overcome and after making a concerted effort to face my phobia these d...

Today I looked out of the window close to my work desk and noticed that our garden was filled with birds!  I had heard their calls but was still surprised to see so many. They have been a bit quiet during the bad weather we have had.  Today they were suddenly everywhere - small ones flying and flitting around, woodpigeons and doves feeding on the ground, long tailed tits, a robin and sparrows on every single one of the feeders, blackbirds kicking up the leaves to find food beneath. The bird bath in constant use! The hedge and garden was alive with wonderful birds! No doubt they have come in to find food and water and by their behaviour maybe looking for nest sites... I saw a few birds eyeing up and testing out nesting materials, lifting up the long slender twigs, picking up bits of fluff. Also a few squabbles, maybe over potential good nest sites..  I saw a couple of sparrows checking out the eaves of our home going in and out and seeing off other bird...

You can feel the presence of a gathering storm. It hangs heavy on the air. This photo was taken while hubby and I were out walking in the countryside and it was so weird that to the left of us were clear such bright blue skies and to the right were these deep dark rolling gloomy storm clouds. It felt that it could go either way. The air became very still and the animals around went to shelter. The deer in the far distance huddled closer together. They looked agitated. No birds sang. We were out in the open in the middle of a huge field. For us too we knew, some deep instinct within that we needed to find shelter and soon. We headed off to find it. A few minutes later the wind picked up wild and blustery and trying to tear our coats off. We clung onto our hats! The air was heavy and damp as we walked quickly to find the cosy warm cafe we had passed on the way here. There was an air of anticipation, of something so much bigger than us. Upon reaching the cafe liter...

The Mysterious Owl . I love many aspects of nature and there are some creatures that although I hear them around I do not see them and cannot get close to them. One of these is the Owl.  So when I visited an event where there was an owl and Hawk display and an opportunity to hold a tame owl I jumped at the chance! I was honoured to be able to hold this beauty. I had to put on thick heavy gloves and hold my arm at right angles positioned by the handler until I got it just right. Then they transferred her over to me. She was happy to sit upon my arm and I was glad of the gloves as those claws are big and sharp! Her feathers are so rich and beautiful. She was heavy and self-assured, taking everything in. I immediately felt her presence, her confidence. The handler was telling me all kinds of facts about her but you know I seemed to phase it all out. I was so in the moment with that owl, just being there with her, feeling the power, the grace, the beauty. Her...

As it has not really been possible to do any gardening lately due to the extremely wet weather I am remembering some of the trips we took to other gardens in the  Summer and Autumn.   It  One of these visits was to a lovely stately home near us that has a wonderful walled garden vegetable and fruit plot. It  was rainy so we went into the greenhouse for a bit of warmth and dry and there it was right in front of us! It was not promoted, they didn't make a big deal of it. We would have missed it if we hadn't wanted to get out of the wind for awhile.  The gardener just said they were part of the crop and they had recently brought them in. It was an amazing pumpkin crop! I have never seen one like this in my life. What a beautiful, bright spectacle of colour and shapes greeted us! Some of the pumpkins were so small they easily fitted into the palm of my hand and some were so enormous it must have taken several people to lift them into position. ...