Why the violets appeared

April 8, 2010

White violets are everywhere in the lanes and in my garden this year. I haven’t seen them in previous years, and thought we didn’t have any in this area. I’ve just realised why they have suddenly appeared. I take part in a seed swap from the Cottage Garden Society, and try to grow violets and […]

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Penstemon cuttings

March 26, 2010

Now the worst of the cold is past, I can at last cut back the penstemons.  They should be left uncut during the winter as they can succumb to frost. Although this isn’t supposed to be the right time of year for taking cuttings, I often take some after this spring pruning, as there are […]

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Mahonia japonica

March 14, 2010

I have a Mahonia japonica in my back garden which is flowering now. It smells wonderful. I have just seen the first bumblebee hovering near its creamy-yellow flowers. It’s near my greenhouse so every time I go to pick a few leaves of winter greens I can take a sniff of the mahonia to lift […]

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The rescued iris

March 11, 2010

I have seen an iris I planted several years ago flower for the first time – it’s beautiful and although pale and patterned contrasts with the dead plant matter like a lotus growing out of the mud.  It’s called Iris reticulata ‘Katharine Hodgkin’.  The first year it put up two narrow leaves.  Then the bed […]

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