It’s no secret, I’m mad on dahlias. The love affair has been a fairly recent one – well, one year, two months and seventeen days to be precise. It all began after a visit to the Norfolk & Suffolk Dahlia Society’s show last year. Imagine a village hall bursting to the rafters with hundreds of… Continue reading A vase fit for an array of dazzling dahlias…
It’s safe to say I have spent the last two months gardening – sure, I’ve done other things, but I’m currently relishing the role of head gardener. If ever there has been a time to embrace gardening it is now. Every day there are changes to admire, new blooms to watch and mini landscapes to… Continue reading A walk around the garden…
The fact that I love gardening is probably not a shock to many people. So, earlier in the year I decided to join the Norfolk & Norwich Horticultural Society – to gain more gardening knowledge and to take part in their seasonal shows. Being a newbie I hadn’t been to any of the society’s talks or… Continue reading Gardening for the sheer joy of it…
On January 1 I always start with good intentions for the year ahead – it always involves being more healthy, more organised and more proactive – but due to a stinking cold and various other factors January has been a bit of a wipe out. It’s for that reason I’m resolving to do all of… Continue reading February, what do you have in store…
As May draws to a close, I’ve realised what a busy month it has been. With long days, warm weather and plenty of enthusiasm, much of it has been spent outside getting the vegetable beds and main garden in order. There’s still lots to do, but progress has been made. May has brought with it… Continue reading May…
Like a lot of people, the sun has driven me outside. As soon as the temperature started to rise, the snow stopped and the wind dropped, I was out in the garden like a shot. The warm weather and sight of the sun makes being outside a joy. But, when I first head outside each Spring I realise… Continue reading The joy of gardening…
Without wanting to talk about the festive season too early, there is one festive thing I like to start in October and that is planting hyacinth bulbs for indoor blooms at Christmas. Now, Christmas in our house isn’t a very big affair, and what decorations we do have are mostly plant-based (apart from the pet-proof wooden… Continue reading Planting hyacinth bulbs for Christmas…
I love this time of year. The sun has begun to shine for longer, the garden is starting to come alive with unfurling blooms and the veg patch is flourishing. In the kitchen garden we have apricots, blackcurrants, gooseberries and cherries coming through, in the greenhouse we have tomatoes, melons, chillis and peppers coming on strongly… Continue reading New blooms and burgeoning produce…
I’ve spent the last four days enjoying everything our little slice of Norfolk has to offer. Instead of getting on with farm chores (apart from the essential, every day chores), I have spent lots of time catching up with friends, laughing, drinking, cooking, gardening, walking and eating out, it’s been idyllic and has felt like a proper break.… Continue reading Roast rump of beef…
I love this time of year, when leaves begin to unfurl and the garden starts to come to life. We took the bold step (that’s what it feels like!) this week of making the first grass cut of the year. Everyone seems to have a different theory about whether you should have done it week ago… Continue reading Leaves begin to unfurl…
