Curiosities
In the deep midwinter
Watery sunshine lights up the garden at the start of the new year. On this mild midwinter’s day I find a few errant blooms, bravely struggling on long after closing time: The last violet buds of agapanthus trumpet towards the …
Hallowed Souls
Dew-jewelled gossamer frames Hosta “Praying Hands” The spooks have been out over night. Hundreds of tiny garden denizens worked unseen through the night. As the morning mist lifted their work revealed: everything shrouded in Halloween webs. Let’s go and see …
A Spider's-Eye Dew
Oh look!There is dew in the grass…All glittering in the morning sun… But you have to get down on your hands and knees to really appreciate it…Take a look…From a spider’s-eye view… No, even closer…See?Do you see it? A tiny …
Autumn: Extract of Fungi
Brick Tuft Hypholoma sublateritium (I think!), growing from the edge of the oak board veg beds. The appearance of fungi in the garden is always surprising. It is partly their otherworldliness, partly the speed with which they appear, and their unpredictability emergence …
Espaliered tree person thing and real umbrella trees (!)
Pallant House Restaurant Courtyard, Chichester I spotted these weird sculptures through a gate of Pallant House courtyard in Chichester. It seems to be a variation on the green-man, but this ‘tree person’ has been espaliered! He’s looking a bit worse for …
Read moreEspaliered tree person thing and real umbrella trees (!)
Pasqueflowers re-bloom in August
Pasqueflower, Easter flower or Meadow Anemone (Pulsatilla vulgaris), is one of my favourite plants. Almost every stage of its flowering is interesting: The large flower heads emerge in spring (close to Easter) along with the foliage, all of which is …
Morning Light
6:00 am. The view from the house this morning. Extraordinary quality to the light. The rain clouds have only just lifted a chink and the sun is sneaking under, low, acute, glancing. The greenhouse greets the dawn. The white lavender is shining in …
Cloud pruned hedges & topiary fun
Out and About in Sussex, England: musings on creative pruning Most of the hedging in my garden is in the formal, rectilinear style, but I really like cloud-pruned hedges too. Here are a couple that are on public display, that I pass on …