Maybe it was always inevitable
Looking through old family albums made me realise my love of flowers and gardening probably did not appear out of nowhere.
Read more
Waiting for a break in the rain
Early February in my garden is mostly rain, stalled jobs and trying not to lose momentum while the cornflowers, ranunculus and dahlia tubers all wait for a drier spell.
Read more
Lifting the dahlias and brightening up the winter pots
Getting the dahlias lifted and tucked away is always a relief, even if I never quite want to admit the season is over.
Read more
Half term, jewel colours and one good October day
One dry October day in the middle of a very busy spell can feel like an absolute gift.
Read more
October dahlias are still finding ways to surprise me
One of the things I love most about dahlias is how they never seem entirely finished with surprising you. Even in late October there are new shapes, slightly different colours and the occasional flower that makes you stop in your tracks.
Read more
School holidays, snapdragon sulks and plenty of dahlias
August always has a slightly different rhythm once the school holidays arrive. The house is busier, the living room is never tidy for long and the gardening has to fit around everything else.
Read more
Taking the wall down and making space for the dahlias
Mid-July has brought with it one of those jobs that feels far bigger than it sounds. We finally took the wall down in the garden and instantly the space felt different, with more room and more possibility.
Read more
Mud, dahlias and finally getting the furniture out
Early May has arrived with all the promise of the season and quite a lot of mud. We had a proper thunderstorm here and the ground was so claggy I did question my timing on planting out dahlias, but in they went.
Read more
Dahlia tubers on the bench and spring starting to show
It finally feels as though spring is beginning to show itself properly now. There are more bulbs open, the days are milder and I have reached that point where the dahlia tubers come out and start taking over every available surface.
Read more
The crocuses are out and I am already thinking about dahlias
The crocuses are finally out and I had the loveliest little bumble bee wobbling around in them this week, which felt like the first proper hint that spring is inching closer.
Read more