The hubby excelled himself with my birthday presents this year. Back in September, on the day itself, I got a gorgeous grey wool winter coat from the littles. (Who are still too little to choose their own pressies, I should note...) It makes me feel as if I've stepped into a moody French black and … Continue reading Kew’s tremendous trees
Gardening
Inspiration from Beth Chatto’s garden: 9 tips for drought-tolerant planting
Our latest (and final) assignment for my garden design course this year is my favourite so far. We have to design a gravel garden, inspired by Beth Chatto’s, using plants that are capable of surviving without being watered. I am massively into the whole idea of "right plant, right place" – in other words using … Continue reading Inspiration from Beth Chatto’s garden: 9 tips for drought-tolerant planting
Three ways to plant a terrarium
You know the string of hearts plant that I bought last week for my sister’s birthday and then fell in love with so much I became reticent to give it away? Well, I needn’t have worried, for she is a sister of excellent taste and – at our joint birthday celebration last weekend – she … Continue reading Three ways to plant a terrarium
Tomato, tomato, tomato: a season’s growing notes
Of all the veg and fruit that I grow, there is no doubt that I have most success with tomatoes. Tomatoes love me and always grow well for me. I love them right back and am always ridiculously over-proud of my tomato-growing achievements. And this year is certainly the pinnacle of those tomato-growing achievements so … Continue reading Tomato, tomato, tomato: a season’s growing notes
Notes from a summer: Regent’s Park sunshine
A few Fridays ago, I had the most blissfully relaxing day I have had for some time. Possibly for three years, in fact. The thing about living with small kids, I find, is that no matter how many wonderful, cute, endearing individual moments there are, day-to-day life can feel a lot like a repetitive slog. … Continue reading Notes from a summer: Regent’s Park sunshine
Urban Jungle Bloggers: plants and art
I’m sure you’ve all come across Urban Jungle Bloggers, a monthly series about living with plants, organised by Igor and Judith, that aims to: “highlight the beauty and benefits of houseplants and other greeneries in urban spaces." As you know, I’m something of a plant fanatic, so the only surprise is that it’s taken … Continue reading Urban Jungle Bloggers: plants and art
Notes from a summer: London Wetland Centre
Ahoy there! Hello! How are you? It’s been ages, I know. I fell off grid a bit, this August. Technology (such as this dear old laptop on which I write all my blog posts) becoming substantially less appealing than lying outside in the sun on a picnic blanket. Anyway, such times have come to an … Continue reading Notes from a summer: London Wetland Centre
Food collaging: my July harvest
I’m completely addicted to taking courses. Photography, blogging, garden design, how to rear alpacas… …you name it, if I’m half interested and there’s a course I could possibly take, chances are I’m going to sign up. (I often think that if I won the lottery, the best thing of all would just be to take … Continue reading Food collaging: my July harvest
Feasting on sour cherries: morello cherry compote recipe
It was a bumper harvest from our little morello cherry tree this year. We planted it two years ago, in the front garden, and – until now – it had spectacularly failed to either grow a lot or produce very much fruit. But, back in Spring, I was excited to see the branches weighted down … Continue reading Feasting on sour cherries: morello cherry compote recipe
A bit of this and a bit of that
These long, drowsy, lethargic days of summer tend to disappear in a bit of a haze, the weeks melding together. June is over before I’d hardly realised it had begun. Emails back up in my inbox awaiting replies; text messages go unanswered for weeks; my laptop is checked perfunctorily in the evenings. Any spare moments … Continue reading A bit of this and a bit of that
Wolves in London 