There are so many flowers that burst forth in May, so we are really spoilt for choice but one of the best wild flowers this month must be the bluebell – although, because it has been so mild, they have started to flower in April this year. The bluebell is a quintessential sign of British springtime, with the vast ...
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I really love April, as there is wild cherry and Hawthorn blossom in the hedgerows, our gardens are bursting forth with flowers everywhere and the air is full of their delicate scent. Amalanchier and apple trees flower this month, magnolias burst open from their furry winter coats and the scent of later flowering ...
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March is the first month in the Roman calendar, and it is named after Mars, God of War. The days are longer and we can literally feel the warmth starting to creep in again. We certainly have had unpredictable weather patterns but glorious sunshine has enriched the colours in the garden and countryside if we only look ...
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Kalettes or 'flower sprouts' As I was walking this morning, the sun was shining and I could definitely feel the gentle warmth of its rays, which was fantastic. We have had a very mild winter so far, with a few sharp frosts and snow further north, but here we have the treats of winter flowering Jasmine and the ...
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One thing is certain – our weather is becoming more turbulent and unpredictable – but the recent mild spell has given us a longer flowering season and the welcome sight of roses and hebes hanging on last month. January may prove to be cold, dark and ‘grimbly’ but the hours of daylight will be increasing at ...
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The clock change does seem to have been more dramatic than usual this year, as it seemed to be darker in the morning AND in the evening. The position of the sun in the sky is changing. That, in turn, alters how we perceive colour and light. In the height of summer, the sun is as far overhead as it gets. But the sun ...
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As we are becoming more and more aware of how the natural world has evolved, I have been exploring why deciduous leaves turn colour in autumn. As the tree becomes dormant, a compound called abscisic acid triggers a seal to develop at the base of the leaves, before they fall off. This reduces water reaching the leaf ...
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Firstly, I just wanted to mention the blight that hit most of our tomatoes and potatoes grown outdoors this year. It is a disease caused by a fungus-like organism that spreads rapidly on the air, into the foliage and tubers or fruit of potatoes and tomatoes in wet weather, causing collapse and decay and there seems ...
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I continue to be amazed at garden plants’ ability to cope with the changing weather patterns and this year everything possible has been thrown at them, especially the torrential rain and high winds of the last few weeks of ‘summer’! Astonishingly, some hollyhocks grew to 8’, rudbeckia 6’ and even the annual cosmos ...
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Pink Lavatera and White Lychnis There aren’t many jobs to do in August, except keeping the weeds under control, mowing the lawn and picking veggies, if you are lucky enough to have the space to grow them. You can also still pop in a few annuals for extra colour but I would not advise planting perennials, as plants ...
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