A quick update – we’ve got a nice write up in the Telegraph today, courtesy of Joanna Fortnam who dropped by on a tour of Cheshire gardens a couple of weeks ago. The ‘wierd’ refers partly to our little collection of Arisaemas which I added to at Malvern earlier this week. More to follow when […]

This is an extract from book I’m writing – ‘A Year at Bluebell Cottage’ From ‘April, come she will’The garden is slowly clothing itself in a haze of virgin green buds. In winter I can see right through the bare stems in borders nearest the cottage through to the newly carved out Berry Border on […]

The swallows have arrived, surely earlier than usual, or does it just seem early because it’s still so chilly? Peter clocked them first on Thursday, wheeling in a flock of 40 or so overhead. A few peeled off and settled on the telephone wires and the rest flew on, as if some invisible, airborne bus […]

At last we have a predictable mild spell ahead and it’s time for a first assessment of the winter’s damage. I’ve been round scratching at bark and tugging at dead-looking stems. I unwrapped the exotic garden yesterday, with some trepidation, to look for signs of life. I wrapped many up again later in fresh straw […]

It’s the final run-up to Christmas, often a week of frenetic activity, stress, excitement, irritation or all of the above. Whether you celebrate Christmas as the birthday of Jesus, or whether for you it’s just a break from work, what is certain is that today marks the true midwinter, the pivotal point in the year […]