For the last few years I have grown Kelvedon Wonder peas, they were one of the economy brands and came as a fairly large pack. They were lovely and sweet, and I liked picking a few to eat when I went into the garden. When they finished last year, I thought of ‘Tom Thumb’ to … More Minding Your Peas and Q’s
Strangely enough, many of the herbs I grow are never used. I like basil, but do I need eight varieties? It is interesting to taste and smell the differences but I am more inclined to use the Italian classic basil in cooking. The purple ruffles basil is a pretty colour even though it didn’t ruffle … More Herby, Mexican Style
Cucumbers are relatively easy to grow and for the past couple of years, I favoured the mini cucumber for both taste and size. It was a convenient size which meant it was all used, without any of it languishing in the fridge for any length of time, so always fresh, just picked from the vine. … More A Glowing Report
I was brought up by the coast and even now, since moving inland, I can still see it from the top of the hill on the way out of our town, so I do have the best of both worlds. I don’t think I appreciated the coast until I moved further away from it. The … More Sea You There
I often say I will not buy any more plants, and at the time, I do mean it. However, recently I had the occasion to be a volunteer helper at a local wildlife rescue Centre when they held their annual open day. I had already donated several plants so was looking forward to seeing what … More No Means Yes
For some time I have suffered from a skin complaint, possibly eczema or similar. Painful hands, drying, splitting skin, sent me off for serious medication as there was nothing I tried that worked. As time passed, I realised most of the skin irritation was after working with tomatoes. Just checking and removing the offshoots was … More Tomatoes Rebel
We all make mistakes but at the time they don’t seem like mistakes, perhaps just over-enthusiasm, especially when I see something not readily available elsewhere. Fortunately my error was in my choice of only seed. I saw, I liked, I bought, simple as that. Litchitomate Solanium S. sisymbriifolium, or litchi tomato, and it’s various other … More A Thorny Subject
I can’t believe that our long, very cold winter and spring, have played a part of the substantial amount of flowers appearing on shrubs and trees. Even in the car, the smell from the number of blossoms along the roadside, can be appreciated. The elder is a useful tree to have, the delightful umbrella of … More Heavenly Scents
Leaving the garden for a while, the sweet perfumes still permeate the roadside air with blossom covered hawthorn. It reminds me of my last house with the long hawthorn hedge. It helped keep intruders out, provided safe nesting for birds, was a haven for many insects and an absolute pain to trim. Even wielding the … More Road Scents
The first to strike me when going outdoors, is the smell of the lilac. Perhaps the sub-zero temperatures have given trees a good rest over winter and their pent-up energy is the result. I don’t think I have seen the lilac with so many blooms before. The pink rhododendron is also still in flower. Bluebells, … More Pretty, Pink And Perfumed
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