Preserve Your Pumpkin
If, like me, you like to carve you pumpkin well in advance to get the most pleasure from it, then there are a couple of ways you can keep it looking fresh. The secret is […]
The ‘Blog Garden’
Want to Keep Bees?
Then come and join one of my informal talks covering all the very basic aspects of bee-keeping. I will be sharing all the experiences and knowledge that I have mustered in my first season as […]
Hot Chocolate
If you’re looking for an obvious opportunity to indulge in chocolate then read on … If you are watching your waistline, check out the fabulous ‘Chocolate Cosmos’ (Cosmos atrosanguineus) with it’s beautiful rich dark maroon flowers […]
Homemade Elderberry Cordial – Thanks Mum!
Despite my brother pointing out I ought to make it clear I don’t gather all my food from the ‘wilderness’, I have to share another Hedgerow harvest with you; and this time it’s all down […]
Wriggly Reassurance
We often find or see leeches in gardens, particularly in ponds but Carl Peters, Manager of Biopharm Leeches, reassured me they are nothing to worry about. “The small leeches found in ponds, water filters and […]
Happy Lammas Day
August 1st is known as Lammas Day. Lammas is now recognised as a Christian holy day, and is celebrated by the church as such. ‘Lammas’ was the medieval Christian name for the holiday and it […]
Sunflower Facts
The Botanical name for Sunflower is Helianthus; Helios meaning ‘sun’ and Anthos meaning ‘flower’. Sunflowers contain the chemical auxin which enables the flower-head to follow the path of the sun throughout the day. The tallest […]
Blaenau Gwent in Bloom – bloomin’ marvellous!
Second day of judging Blaenau Gwent in Bloom and, as is the tradition, we had quite a bit of ‘low cloud’. OK ok, it was rain but I’m not made of sugar, so the ‘show […]
Beautiful Blaenau Gwent in Bloom
I’m looking forward to judging Blaenau Gwent in Bloom this week and feel very honoured to have been given the privilege for a second year. Entries are at a record high with 103 individual entries […]
Wonderful Willow
• The bark of the Willow tree contains salicylic acid, used to make Asprin; it also has other medicinal uses from anti-inflammatory properties to relieving heartburn and stomach ailments. • The Willow has great literature gravitas; taking […]