Today, May 1st May Day we celebrate La Fête du Muguet in France. There is no lily-of-the-valley in my little garden (not yet) but it is still an occasion to celebrate as the gardener has almost recovered his eyesight, and the weather is at last glorious spring weather! A small…
At the beginning of this month of April, the gardener discovered a new way to see the world, and enriched his medical vocabulary. As a consequence of a cataract operation which did not work as expected, I temporarily have to live with an aphakic eye i.e. an eye without a…
At the beginning of the month, the gardener forgot his age and vigorously attacked the newly enlarged North border. There ensued a painful back-ache and by doctor’s order a period of “no gardening” of at least one month. Fortunately the under-gardener helped a lot. New visits to the local GC…
Thanks to the unusually warm weather work has started in the garden. The 2 specimens of lavatera ‘Barnsley’ have been cut back (one month earlier than last year). The lawn has been mown for the first time this year. A visit to two of my favourite garden centers/nurseries has resulted…
The warm weather encourages some plants to burst into flower earlier than usual. Those Paperwhite narcissus have been in full bloom since the start of January. The blackbirds have started to attack the small apples of my Malus ‘Evereste’ in earnest! As for the bees, they are glad to feed…
Very best wishes for a happy and fruitful gardening year! Father Xmas (actually my friend Rob) brought me a nice Xmas present, a plant of Garrya elliptica (the silk tassel bush).
A little stroll in the garden at the beginning of the month reveals a few plants in bloom. Because this Autumn the weather has been unusually warm, my Ophiopogon thinks it’s Spring again and celebrates with a small show of its tiny bell-shaped flowers. Sarcococa is all set up for…
This morning at the local “organic” market in my village, came across some interesting apples. Malus ‘Evereste’. From my own garden, for little birdies! ‘Pilot’ Delbard Jubilé® ‘Melrose‘ (2 different specimens, my favourite apple) ‘Calville blanche’ (an old cultivar, very tasty) ‘Dalinette’
If one could replace all the kalachnikov in the world with garden trowels and watering cans, that would be a giant leap for mankind.