Can you help us and identify this plant please?
“Did you know that you’ve got a giant dock weed growing in the herbaceous border?” “Well yes and no. I thought it might be a dock at first but its leaves are larger and curly.” Danny picked a regular dock leaf and compared them. Same colour, similar veins. The dock leaf was much smaller, without the grandiose frills. I nipped inside and searched online for a plant with dock like leaves and found several possibilities but I would really like to know exactly what this plant is. It needs to be moved as it is dominating a newly planted...
read moreFlowers in the garden: early April
I used to write a regular post – flowers from the garden. In fact I think that I’ll resurrect it this year as I’m constantly being tempted by supermarket bunches ATM. I haven’t succumbed (hands held tightly behind my back) but I need to fill our house with our own flowers to quell this yearning. And these posts helped. The problem is that the border I created over a number of months last year is now so gorgeous that I can’t bear to pick the flowers. I stand in the drive, at the kitchen window, peep out of my bedroom window and just...
read morePlanning, sowing and dreaming about flowers for cutting and selling
I’m busy planning my flower cutting borders for this year. It’s quite a big job – up until now I’ve just carried vague plans in my head. This means that often I don’t get the best out of the herbaceous borders. Last year some borders were stunning but others were a real disappointment. If I’d taken a bit more time at the planning stage they might have been better. Flowers are a great fillip. My mum always reminds me of the old Chinese proverb, “When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with...
read moreThe delight of dahlias
I always thought of dahlias as rather dull flowers, grown by old men in tweedy jackets, grumbling about earwigs and the lack of rain. Dahlias seemed such a palaver. And boring. But then Sarah Raven’s books and website tore the scales from my eyes. My first wake up call was when she mentioned that dahlias can flower from late July to the first frosts in November. Perhaps it would be worth researching this plant after all? I had no idea what a vast range of varieties there are from teeny pom poms to huge dinner plate ones. I spent hours...
read moreGrowing flowers to sell: Carnations
As you know I’m growing flowers to sell. This is never going to make me a millionaire but it’s a steady small stream of income and our garden looks amazing. I’ve been trying to up my sales at the village shop – I bought a pretty metal three tiered stand to make a tempting display of gift wrapped flowers in temporary vases – these are in fact 1 pint picnic glasses that sit neatly in the coffee cup holder of a car. Disappointingly these are not selling as well as the flowers (gift wrapped) and displayed in a bucket! Next week...
read moreBuying bulbs in bulk and a few bulb planting tips
This is the time of year that the shelves are groaning with Spring bulbs at the local garden centres. Tempting displays that usually draw me in. But not this year. These little packs of 10 bulbs for £3.99 are too expensive. I’m buying in bulk. When I first moved to the cottage I invested in a lot of tulip bulbs that gradually died out over the years – I had no idea that most of them need to be lifted and stored over the summer. Since then we have invested in species tulips that spread gently in the tubs and borders. There are two types of...
read moreHardy gerbera and ranunculus woes
I was so pleased to discover that there is a new strain of hardy gerbera plants available. These are hardy up to -5 degrees. The great thing about gerberas is that the flowers last for ages in water – that’s why you see them in so many restaurant dining rooms. If the plants are potted up and moved into the greenhouse in the autumn, they will flower on and off all winter. They appeared to be an ideal plant to grow for a flower seller, so I invested in some plantlets, potted them on in ordinary compost and within three weeks had lost the...
read moreThe potpourri project: Making my first batch of Cherhez’s Old English Rose Potpourri
“I bet your house smells wonderful.” The lady in Holland and Barrett exclaimed as she put my essential oils in a bag. “I’m making potpourri and our cottage is beginning to smell great.” The Holland and Barrett essential oils are very good quality and the scent lasts well. We use them for making essential oil recipes that I found in The Fragrant Mind by Valerie Ann Worwood. I will be using some of these recipes in my potpourris and scented bags as we have found that they are extremely powerful. It’s taken ages...
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