2025/3 - Don't believe everything you read

 Last week I told you I plan to prune my 'olijfwilg' , or olive willow to you (Elaeagnus Ebbingei), but that I want to make certain I do so in the right season.

The top branches of the olijfwilg

   So I looked up the information on the internet, as one does these days, right? Well, that was quite confusing. Most sites

 (not all, mind) told me to do it twice a year, in February/March and June/July, but "not during the growing season!"

Excuse me? Shrubs do not grow during June/July? News to me!

  Only after looking up at least 6 sites, did I think to look at the label of my olijfwilg, which I had kept.

   

Here you are, proof!

The print is a bit too small, but is says 'pruning in February/March'.

So there you are, you should not blindly follow information you find on the internet.

The last few days we are having thick fog along with near freezing temperatures, so it is not a pleasure to be outside. Foggy conditions are a given so close to the sea. I don't mind walking Puck though, as it makes our early morning walkies quite mysterious. The moorhens are awake at 06.00, and they usually make their presence known by squawking very loudly, and this time my brain registered an oak leaf fluttering up from the grass to a branch. That is weird, I thought stupidly, before I realised it was a tiny treacreeper.

Anyway, because I have nothing new, let alone cheery, to show you here is a photo from last June, again with my olive willow, verbena bonariensis and in the background the monarda.

And I'll finish with my favourite rose.

This is it, Desdemona, in the planter. Just imagine a few of these against my new frame, eh? I can't wait!

Right, have a lovely weekend wherever you are.

Renée 

2025/2 - And We're Off, my garden and me!!

 Last November I promised you that I would resume regular blogs a.s.a. the bulbs would show themselves; they are above ground! Since we had a storm with wind speeds up to 108 km/h in my area yesterday, I visited Hunky Dory this afternoon, to check if all was well. Thankfully it was.

 If you are reading this in the affected areas with snow blizzards or fires in the USA, I am wishing you strength! 

We had 1cm of snow last Sunday and I was over the moon...I cannot begin to imagine what you must be going through over there.

After an hour the rain returned

   When I arrived at Hunky Dory the sun showed itself, hurray!

   So instead of just checking, I actually pulled up my sleeves and tackled the first gardening jobs of 2025.

   I dragged some old artichoke branches to the compost heap, put some old cardboard on for good measure and watered my Spider plants that are living in the greenhouse. Next I topped up the frog pond (the level had dropped despite the rain) and let some water out of my water butts, as they are predicting night frosts for this week. 

   As I told you in blog 1, I am planning to try runner beans, climbing courgettes and climbing pumpkins this year, so I built them a frame. I used some old bright blue plastic rope the old geezer who had the garden before me had left behind in the shed: loathe it, but waste not, want not. Hopefully the greenery will cover that blue stuff pretty quickly.

See? I told you! Bulbs! They are narcisii, paperwhites.

During the winter months I gasp for green shrubs, and my Elaeagnus Ebbingei does not disappoint! From a 30 cm baby it has grown into a thug I now need to curb in its expansion, as it has totally overgrown the path. I will wait until late February and then will lift its canopy, unless it is safe to do it sooner, I must research that.

My kitchen sage is doing well; here you see it enjoying the sunshine.

And so is the rosemary, already starting to bloom! Oh dear, that night frost...

The malus looking pretty

    Last winter the birds had eaten all the tiny apples, but so far they are still hanging proudly.

   Can you see the clouds starting to gather? Always too good to be true, blue skies in January.

But I really wanted to build that frame, so I soldiered on.

And here it is, built in true allotment style from Tonkin sticks and old apple tree branches I cut off last autumn.

Must say I am pretty pleased with my effort. And I can't wait to put the seedlings next to it. But that will have to wait!

The Hellebore next to the frog pond is showing colour. It used to be apricot coloured, but reverted to pink after a year (pissing me off, as I paid a lot of money for it to be apricot). Still, it is very pretty in pink too, and it is just about the first thing to start blooming, so it's forgiven.

Right, this is the last photo for this week. This is in the border next to the greenhouse, and never disappoints. I pruned it quite harshly, but it has recovered and now looks great, giving me a welcoming splash of colour when I arrive at my plot.

Have a lovely weekend!

Renée 

2025 /1 - I love snowy days

 When Puck woke me this morning (06.30, so good dog) we stepped out of the door into a white winter wonderland. And it was still snowing, so my doggy was happy instantly. She adores snow, as do I.

This watercolour is from 2020, I painted it after the last time we had proper snow. 

Puck and I were the only ones out, except for the many waterfowl, who had marched down the path before us, leaving their prints.

But at 8 a.m. the snow had already melted and it had turned to rain, such a shame.

So to cheer myself up, I looked at some old balcony garden photos, from a few years ago. I am already looking forward to the new gardening season, aren't you?

My hands are itching to start, but I know from experience I will have to wait a bit. My greenhouse is unheated. So far my attempts to grow runner beans have been rather feeble, but I'm determined to try again this year, in another spot, and from pots. My clay has thwarted me so far, so this year I will try a new strategy. Why not? I have plenty of large pots.

And look, one of my neighbours grew pumpkins in his raised bed, so I'll try that (again) this year too! And I'd love to attempt one of those weird hanging yellow courgettes. So: the only way is UP! Up from that rock hard summer soil that keeps frustrating a lot of my efforts.

I'll leave you with a photo of what is to come very soon. I cannot wait!

Have a good January, enjoy the snow if you are lucky enough to have it (now don't grumble at me, having months and months of grey skies and rain is no picnic I tell you!).

Renée