The Best Beloved and I have been at Spring Cottage for eleven years, almost to the day, and I’ve had to learn to share and that’s not an easy thing for me. You see I am a twin and I had to share everything from a scooter, to a toy piano, to roller skates. It […]

Perhaps it’s the shorter hours of daylight making me appreciate the moments of sunshine that light up the garden and landscape in blasts of crisp autumn light. Or maybe it’s the fiery tones of the autumn leaves as they flutter ground wards in every breath of wind. But whatever it is, time spent outside in […]

The greenhouse is relatively bereft of promising young shoots now, in this chilly November. But the work it did in spring – sheltering promising young shoots from the vagaries – is still being felt in the kitchen, and will be for some time to come. I sowed three types of winter squash, ‘Uchiki Kuri’, the […]

For a wonderful display in your greenhouse or conservatory all winter through you just cannot beat Chinese Lanterns. These are long stems festooned with numerous orange ‘flowers’ and so called as they so closely resemble brilliantly coloured paper decorations. Also known as Bladder Cherries Physalis alkekengi really are most distinctive and have been grown since […]

Collecting leaves – the perfect job for a bright, sunny day. As the nights draw in, it is time to wrap up your pots and plants to protect them from frost and cold. Terracotta or glazed pots should be wrapped with several layers of ‘bubble wrap’ or hessian and raised from the ground on bricks […]