We had our first frost for the year last week. That and the cooler temperatures are signs of seasonal change as we slip through autumn. It’s also a warning that my dahlias are coming to an end. Their leaves are starting to yellow and the blooming is slowing but I’m still able to pick huge […]
In my garden column: March 2021
I’m starting to write my April gardening column for our local newspaper. I checked to see what I’d written in my March column and realised I hadn’t shared it here. Can’t let that happen, so here it is, complete with newspaper creases. This time, I’m looking through seed catalogues. What seeds are you planting for […]
Japanese Anemones
Japanese Anemones are such pretty plants to have in my garden. With their long stems and delicate flowers that ripple in the breeze, it’s easy to see why they are known as Windflowers. I have a pot of pink ones, that I brought with me from my previous garden but haven’t yet transplanted into the […]
In my garden column: February 2021
In February, my thoughts turn to bulb catalogues – for blooms in spring! It’s so absorbing, looking through the photos of perfect blooms that we see in plant catalogues. It’s even better, though, if the flowers we grow from purchased bulbs look just as good. Last week, my February column was published in our local […]
In my garden column: January 2021
Ooh! My latest garden column has been published in my local newspaper – such a thrill. We’ve had plenty of rain here over the past month – 291 ml since the beginning of December, according to our rain gauge. That’s helped many plants look lush (including the weeds) but hasn’t been good for my roses. […]
Let’s do the bossa nova!
It’s easy to fall in love with a plant that has blossoms as pretty as this Begonia boliviensis ‘Bossa Nova’, with its white flowers tinged with blush pink. I think they look a little like large fuchsia flowers, don’t you? It has a trailing habit and looks fabulous in a hanging basket, so that the […]
Summer means hydrangeas
I’ve been told that hydrangeas are making a comeback in gardens but, in my opinion, they’ve never gone away. With their beautifully-shaped, serrated-edged leaves and huge balls of flowers, why wouldn’t you like them? The flower heads are composed of small fertile flowers surrounded by larger sterile bracts. The bracts can last on the plant […]
In my garden column: November 2020
Now it’s November and that means my latest gardening column is in the local newspaper. It’s a pleasure and privilege to write about the happenings in my garden, even though there’s so much to be done out there. As I sit at my desk, gazing out the window, I can see plenty to keep me […]
In my garden column: October 2020
As I look out my office window at the darkening sky that promises heavier showers, I’m itching to be outside in my garden. There’s so much to do. Instead, I’m sharing with you the latest column I wrote for my my local newspaper, the Southern Highlands Express. It’s always a thrill to see my writing in […]
In my garden column: September 2020
Well, this is exciting! My first gardening column has been published in our local newspaper, the Southern Highlands Express. A new column will appear in the newspaper each month.