Optimistic strategies for a better garden in 2025 – Part Two Just to recap where we’re at, last year the garden got a little out of control for life reasons and this year I want to do better. This year I have a plan, and I’ve already shared some of my ideas and strategies for a more efficient gardening journey >here<. But in a nutshell: …...
Optimistic strategies for a better garden in 2025 – Part One. As I’ve mentioned >before<, last year in the garden wasn’t as ideal as I would have liked it to be, and weeds have crept into corners that previously were quite manageable. Some of the things like travel and MS fatigue can’t really be changed, but upon reflection there are things I can attempt to …...
Where did things go wrong? I am standing in the gap between years and looking back to figure out how I should go forward. One big reason the garden wasn’t the sole focus of my world was last year there was a lot of travel, which enabled the slide into dodgy weedy edges. The travel was exciting and mostly work related – if not mine, …...
Is it too late to say Happy New Year? Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and festive season salutations! As the first Monday of a fresh new year, it feels like the perfect time to start afresh. It always feels a little odd to be calling a fresh start when we’re in the middle of a growing season – but it is what it is, and …...
Welcome to Summer. It is almost like November never happened! One moment I’m happily doing my thing, tending seedlings getting ready for the season ahead and sharing it all with you and then next thing I’m listening to Christmas carols in the warmth of early summer! It has been a bit of crazy period. Since I last updated, I was throwing myself in to preparations …...
All in a morning’s work I’m a under a bit of pressure this season with a lot to be done in a short amount of time, in and out of the garden. To be fair if it was just the garden I’d be pottering along quite happily. But life is about balance, so the things beyond the garden influence the time I have available to …...
A good streak In light of some pretty serious long-term goals, I’ve been hyper focused on the garden and getting stuff done. The days end with a satisfying ache in the bones that comes from an effort well spent. Not to be confused with pushing myself to the point of exhaustion of breakage. I’ve been there recently with my finger physio episode. My best advice …...
Long term plans I have been super busy in the garden lately and it feels good. Well for my mental wellbeing. Progress is being made and I should easily be ready for the summer. Not so much in my body. I’ve been working muscles that haven’t seen action for a few months. Although to be fair with each garden session I appear to be a …...
Steady as she goes We’re past the equinox so we’re on our way to warmer days and all the wonderful things like sun warmed tomatoes fresh from the vine, outdoor living without the need to rug up, beautiful flowers, long days to potter in the garden and evenings to linger with friends. There are good times ahead. I’m not completely oblivious to the fact I’ll …...
Room Three Update It has been a while since I mentioned Room Three of The Palace and while my enthusiasm for the project hasn’t waned, the actual work has. To be fair it wasn’t intentional, but life got in the way. The first obstacle didn’t seem like it would cause the work to ground to a halt, but inadvertently it did. We headed off on …...
The spring cleaning continues. As we enter the early days of spring, nothing much has changed in the garden. It is always my intention to be so productive over the winter months that the moment the season changes I can waft about the garden doing spring things like sowing seeds, pulling the occasional weed, smelling the daffodils and throwing myself into some kind of fun …...
How I store my seeds I love growing from seed in the spring, watching hundreds of small miracles occurring in a season inspired by hope. Each seed is precious, and their viability depends on how well they are treated and so as the keeper of the seeds I have a responsibility. There is nothing more annoying and frustrating than lovingly sowing seeds and doing all …...
What am I growing this season. Part Three. Deciding to grow less after a lifetime of growing more can be a little challenging. But if I continue to do what I’ve always done, I’ll always get what I’ve always got and in our new position in life as empty nesters is too much. So, I have made a series of hard decisions to create a …...
It’s working so far. After a couple of weeks of applying my new gardening philosophy’s I seem to be making great progress. I’ve written a massive list of absolutely everything, although I should probably type it up and make it official before I forget what my chicken scrawl handwriting actually says. I have even managed to cross things off already which is super satisfying. I’m …...
Optimistic strategies for a better garden in 2025 – Part Two Just to recap where we’re at, last year the garden got a little out of control for life reasons and this year I want to do better. This year I have a plan, and I’ve already shared some of my ideas and strategies for a more efficient gardening journey >here<. But in a nutshell: …...
Optimistic strategies for a better garden in 2025 – Part One. As I’ve mentioned >before<, last year in the garden wasn’t as ideal as I would have liked it to be, and weeds have crept into corners that previously were quite manageable. Some of the things like travel and MS fatigue can’t really be changed, but upon reflection there are things I can attempt to …...
Where did things go wrong? I am standing in the gap between years and looking back to figure out how I should go forward. One big reason the garden wasn’t the sole focus of my world was last year there was a lot of travel, which enabled the slide into dodgy weedy edges. The travel was exciting and mostly work related – if not mine, …...
Is it too late to say Happy New Year? Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and festive season salutations! As the first Monday of a fresh new year, it feels like the perfect time to start afresh. It always feels a little odd to be calling a fresh start when we’re in the middle of a growing season – but it is what it is, and …...
Welcome to Summer. It is almost like November never happened! One moment I’m happily doing my thing, tending seedlings getting ready for the season ahead and sharing it all with you and then next thing I’m listening to Christmas carols in the warmth of early summer! It has been a bit of crazy period. Since I last updated, I was throwing myself in to preparations …...
All in a morning’s work I’m a under a bit of pressure this season with a lot to be done in a short amount of time, in and out of the garden. To be fair if it was just the garden I’d be pottering along quite happily. But life is about balance, so the things beyond the garden influence the time I have available to …...
A good streak In light of some pretty serious long-term goals, I’ve been hyper focused on the garden and getting stuff done. The days end with a satisfying ache in the bones that comes from an effort well spent. Not to be confused with pushing myself to the point of exhaustion of breakage. I’ve been there recently with my finger physio episode. My best advice …...
Long term plans I have been super busy in the garden lately and it feels good. Well for my mental wellbeing. Progress is being made and I should easily be ready for the summer. Not so much in my body. I’ve been working muscles that haven’t seen action for a few months. Although to be fair with each garden session I appear to be a …...
Steady as she goes We’re past the equinox so we’re on our way to warmer days and all the wonderful things like sun warmed tomatoes fresh from the vine, outdoor living without the need to rug up, beautiful flowers, long days to potter in the garden and evenings to linger with friends. There are good times ahead. I’m not completely oblivious to the fact I’ll …...
Room Three Update It has been a while since I mentioned Room Three of The Palace and while my enthusiasm for the project hasn’t waned, the actual work has. To be fair it wasn’t intentional, but life got in the way. The first obstacle didn’t seem like it would cause the work to ground to a halt, but inadvertently it did. We headed off on …...
The spring cleaning continues. As we enter the early days of spring, nothing much has changed in the garden. It is always my intention to be so productive over the winter months that the moment the season changes I can waft about the garden doing spring things like sowing seeds, pulling the occasional weed, smelling the daffodils and throwing myself into some kind of fun …...