The Last Day of The Second Last Month of Winter

Posted on 31st July 2010 in Chickens, Crazy Car Man, Fruit, Herbs, Not For Eating

It is with great relief that I farewell the second last month of Winter.  Only one to go and then The Season That Should Not Exist will be over.  And not a moment too soon.  My soul is crying out for some hot from the sky (hot from a heater is a terribly poor substitute).

Today was a lovely mid-winter day though.  While Crazy Car Man was off playing with fire trucks (he’s a volunteer for the Rural Fire Service) I spent a satisfactory couple of hours playing in the garden.
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That Smelly Plant Gets a Home and a Name

Posted on 31st July 2010 in Back of The House Garden, Just Stuff, Musings, Not For Eating

The house where I grew up had an awesome backyard and garden, all my Dad’s work – it was green and lush and private, with secret plants hidden away under other plants, most of which had a story attached. I spent many a day (and sleepless night) sitting on the back deck, watching the garden grow.

There is one plant in particular that brings back those lazy days in the backyard – its scent packs a nostalgia wallop like no other, and I’ve been known to lapse into a happy, almost catatonic state when I get a whiff of it, as my brain goes into childhood memory overload.
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The England Files: Part V – Tropical Plants and the Big Scary Butterfly

Posted on 30th July 2010 in Bugs, Crazy Car Man, Foreign Lands, Not For Eating, The England Files

Thoughts of the north of England don’t usually gel cohesively with images of a steamy, humid tropical wonderland.  Though with the way global warming has been affecting English seasons maybe it won’t be too long until liana vines are swinging from the wings of the Angel of the North.
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Mid-Winter Shenanigans in the Garden

Posted on 26th July 2010 in Back of The House Garden, Crazy Car Man, Garden Hardware, Just Stuff, Kingswood, Not For Eating, Update, Vegetables

Yes, there are shenanigans going on in the garden. Who woulda thunk it? It’s cold out, the sunshine only requires a factor 15, half of my garden is hibernating – as I wish I could be – and yet the other half is getting up to all sorts of interesting things.
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Mad Chooks and the Inevitable Revenge

Posted on 24th July 2010 in Books, Chickens, Cooking, Hugh of River Cottage

There are roughly 150 free range chickens that share the 10 acres of farm on which we rent our cottage. Marge the Chook Lady, keeper of the chickens, picker of olives, carer of the ancient landlord, source of village gossip ensures her charges live out their days in a wallow of dust baths, sunshine, bug feasts and all manner of fresh goodies from the greengrocer in town.
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The England Files: Part IV – Bees, Bugs and Harmony

Posted on 22nd July 2010 in Bugs, Carnivorous Plants, Foreign Lands, Not For Eating, The England Files

England has the coolest bugs. Purely and simply because I can get up close and personal with them and they won’t kill me.

If you like a side of pain and death with your bugs then I think Australia wins hands down, but for warm fuzzy garden friends you can’t go past the bumble bee.
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The England Files: Part IIId – Harewood House

Posted on 22nd July 2010 in Art, Foreign Lands, Just Stuff, Not For Eating, The England Files

This is more of a homage to one particular plant than a study of the garden at Harewood House. I saw this plant in a number of locations throughout the north of England and each time I was struck silent in disbelief. It’s positively Jurassic looking! It feeds my fear of Velociraptors leaping out at me spitting poison in my eye and then consuming my delicious remains.
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The Mysterious Succulents

Posted on 17th July 2010 in Not For Eating, Porch Garden

I find succulents as hard to resist as pudgy baby cheeks.  I feel the same need to add succulents to my collection as I do the need to squidge the cheeks!  And I’m a compulsive squidger – my niece will testify to that – when she was seven years old she rationed me to five cheek squeezes per visit – but I haggled and got her up to eight!  Take on the seven year old and come out a winner!
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The England Files: Part IIIc – Harewood House

Posted on 16th July 2010 in Foreign Lands, Garden Hardware, Not For Eating, The England Files

Crazy Car Man and I ventured from the formal Terrace at Harewood House to the slightly more informal Himalayan Garden.  This garden appealed to me a lot more.  Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate the time and effort that goes into the grooming of a garden like the Terrace, but trimming the hedges with a pair of nail scissors and a laser sight is not really my idea of a good time.
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Interlopers and Weird Things

Posted on 16th July 2010 in Fruit, Not For Eating, Porch Garden

I get up close and personal with each of my plants at least once a week.  I like to have a quick chat and catch up and see how the universe is treating them.  Some get a little more face time either because they’re right in the house or porch or simply because they’re more interesting.

I’m now quite grateful my plants can’t read otherwise there could be a mass exodus of plants with poor self esteem.  Come back!  You’re beautiful and fascinating and I love you all!
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