There were a few apples that had got past their best in the fridge, so I have just chopped them up, retrieved the seeds and got rid of the rest.  There were 11 seeds from some very small French Gala apples, and 10 seeds from some Worcesters.

I have planted them around the edges of some big planters which will eventually be full of Chinese Quinces ( Read more... )

There is not a lot of soil in this garden for trees, but there were a couple of spots where I really wanted to plant an apple tree - partly because apple trees are so nice to have with the blossom AND the fruit, but also to provide a bit of screening.  I have already planted a Cornish variety, and now I have planted a Bardsey Island apple.  I am ( Read more... )

Yesterday it rained.  I had planned to garden, but the sudden downpours were too much. Instead we went wandering around Tavistock for several hours with the hounds (and took them to our favorite dog-friendly cafe for lunch).  I managed to get some more titanium white acrylic paint and then since the shop had an offer, I bought some silver, buff ( Read more... )

I always seem to take lots of photos of the garden in Spring, and then everything starts growing like triffids,  it all goes a bit aaargh and I don't take any photos after that.  So I decided today as I had taken down a tree I should take photos.

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It's that time of year when suddenly the disappointment of August rain, damp heat and biting flies clears away, the air is comfortably cool and pleasant and the sun shines.  I had blackberries and hazelnuts for breakfast on our morning walk.   I don't think the nuts are going to hold out much longer, but the blackberries are particularly generous ( Read more... )

( For literate horses )

But in fact I only got one good photo of a camellia, in the whole National Camellia Collection.  And it was a pink one, which is my least favorite sort: I prefer the dark red ones, or the plain white ones (only the white ones look so manky once they start to turn brown around the edges)
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This weekend, I have made four jars of blackberry jelly, and am in the process of making rowan jelly too.   I have also made some blackberry whiskey ( Read more... )

Despite appearances, I did not take this photo of blackthorn against a stormy sky in March. I took it this morning.


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OK, I have not actually created two vast and trunkless legs of stone.   But I have done a hell of a lot of gardening.
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