It's April and spring is finally here. Well, for the last couple of weeks it hasn't felt very spring-like. La Bise has been blowing so hard that we are still wearing sweaters indoors. There's been plenty of sunshine but the windchill can often feel like a literal kick in the face. Sometimes it is difficult to even open the front door because the ( Read more... )

Two Sundays ago I chanced upon some potted hyacinth bulbs for sale and decided to buy one, figuring it would be a good opportunity for The Bun to learn about patience and plants and flowers. Like many kids his age, he often has problems waiting for something to happen - if it is going to happen, it'd better be RIGHT NOW OR ELSE ( Read more... )

Ikea session with the girls last night - I was looking for bookshelves and more plants to feed my growing obsession. The flat seems much brighter with Mintie in it and suddenly I see potential everywhere. A fern here, a pot of ivy there. Ikea's plant section is obviously not as interesting or varied as Far East Flora, but I was intrigued by the ( Read more... )

I've been googling around for mint growing tips and there's a whole range of mint to explore: chocolate mint, pineapple mint, swiss peppermint (Ricola-aaaaa!). Some of the writers make it sound like the plant has a personality, eg: All mints should be grown in containers unless you want them to travel around your garden making friends. [from www. ( Read more... )

J left to visit yet another Tower of Work in Ghana (!!) last night and I'm left in a quiet house with the pets and the plant. We bought a pot of mint last week and I'm trying my best to ensure that it doesn't die an early death. So far so good - I even borrowed a book on indoor gardening which was filled with lots of step-by-step instructions on ( Read more... )