Broad bean harvest

I finally managed to get to the Lottie on Sunday and wow, what a broad bean harvest. I collected 6 kilos of broad beans! This equalled 1.5 kilos once shelled. I’m afraid I cannot show you the lovely broad bean, …

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Too busy to garden

I’m just so busy at the moment with work that I’ve barely had a chance to do any gardening for the last couple of weeks, apart from tying back some tomatoes and pinching out the side growth. On the plus …

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Chelsea 2011: my visit – the Great Pavillion

The show gardens and the designers get a lot of attention at Chelsea, but of course they would be nothing without the plants. I always enjoy visiting the Great Pavillion, where nurseries display their plants in some very creative ways. …

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Chelsea 2011: my visit – the gardens

New Wild Garden, Nigel Dunnett. My favourite show garden Yes, yet another blog about Chelsea. Yes, there are millions out there by now. And no, my blog won’t say anything remarkable or different to anyone else. It’s just my record …

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Tasty winning

Asparagus Tart A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to win VP’s cook book giveaway. I was excited not just because I won – though that was very exciting – but because this book was the kind of …

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New lottie pic

I thought it was about time to update my Lottie picture on my blog. That’s the one to the right above ‘about me’. It used to be this…  29th November 2008 And now it’s this… 15th May 2011 Progress! But …

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I ran my first gardening workshop today

I ran my first gardening workshop today. Yes, someone actually paid me to show others how to grow! The workshop was at BarracksLane Community Garden, where I’m the freelance coordinator a couple of days a week. In that role I …

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It’s darned windy out there

It’s bloody windy out there. So on top of the almost complete lack of rain, we now have high winds drying out the soil. Ugh. Kevin and I spent a couple of wind-blown hours at the lottie this afternoon. In …

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Floral delights at Oxford Botanic Gardens

Tulipa ‘National Velvet’ Tulipa ‘Arabian Nights’ Tulipa ‘Abu Hassan’ Paeonia Delayayi Angustiloba ‘Alba’ Paeonia (tree peony – so dazzled I forgot to check it’s name) Paeonia, with honey bee

Iffley Meadow Fritillaries

Fritillaria meleagris (snake’s head) and  fritillaria meleagris alba (white) on Iffley Meadow One of the many great delights of living where we do in Oxford, is that we are not far from the Isis Farmhouse, and the Iffley Meadow Fritillaries. …

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