the blackberry garden

Tree following April 2026 - here we go

2026-04-16T20:31:00.001+01:00

We are off! The quince blossom has started to open and there are bees making whoopee with the pollen. OK maybe not making whoopee, but they are having a great time collecting it and I am having a great time watching them.

Both of the Quince Brothers have a good covering of blossom. From a blossom point of view it is a good year. Of course I am still a bit concerned about frost, but the forecast looks hopeful that we should not get any more serious frost. We might get a light frizzle of frost, maybe maybe, but I think we are through the worst of it now.

So that means we have some interesting weeks ahead. First of all there is the time when the pollinated quincelets start to swell. I watch this time carefully. I have to hold myself back from trying not to touch them to test if they really are set or not. They have to remain attached to the tree at this point and this always seems to be a challenge for them. It then becomes the waiting game to see how many will reach full size. As ever I live in a haze of optimistic hope that there will be glut this year.

To keep this in context: more than three will count as a glut.

So here we go - strap in for the ride, I hope it is going to be a good one.

The history of my quince-bothering treefollowing can be found here.

Take care and be kind.

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Book Review: The Arboretum by Gail Harland

2026-04-09T19:04:00.003+01:00

I have reviewed a previous book by Gail Harland, so when I was asked if I wanted to review her latest book quickly said yes. I know her writing and research to be of good quality and I like her style of writing.

I have to be transparent and say that I have not paid for this book. I have not been paid to write this review and my words and opinions are entirely my own.

Now, where was I, oh yes: The Arboretum. Well, she had me at trees as they say. To have the land to have an arboretum is a dream so to read about their social histories and origins was fascinating to me.

Gail starts the book by telling us how important trees are: not just in terms of their carbon dioxide absorbing properties, but also how they contribute to human wellbeing. It is no surprise that they are reflected in folklore and culture throughout the world: both as places of whimsy and of darkness and fear. Trees and forests feature in stories down centuries: Gail provides examples and illustrations from around the world.

We are then taken through the development of arboretums: either as places for growing important resources or as a place of sanctuary and shade. Of course it was people with great riches who would have the land and the money to do this. Indeed the display of rare trees is a good physical display of wealth.

I was delighted to see a mention of Nottingham Arboretum in the book. Nottingham is my home town. It is a fine example of the creation of public space to help alleviate the lack of nature/greenery in the cities impacted on by the Industrial Revolution. It is a place of calm and tranquility just moments away from the city centre.

We also learn about private collectors' arboreta, which are still being created and added to today. Throughout history some individual trees have had specific histories and meaning attached to them; and trees have been used to signify areas of great meaning and solemnity. Gail covers all this in her book.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it told me a lot I did not know which is always a good thing. My one criticism is that it does not have an index, I feel this would really add to the book.

Anyhoo, index aside, if you have an interest in trees and/or arboreta then this book is for you.

The Arboretum by Gail Harland is published by Amberley Publishing.

Take care and be kind.

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End of Month Review March 2026

2026-04-02T20:23:00.000+01:00

Its March and the weather is all over the place, such is its character. We have had mild days, frost, winds, rain, sleet and sun. We have had the equinox so the daylight continues to increase and the temperatures generally are on the rise and the garden has responded well.

In the front garden the large Magnolia soulangia is flowering well. I just have to hope that it will withstand any late frosts. Beautiful as the flowers are, frost damage makes them turn into brown dirty dish-cloths.

Whilst I am looking up at the tree I acquire an audience of cats. Esme, Flossy and Fluffy Pete are curious as to what I am doing. Tim is not curious, he hasn't stirred yet from his bed.

The Quince Hedge under the lounge window is flowering its heart out. It is a welcome sight for the bees who are emerging as the weather warms up.

At the side of the house the verbascum field is doing very well. These should flower this year and they will look magnificent (I hope).

The Smell Me and Dye Garden is quite weedy, it is bedeviled with couch grass. I have given it an initial swipe to dig out the weeds, but it will need several more attempts before I can consider it even slightly under control.

In the back garden the cardoon is growing well. This is now the sole survivor of the eight seedlings I brought with me when I moved into this house nearly nineteen years ago.

I have been clearing the garden of its winter detritus and generally weeding. Each part of the garden has its own specific weed problem. The Coal Bunker border is full of an invasive allium that I think I will never live long enough to eradiacte. The Pond Border is full of Spanish bluebells. The Conservatory Border is full of wood avens and also a different invasive allium. I suppose I should be grateful for the variety of weeds as it means I do not get bored.....

I bought this fancy plant support last year; I wanted to use it for this peony but I bought it when the peony was already growing tall. This year I moved it into position a couple of weeks ago and the peony is quickly reaching up through the swirls. This makes me very happy.

In the Conservatory Border the Magnolia stellata is flowering its best yet. Its whirly flowers work well with the whirly wind spinner. I would like to say I did this on purpose but I only noticed this today.

The standard wisteria is covered in buds. I am also on frost-watch for this plant as it can get very damaged by a late frost.

The tree peonies are budding up, this is always a moment of excitement and anticipation. I would grow so many tree peonies if I had the space and budget.

The Magnolia Leonard Messel, who has grown into a fine small tree, it just finishing its first flush. It will repeat flower for a while yet.

The Iford Cherry is just astonishing this year.

and the amalanchier is at peak blossom.

The Aldi Acer, who was an 18 inch unnamed twig when I planted it, is now a very fine tree. A real highlight of the garden.

I have tried to encourage fritillaria meleagris to enjoy growing in my garden: this little patch seems to be doing well, there are definitely more there than I planted.

The Spring Border is at about peak Spring. The Acer Orange Dream, that was planted from a 9cm pot about eighteen years ago, has slowly grown into a fine specimen. The narcissus are taking over from the hellebores and, whilst you can't see them, the Erythronium 'Pagoda' are starting to flower.

The Fritillaria imperialis is having a good year. No serious slug damage and (fingers crossed) no sign of lily beetles yet this year. They will appear, I know this, but at least it is getting to flower.

Also growing well is the Euphorbia mellifera, she is a bit of a beast and I missed the window of opportunity to prune her as it kept being frosty. She will get pruned after she has flowered.

The reason to want to prune the euphorbia is that she is blocking out my view of Camellia Donation, who is flowering really well this year. She is still quite small so cannot peep above the euphorbia. Never mind. The euphorbia is too large for its position in that border - rookie error, I should have planted her further back so that she became a back-drop; that would have worked better.

and the Pond is sparkling in the sun. How wonderful is this! What is not so wonderful is there has been no frogspawn at all this year. This is the first time since the pond was created there has been none. I am rather sad about this. I attribute this to the pond being rather over full of plants and rather over full of newts. This is a shame and unintentional and, (newt-wise) out of my control. Sigh.

Until next time

Take care and be kind.

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I dream of Magnolia Genie

2026-03-29T19:24:00.003+01:00

I am on a bit of a magnolia thing at the moment. It is their time of year so I hope to be forgiven. Ilove seeing them in front gardens as I pass by and I seem to have accidentally acquired a few in my garden when I pause to count.

There is the large soulangea in the front garden: the sight of whom when I first saw this house, started my falling in love with this garden. There is a small stellata in the Conservatory Border, M. Leonard Messel, M. Jade Lamp, the other Magnolia I bought with no label and M. Fairy Blush and the other small stellata I bought last year and have recently planted into the side garden (more of this one another day.)

I also have Magnolia Genie, bought six years ago just as the pandemic was setting in. I kept this tree in a pot for a couple of years and this was a mistake. The tree was in flower when I bought her, but then would not flower again. I hoped that getting her into the ground would resolve this issue.

I planted her out near where the dead trunk of the eating apple tree holds up my Wild Edric rose. A couple of times she nearly flowered but then hard frost hit and the buds failed. This was very disappointing. She was not thriving at all and frankly, I considered digging her up and moving her elsewhere. But I know that magnolias are no fan of being moved; so whilst I kept thinking it, for once the wisdom fairy insisted I held my nerve and I did not dig her up.

Then this year, suddenly there were buds. Good sized buds that lasted long enough to start to split open.

I paid great attention to progress.

as the days have warmed up in the past couple of weeks, the pace speeded up.

and of course, as regular readers would expect, I also was worrying about frost. We are still in the frost zone with at least another three weeks before I would expect to be safe from it. She has just got through a couple of cold nights so my optimism is high.

So far so good; the flowers are opening and they are well worth waiting for. I am hopeful now the tree will continue to progress and start to thrive as hopefully it has set its roots down.

Time will tell.

Take care and be kind.

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Plant of the Month March 2026 - Dog Violets

2026-03-26T20:35:00.000+00:00

I have been spending a lot of time in the garden this month, which has felt like a treat and has been a delight. My usual habit it to wander around the garden looking at what is going on before settling down to to the tasks of the day. A key part of these wanderings in the last week has been wondering what the plant of the month will be for March. I half-decided on two or three candidates but then the answer came to me. The Dog Violet.

When I saw this violet flowering in the Wild Garden it made me stop and smile. It was the immediately right that this would be the March Plant of the Month for several reasons: it is very pretty, it is a native wildflower and it is a memory. Regular readers will know that I particularly prize plants that are also memories and this plant took my right back to the first Spring I spent in this house. I moved here the September before and had decided when first thinking about what the garden would be, that the top third would be left to become a wild garden. The following Spring I saw the dog violets flowering in the top part of the garden that I had left to do its thing. I was beyond delighted: it was proof of concept. A less gardened garden creates its own beauty. Every Spring I look out for this little beauty and every Spring it makes me smile.

The Viola riviniana is a low growing, very hardy, perennial. It spreads itself around carefully and is easy to spot with its heart-shaped leaves. They grow in heaths, woods and hedgerows and are very beneficial for a variety of wildlife including some rare butterflies. I cannot claim that I have seen any of the rare butterflies, but adding to the food source has to be a good thing.

Violets are associated with modesty and timidity due to their nodding flowers that bow their heads. In the 'language of flowers' they have meanings of remembrance and faithfulness.

There is something about how small they are, how easy they can be to overlook that makes them all the more special. I can understand why they have the folklore and meanings attributed to them. The common name 'dog' violet is apparently related to them being seen as the 'false' violet, they are not the Violet odorata which has a sweet scent. Nevertheless, they were seen as protection against evil so I shall happily have them in my garden.

More Plants of the month can be found here.

Take care and be kind.

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Tree Following - March 2026 - Downy

2026-03-21T21:31:49.286+00:00

Here we are in March. Spring and the Quince Brothers are moving on apace.

I love this moment in the quince cycle, the new foliage is emerging in this bright lime green, with the underside of the leaves looking pale and downy. I know I have said often that these trees are completely garden-worthy whether they fruit or not, and this time of year in particular I have these thoughts. The Quince Brothers are always early adopters of Spring and leap into leafage ahead of many of their neighbours.

The fatter clumps of leafage (technical term) are covering the emerging blossom buds. This year both trees look like there will be a lot of blossom, which is very exciting. Now we all know, don't we, that as many blossoms as there will be does not indicate as many quinces as there may be. Yet to the ever-optimists such as I there is always the hope that some of them will set quincelets who will become quincelings who will become quinces. As soon as the blossom arrives the hope starts to rise to ridiculous heights.

Who knows, I might even pick the quinces this year.....

Time will tell.

Take care and be kind.

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Gardeners World Spring Fair 2026

2026-03-15T17:46:00.001+00:00

Spring seems to be making itself known at last. We have had some sunny days and the daytime temperatures have started to lift; which means that the prospect of days out is now very much on the agenda. The BBC Gardeners World Spring Fair at Beaulieu has been running a few years now. I have not managed to visit yet but this year I am determined to go this year. Watch this space.

David Long Showcase Garden BBCGWSF photo c/o BBCGWSF

The show is open 1-3 May 2026 (check times on the website) and is the usual mix of a smattering of Gardeners World presenters who appear on the GW Magazine stage giving talks and tips. The cost of these talks is included in your ticket so it is worth checking who is speaking and popping in.

There is much to see including the inspirational show gardens and Beautiful Borders. The show is sponsored this year by Hilliers, so as you would expect they have the headliner show garden. I am looking forward to seeing this.

I am very predictable so I bee-line for the plant sales, always my favourite part of any show. I love perusing the nurseries and looking for something to fill that gap in my garden that is never really a gap until I make it so.

Floral Border at BBCGWSF photo c/o BBCGWSF

There is also a food market and of course you can also wander the beautiful grounds at Beaulieu itself. So all in all a fun day out. I am looking forward to it hugely.

and - excitingly - I have been given the opportunity to host a give-away for one pair of standard adult tickets for Sunday 3rd May 9.30am entry . To take part in the give-away you must use the Contact Form in the side panel of this blog - giving me you name and email address and put in the body of the message "BBC Gardeners World Spring Fair."

The prize draw ends on midnight Sunday 29th March late entries will not be included. I will draw the name of the winner at random and the winning entry will be sent a link by BBC Gardeners World Spring Show organisers to register online. The tickets will be sent by email, there are no paper tickets for this event.

Tickets are non-refundable, non-exchangeable and non-transferable, and do not include travel, accommodation or expenses. There is no cash alternative. Details of giveaway and prize correct at time of print. Ticket terms and conditions apply https://www.immediatelive.com/ticket-terms-and-conditions/

So good luck!

There is also a discount code you can use to buy tickets: The discount code is SAVE10 for 10% off standard adult/concession entry tickets. Please note the end date in the Ts & Cs below. Tickets can be purchased here.

*Discount valid on adult/concessions standard entry tickets for Friday 1st and Sunday 3rd May for entry at 09:30 and 11:30 entry only. Not valid on 1:30pm tickets, Saturday tickets, added extras, or with any other offer. Ends 23:59 on 17 April 2026. £3.95 transaction fee per e-ticket order. Details correct at time of print.

Take care and be kind.

For more from the Blackberry Garden follow me on Bluesky ~~Twitter~~ X Facebook Instagram and Substack

The Green Touch Paper Has Been Lit

2026-03-12T19:13:00.000+00:00

Oh my giddy aunt there has been a run of consecutive days with sun and no rain. No rain, actually no rain. The stream running down the drive and into the lane has almost dried up...... almost.....

Even more important is that I have finished my recent role that was taking me away from home so much and I am currently enjoying (and I do mean enjoying) a pause whilst I think about what will come next. There are ducks that need to line up and whilst I am waiting for these waterbirds to sashay themselves into the correct formation I have spent the week getting outside in the garden. Also getting the house tidier/cleaner, but mainly spending time in the garden. Lawns have been mowed and roses have been pruned. I would say all the roses have been pruned but I bet my bottom dollar I have missed one or two.

Most excitingly of all is that the Magnolia Jade Lamp, purchased just as lockdown was happening in 2020, is starting to flower. It took a couple of years before it started flowering, which is not unusual for magnolias, they do like to make you wait; but once they start they are just a joy. Of course they are also a worry as we are not through the frost zone yet (which I am seem to be saying in a repeating loop at the moment). Once frosted the beautiful magnolia petals take on a more dirty dishcloth appearance which frankly, is beyond disappointing. They do repeat flower a bit but never quite reach the peak of the first flush.

This magnolia, beautiful as it is, is not really the point. The point is what it stands for: the sheer excitement of seeing these open flowers means that Spring really is on its way. The near constant rain of this year (which I am also saying on a repeating loop) has meant very low levels of sun. This last week where sun was abundant - ABUNDANT!- has triggered the Spring flowers into action. Daffodils and crocii, some species tulips and this magnificent magnolia have all shed their caution to the Spring breeze and opened their petals like a stripper flinging off the last thong. I have tried the 'ne'er cast a clout til May be out' shibboleth, but they care not and frankly neither do I at this moment in time. Oh yes when frost hits and I am fretting about the quince blossoms and the magnolia flowers, yes you can remind me of this folly. For now I am just cherishing this moment knowing that the green touch paper has been well and truly lit.

Take care and be kind.

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Three new clematis and handful of house plant seeds

2026-03-05T19:27:00.001+00:00

I recently attended the Garden Press Event, always a favourite day, where many elements of the gardening industry display what is going to be new for 2026. It is always an exciting day and for me this year it was a day I was particularly keen to attend as I had not attended last year. This year was, of course, about the new products but equally for me it was about reconnecting with my gardening network I have barely seen in the last twelve months.

Regular readers will know that whilst I love a good piece of garden machinery/tool; I get most excited by plants. Ich bin gardener as the saying goes. I also love a good clematis, I have a few in the garden already, but there is always room for more so when I was given these three younglings from the Guernsey Clematis Nurseries I was very happy.

These are three new varieties: Queen's Nurse - which is named for a charity set up from a grant by Queen Victoria in 1887. From this acorn grew the National Garden Scheme movement, which was prompted by the 1927 initiative to open private gardens to raise funds for the Queen Victoria's Jubilee Institute for Nurses, the renamed Queen's Nurse.

photo c/o Guernsey Clematis Nurseries

She is a wonderful pink and I am looking forward to her flowering.

The second clematis is Eliza, named in reference to The Book of Ebenezer le Page by Gerald Basil Edwards which is set in the parish where the Guernsey Clematis Nurseries are located. It is a combination of the main character Ebenezer and his love interest Liza. I am going to admit this is a little convoluted but I imagine they thought a clematis called Ebenezer might make people think of Scrooge (or is that just me?).

Photo c/o Guernsey Clematis Nursery

She is a described as being pale violet/blue - but I am thinking mauve. I like mauve.

Number three is Ithemba. This clematis was named by the Children's Hospital Trust in South Africa. The Trust funds training and supporting child public health projects across the Western Cape and the continent.

Photo c/o Guernsey Clematis Nurseries

She is very pretty and will make a great addition to my garden. These three clematis are going to be formally launched at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May.

I got very excited when being shown around the Westlands stand by the new range of Unwins House Plant Seeds. So I was delighted to find that some were included in the product bag they gave me.

This combines my love of growing things from seed and growing house plants. Its a win-win! I am very much looking to sowing these. They do require a propagator but do not look complicated to get growing. I will report back.

I will write more on this day another time.

Take care and be kind.

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End of Month Review February 2026

2026-03-01T19:29:00.001+00:00

We are now two months into this year and still it rains. The week ahead looks a little brighter which is good because the garden looks abandoned. It is making me quite sad to not be able to get out there and get on with things.

Just inside the front gate there is this happy sight of the hellebores starting to flower and the hamamelis looking that a lemon frizzle of colour. The snowdrops are pretty much over and the tree peony is developing buds. It is all starting to happen.

This hamamelis has been in the front garden for some years now, and this year it seems to be particularly wonderful. It is slower than the ones in the back garden that are now all but over.

The Narcissus Rip Van Winkle I planted in the front garden eighteen months ago are starting to flower. I love this little raggy daff more than is reasonable.

I have been pruning the roses, I am about half way through. I usually wait until they start to sprout in the Spring. Look at how determined to grow this one is.

In the back garden there is a mix of Winter structure and new growth.

The back garden is still mainly green and brown but you can see glimmers of the yellow daffodils. You can also see a Tim and a Fluffy Pete.

In the Courtyard Garden the bonsai are overwintering well. This was a self-sown seedling I found in the garden some years ago. It is work in progress and a labour of love.

The Daphne Jacqueline Postill still has a few flowers left. This shrub has flowered for weeks this Winter. It is very garden worthy.

The primroses have been enjoying this weather, they are doing very well this year.

The Edgeworthia is just starting to flower. It is not as covered in buds as it has been been previously. I am concerned about this. I don't know if it has been too dry, too cold, too wet or too...... I wonder if it might be too shady where it is now. The other trees around it have grown quite a bit since this part of the garden was planted up. I wonder if it needs more light?

It has been a good snowdrop year, despite it raining so much I have hardly got out into the garden to see them. There will be some dividing happening very soon (weather-permitting).

The Cornus mas is flowering very well. I pruned it quite hard last year as she is rather large now. She has responded well.

The medlar is starting to green-up - huzzah.

and the Dancing Lawn is bejewelled.

The Narcissus telemonius plena are starting to flower. I planted a few and now there are quite a lot.

The Magnolia Jade Lamp is leaping ahead into flowering, which is great, but I hope that the frost holds off.

The Magnolia Genie, which frankly has not been thriving, seems to be wanting to flower at last. Its only taken it six years to reach this stage. I know they can be slow to flower, but this has not been the strongest grower.

This is not the pond, this is puddled ground. It really is wetter than wet out there.

This is the young ginkgo tree in the back garden. I must have planted it around ten years ago (more or less). I suddenly looked at it as I was wandering around the garden and thought what a great shape it is becoming. I never really look that much at it until it has its leaves, but it is a beautiful tree even without them.

The Iford Cherry is also maturing into a fabulous tree. This has been in the garden 10+ years and is a delight. I am looking forward to it flowering soon.

and look at the contorted hazel behind it. This tree lived in a pot in my previous house and was one of the first plantings in this garden.

I always get excited when the catkins extend and the tiny red dots of hazel flowers appear.

The Spring Border is not in full swing yet. I think a couple more weeks and it will look full of its Spring colour.

The Pond is full, of course it is. If it wasn't it would be leaking. This is the pond from the other side, I hardly ever photograph it from this side for no reason whatsoever. As I stood there I could see flickers of movement which were most likely newts. They seem to appear before the frogs do. I am waiting to see the first frogspawn, always a turning point in the season.

Until next time.

Take care and be kind.

For more from the Blackberry Garden follow me on Bluesky ~~Twitter~~ X Facebook Instagram and Substack

Treefollowing February 2026 - a spark

2026-02-25T18:58:00.002+00:00

I know, I know, it only seems like a week or so since I last wrote an update: shush, the January update was late.

But what a difference a week or two makes: look - we have green. Green is go, green is go go go, green is all systems is go, green is Spectrum is Green*

Am I excited? You betcha! I love this time of year. It all feels possible, it all feels just waiting to happen and the possibilities are almost endless. Not all things are possible: the quince trees will not produce an apple or a kitten, unless a kitten gets stuck in one..... no, not everything is possible and yet there is enough possibility of harvesting a quince to make me very happy.

There are challenges along the way: we can still have frost until the third week in April and we often do. Once we are through the frost the weather generally can have an impact: will we have a drought this year? or will it just be waterlogged and the trees will drown? Who can say. As I write this there is actual sun, actual actual sun which has felt very reluctant to appear so far this year. Rain is not far away in the forecast but it is less unremitting which is such a relief.

So: racers, start your engines and may the best quince tree win. Good luck and don't (insert favourite Ru-Paul quote here).

Take care and be kind.

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One for the oldies.... can't beat a bit of Captain Scarlet.

Plant of the Month February 2026 - Snowdrops

2026-02-19T20:14:00.000+00:00

Whilst there were other plants I could have chosen as Plant of the Month for February, let's face it, snowdrops really do steal the show this time of year.

I grow quite a lot of snowdrops. I have said previously that when I first moved to this house there were almost no spring bulbs. There were no daffodils or tulips but there was one small clump of snowdrops by the fence to the side of the house. I still regard this clump as special. I have planted a lot of snowdrops since then. For many years I planted 200 in the green every spring. Nowadays I just divide the clumps to spread them around the garden.

Most of my snowdrops are the bog-standard Galanthus nivalis, the simple common snowdrop that is just a delight. I have also planted some of the double snowdrops Galanthus flore pleno which I also think are very special. Regular readers will know I have 'posh snowdrop corner',where I grow a few named snowdrops such as Galanthus Madeline above. She is my special girl and most prized of all that I grow. Snowdrops can almost be as cheap or as expensive as you wish, I am very much at the cheaper end of the market.

Snowdrops can be quite tall or not very tall. They can have tiny differences that collectors adore and can pay large amounts for. Whilst not native to the UK, they have been here for a few hundred years and we claim them as our own these days.

They are very hardy and love growing in woodlands and on banks. They make a great food source for early pollinators as well. They are best planted 'in the green'; which means buying them fresh with their leaves still green shortly after they have finished flowering. The dried bulbs you can buy in the autumn are not so efficient at settling in and growing the next year. Snowdrops are best divided when they have just finished flowering; it is a lovely fine spring day task.

What is not to love? Snowdrops have a simple charm that steals hearts.

More Plants of the Month can be found here.

Take care and be kind.

For more from the Blackberry Garden follow me on Bluesky ~~Twitter~~ X Facebook Instagram and Substack

40 days of rain

2026-02-15T19:15:00.001+00:00

It has been raining in Leicester for forty days, there has been the occasional flash of sun, but even on those days rain has returned at some point. The garden is beyond saturated and I have hardly managed to get outside to do anything worthwhile in gardening matters.

It is quite miserable weather, quite mild apart from when it is cold. It is, as they say, Winter. On the plus side the house is getting tidied more and I am spending more time sewing. Always look for a silver lining as they say.

Except....

Some of you will be wondering why the photo accompanying this post is of a sunny clump of crocii with a bee enjoying itself. This photograph is not from this year. The crocii are waiting, waiting for that moment when they can open their flowers in the sun. I have hardly seen them open at all. This makes me worry. If the flowers cannot open due to lack of sun then what are the early pollinators feeding on? I imagine that food is currently hard to come by which does not bode well for the season ahead.

I have been ensuring the bird feeders are kept full. I do this when the ground is frozen, and whilst there has not been that much frost so far this year, I don't think the constant rain helps them feed either. Though I do see them feeding when it is raining so this could be an unnecessary worry. For those of you who may be concerned that I feed garden birds when I have cats: my bird feeders are in the open so there is no where for the cats to hide and the birds have a clear view all around.

Anyway, its rain and pollinators I am thinking about at the moment. Whilst bees can fly in the rain, they do not when it is heavy rain so all this rain must be causing them problems. Bumblebees tend to nest in the ground, which is also a concern when the ground is so waterlogged. There are puddles in my garden that are a rare sight, it does not usually puddle but the amount of rain we have had this year have meant that water is accumulating. I need a bit of internet-furtling whilst thinking of writing this and apparently bumblebees are relatively hardy as they are quite big and apparently they can shiver which helps against the effects of the cold.

So I have concerns, the forecast is still for more rain for days to come. I wonder what the impact will be on the season ahead.

Take care and be kind.

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Treefollowing - January 2026

2026-02-12T19:01:00.001+00:00

Its mid-winter and the Quince Brothers are sleeping soundly.

Excuse the red background, try and I might my phone camera was not focussing well this day and I had not got the energy to keep fighting with it.

The eagle eyed amongst you will notice that January finished nearly two weeks ago, but that is just how behind I am already this year. So, a bit like buses, you might get another update sooner than you think.

This is as asleep as the quince trees get. I wonder what they dream? Do quince trees dream of electric cats? I wonder how many quinces I was harvest this year?

Time will tell

Take care and be kind.

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End of Month Review January 2026

2026-02-01T10:54:00.000+00:00

January is the longest month in the year isn't it? Officially it has 31 days but I am sure there are at least 40. Despite the lack of daylight, they feel long too.

Yet there is light. Look at the shine on the tree peony foliage in the front garden. There also appears to be a bud forming which is very exciting. Last year this one did not flower, I am not sure why, maybe it got too dry the preceding summer. I will delighted to see it flower again.

I am very excited to see the winter aconites appearing again in the side lawn. It has taken many years for the aconites to establish and whilst the original planting has become a bit patchy, there are also signs that there is some increase in some areas. This feels like a serious achievement.

In the back garden there is still a lot of brown and green, and what you cannot see here is how soggy it is. It has rained a lot in January but with the odd sunny moment thankfully.

The Smell Me and Dye Garden is snoozing. The couch grass is not snoozing but I have been digging out as much as I can. Pulling out the spaghetti-like roots is very satisfying but also tinged with the knowledge that any tiny piece remaining with regrow with a vengeance. Sigh.

In the Wild Garden the Daphne Jacqueline Postill is flowering well. She does need staking as she is leaning a bit to one side. The scent from this shrub is wonderful.

and this hamamelis that has taken several years to settle in is having its best year yet.

The many years of planting snowdrops and now dividing them is really starting to pay off now.

The crocus tommasinianus is starting to flower. These have started to spread slowly through the garden and this brings me great joy. I love the randomness of where they pop up, it is pure joy.

Natasha and Elsie guard the Spring Border and the patches of aconites are also pure joy. There is something about these plants that increase so slowly that is very rewarding.

This is posh snowdrop corner: Madeline is flowering and has clumped up so well I divided her last year. There is Modern Art, Wasp, Lady Beatrix Stanley and Trymming flowering so far. I know there are posher snowdrops, but for me this is the extent of my snowdrop extravagance.

The Edgeworthia has good healthy looking buds. They are just almost imperceptibly starting to plump up into the flowers they will become. Regular readers will know how much I fuss over this shrub, I try and think that now she has been in situ for over ten years she is probably robust enough to get through winters, yet I still fuss.

The Cornus mas is starting to flower, this is a always a good sign that spring is on its way.

This is Magnolia Black Tulip. I bought her about six years ago and kept her in a pot for a couple of years. This was a mistake as she did not thrive. I planted her into the ground about three years ago and she sulked and sulked. This year though there are buds, actual flower buds. I am excited to see her finally flower and will keep you updated.

and the pond is full. Of course it is full with all the rain we have had. If it wasn't full then I would know there was a leak. Maybe this year I will clear her out a bit....

Time will tell

Take care and be kind.

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Hamamelis - light in the darkness

2026-01-25T10:56:00.000+00:00

When I had the front and side gardens cleared in September 2024 this opened up a lot of opportunities for me and the garden. The front garden has been work in progress with lots of bulbs and several roses being added. There is still space to be filled and I expect that to happen this year. (Last year escaped me somehow....)

The side garden has been largely overtaken by verbascums which when they flower this year I expect to look rather wonderful. I have planted a couple of things by the fence but otherwise I have done very little (did I mention last year escaped me somehow?) One of the things I did do was plant a Hamamelis intermedia x 'Aphrodite' where the Rowan tree had been. This space is plumb in front of the kitchen window and whilst I do not want the view blocking like the tree did, I did want something to look at. Admittedly the hamamelis might grow to be about 12/13 feet tall but I can keep it pruned when it gets large.

I also have a thing about hamamelis. There is just something about them that I love. They have the wonderful shreddy flowers in the winter and also great scent. I say great scent, I have to admit I can very rarely smell it. I don't know if this is me, or I just pick varieties with weak scent. Anyhoo, scent-disappointment aside I am a great fan of these shrubs. They also have glorious autumn colour so I think they are very garden-worthy.

Anyhoo, I planted the hamamelis last spring and it had a few flowers on it, but I did not really expect too much from it this year. I wondered if it would take a while to settle in.

This might not be the attractive of photos, but it is how the hamamelis looks in situ. It was a cold dreary day after days and days of rain. The verbascums are soggy and tired and quite frankly questioning their life choices. Yet there is the hamamelis, shining like a light in the darkness. It is a delight.

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

Take care and be kind.

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Plant of the Month January 2026 - Cornus 'Midwinter Fire'

2026-01-22T19:57:00.000+00:00

It did not take a lot of thought to choose my Plant of the Month for January. This is also a tale of a plant redeemed because way back in the day: this plant was an 'Irritating Plant of the Month'; a feature that has lapsed recently. Maybe I am focussing more on the positive these days....

I spend most of the year not noticing this shrub at all and I have no guilt over this, it is meant to do its thing in Winter and I don't expect much more from it. When I first planted it I used to prune it down quite hard in the Spring trying to encourage its red-stemmed lovely growth. This was a mistake. The plant had not had enough time to settle in and so it just set it back quite hard. So I have not pruned it for some years now and it is starting to look like a reasonable plant now. I am going to give it a prune this year and see how it fares.

It can grow to be about 2m tall, the one in my garden is around 30-40 cm tall, so I am going to suggest it is either slow growing or hates where it is in my garden (it could well be the latter). Mine is planted at the top of the garden fairly close to the horse chestnut tree. This part of the garden gets very dry in the Summer and maybe it is too dry for this plant which does prefer not to be totally dry but also not totally wet either. They are fairly bullet-proof and very hardy.

Apparently they do flower. I don't think I have ever seen this one flower but then I am not sure I have looked. If you prune them then you will probably lose the next year's flowers but as said, this one has not been pruned for some time.

Anyway, its an excellent plant and worthy of its moment in the spotlight.

More Plants of the Month can be found here.

Take care and be kind.

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Madam and the wonky arch

2026-01-15T19:20:00.000+00:00

There are two favourite things in my garden. Actually there are more favourite things in my garden than not-favourite things, but for the purposes of this post there are two specific favourite things.

There is my beloved Whitby Arch, gifted to me some years ago now and my beloved Mme Alfred Carriere rose that climbs upon it. A marriage made in heaven without a doubt.

But, my dear readers, the arch is starting to show its age a bit and needs a tighten up (don't we all). Its joints have come a little lose so needs some work but Mme C needs cutting back before this can happen. I have been thinking about doing this for weeks, but did not want to start whilst the rose was in full growth. I wanted to wait until the time of year when I usually do a bit of a rose prune.

The weather set fine, the whim was upon me and so were the loppers. It was time to get cutting back.

Sometime later and the arch is revealed and there is a huge pile of rose and....

a happy Esme. Now I need to get on and actually fix the arch which I think I need a bit of help with. I was struggling to actually tighten the bolts so I will get someone to help me.

Work in progress as they say......

Take care and be kind.

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The Blackberry Garden Plant of the Year Award 2025

2026-01-04T10:46:00.000+00:00

Here we are in year 12 of this annual award. This totally subjective, non-scientific and no pretense of objectivity award is not even slightly competed for by the plants in my garden. The criteria is made up and there is no distinguishable judging process - its my award, my rules - get over it.

So where do we start this year..... oh I know....

Chrysanthemum Mavis Smith. A fabulous name for a fabulous large-flowered chrysanth. She's relatively new in the garden yet made a big impact on me so a good runner up.

Rose Sweet Honey is also a worthy runner-up. This rose was Rose of the Year 2020 and has been in my garden since, well, 2020. I always really liked her and thought from the get-go she is very pretty with a great form. Over the last couple of years she has really settled in and she has become my 'late season rose' delight. Slower to start flowering than many of the other roses in my garden, but flowering well the late summer and autumn. She has become a very special rose and also a reminder that plants need to settle in and mature. With each passing year she is a bit more special.

I am going to include Clematis cirrhosa var: Freckles in here because I completely under-rate and overlook this plant. To make amends for this I made it my first Plant of the Month the other day, and maybe guilt still makes me want to make amends. This is a plant I would not be without, it just keeps going and flowers when most other plants do not. What is not to love!

We get closer to our winner, but first we have to go through the third and second runners up.

Third runner up (bronze??) is .....

Viola Bunny Ears. I love this plant just a little too much. From when I first saw it I wanted to grow it. I tried growing it from seed and failed spectacularly. I um and arr over buying it as plugs far too often and this year I took the plunge and bought plugs. Now I will always buy plugs. I say this as if buying plugs is not my usual habit, which is far far from the truth. I think this was more a case of it was a newly introduced plant and the plugs were a bit a pricey. Now a few years later this is a reasonable buy for me. This is a pot of vibrant happiness and what more could I want!

Runner up Second place (silver)

Mad about Mangrave 'Praying Hands' (not mad about the name....) but this little love feeds my succulent habit well. She is growing well and loves her summers outdoors and winters in the conservatory. She is easy as easy to grow and that suits me fine.

Drumroll please.... we are at the winner.....

Althaea cannabina. I have been growing this plant for years. I have three or four in the garden now and she just delights. I have propagated her by seed and division and she also self seeds very gently too.

She is wafty and tall, a good seven foot tall I reckon. She plays nicely with her neighbours, does not swamp and does not need staking. The foliage is quite fine and as the name would suggest, looks a bit like another plant I will not mention for fear of what it might do to the search results for my blog (!!)

Nothing phases her. If she does encroach over the lawn too much I just cut her back and she shrugs and carries on. She bends in the wind but rarely breaks. This year, when my gardening time has been short and motivation shorter, having plants like her I can rely on have been a godsend.

Althaea cannabina I celebrate you with this award. Congratulations.

Previous winners can be found here: https://www.blackberrygarden.co.uk/p/the-blackberry-garden-plant-of-year.html

Take care and be kind.

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End of Month Review - December 2025

2026-01-01T20:16:00.001+00:00

No sooner did the year start and then it seemed to have ended. I know that as you get older years seem to pass by faster, but 2025 disappeared in a blink of an eye.

and whilst the year is ending cold and frosty and with snow threatened, the snowdrops are pushing their way up. Some have been flowering for some weeks now, but most are still considering their options and biding their time.

The front side lawn has pronounced fox track leading to the gap in the fence where they can get through. The cats also use this path constantly. Of course the cats might have created the path and the foxes also use it. I think the cats would probably claim ownership.

There are nigella seedlings starting to push through. There are annual weed seedlings too, but let's focus on the nigella for now.

The Daphne Jaqueline Postill in the back garden (one of two) is flowering away and scenting the entrance to the garden. It is a delight.

We have had some deep frosts over the Christmas period and more are due. We need a cold snap to give balance to the garden and at least, once it has thawed, it has been good gardening weather as well. Quite a lot of weeding has been achieved over the last few days and as we all know: one weed removed now is worth 100 in Spring.

The Courtyard Garden looks a bit depleted this time of year as the tenders have moved into the conservatory and greenhouse. Why is it I notice how bad the weeds are in the pots when I am looking at the photos and not when I should have removed them? Sigh.

The frost lingers in the shadows as the sun moves slowly around the house/garden.

But where the sun does reach the colours of the winter garden shine. You can also (hopefully) see I have had the pleached hedge professionally prunted this year. I decided I could not face the ladders and my shonky pruning was making me very unhappy.

They did such a good job and I love seeing how crisp the edges now are. I can also see the contorted willow better that it to one side of the hedge. I kept forgetting to take this photo from upstairs, which is why the sun is setting....

The tree ferns are starting to feel the nip of the cold. Their crowns are stuffed with straw to protect them.

The cyclamen are flowering well at the top of the garden. From a few pots planted every year or so these are now spreading throughout the garden. This is the sort of thing that makes me love my garden so much. I like what I plant but I love the random that the garden takes from it.

A little too random is the Smell me and Dye Garden. The frost does not disguise enough the outbreak of couch grass that is taking over. It is a real problem in this part of the garden and I really must try harder to control and remove it in this coming year. The madder should be matured enough to be used now, so that is rather exciting and timed rather nicely to when I should be having more time to garden.

The little Christmas Tree has now relocated from the front door step to the Side Garden. Usually it returns to the Courtyard Garden, but I decided to try and see how it felt in this position. It should get a bit more light here which I think will do it good.

Did I mention that the sky was really blue when I was taking most of these photos. Not. a. cloud. to be seen. I love crisp bright days like these.

I end, as it traditional, with the pond. There is visible water (hurrah). I wonder how the pond will fare in the new year. Will there be frogspawn? Will I clear out more of the plants to let more surface water be seen?

Time will tell.

Take care and be kind.

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Calmer Camellia for Christmas

2025-12-28T10:44:00.000+00:00

I reckon I have been visiting Calke Abbey's Christmas food fairs for more than ten years. It has become a fixed point in my calendar and this year, where it feels like I have done very little of what I usually do, I was not going to miss it.

I mean, I could not miss visiting Aggy. I have been visiting this lady in the orangery for more years than I can mention. I know I have been visiting since Calke first opened to the public so date it from then. Anyway, we go and say hello and she ignores us, stoicly.

We also always visit the grotto, which does these days look like a grotto. I remember when it was far less excavated.

We buy fudge as usual, I buy some local wine and then we head to Staunton Harold where I spend too much in the ceramics shop. I do mean too much, but I could not resist and they are things that will make me happy for years. I will show what I bought another day when they are in situ.

We go to the nursery to visit the nearly dead corner, but the nearly dead corner is not what it was. Fewer things in this corner is not a bad thing. I praise them for that but mourn a little my cheap plants that I save.

But I did not leave empty handed. This fabulous Camellia Donation waggled its petals at me as I walked through the door. I bee-lined for it, I could not resist. I picked it up and put it back down again. It was not cheap. My friend carefully counselled me to understand that it was fairly priced.

Two beautiful flowers and lots of buds, so a bargain really after-all.

So dear reader of course I bought her. She is now waiting to be planted whilst I consider her options. I seem to have amassed a few camellias. I have four already and they make me very happy. Thankfully my soil suits them.

I will let you know when she is planted and then it will be a wait to see if she sulks, thrives or the squirrels steal her buds.

Time will tell.

Take care and be kind.

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Plant of the month - Clematis cirrhosa

2025-12-21T20:12:00.001+00:00

I was wandering around the garden the other day and stopped to admire the Clematis cirrhosa that scrambles over the broken trunk of the sadly dead apple tree. This is a great plant and one I would not be without (the clematis, not the dead apple tree), and it made me think about how some plants in my garden have their moment to shine.

I decided I would celebrate this by starting a new series of posts: the Plant of the Month. As the clematis had prompted this thought, it had to be the one to start this off.

This plant starts to flower as many others are hiding from the Winter cold. It sparkles in the cold Winter sun and shrugs off snow and ice. It is tough as old boots and a good doer. I cannot praise it enough.

It is an evergreen clematis and gets to around 3 to 4 metres tall. It will grow up fences and trellises and also as I have it in my garden, scrambling up an old tree trunk. It is quite vigorous and yet does not swamp. It is quite polite.

It will grow in most types of soils and does not seem to struggle particularly in drought or when the ground is saturated. It is H4 hardy (-10 to -5 degrees C) so for where I am in the midlands it is unlikely to get killed by cold. (never say never). In terms of light, in my garden it is pretty much in full sun and south-facing and thrives. It is poisonous so don't eat it or feed it to your pets, but it is a fabulous food source for late/early pollinators.

I have never pruned mine, it occasionally has been cut back when trimming the Wild Edric Rose that also climbs up the apple stump. She responds well to a being cut but doesn't seem to need specific pruning.

There are several varieties available to buy. Mine is var. Freckles and it is a good reliable variety. I have also seen var. Wisley Cream and she is very pretty too. Have a look and see what other varieties you can find,

I am already wondering which plant will want to feature in January......

Until then

Take care and be kind.

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Tree Following December 2025 - Oops

2025-12-07T18:13:00.000+00:00

I have a confession to make. I did a bad thing.

This is a beautiful, almost perfect quince. One of the four quinces that made it through to the ripening. Isn't she lovely? Isn't she beautiful....

But I did a bad thing; actually if I am being precise, I did not do a thing which is sort of different but the impact is the same.

I did not pick them in time to use them all. This is casualty number 1.

Casualty number 2.

and yes you've guessed it....

Casualty number 3.

On the plus side the birds and other wildlife have been enjoying them.

Did I pick the last one standing to try and recover situation?

(whispers) not yet - I don't really deserve any quinces do I?

I shall do better next year, I have to.

Take care and be kind.

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End of Month Review November 2025

2025-11-30T20:38:00.001+00:00

and then December started knocking on the door. Winter is coming, it feels like it has already arrived though the weather has oscillated between mild and sunny to cold frosty and rainy. November has been an all weather month. All weather apart from snow so far I suppose.

The garden is cold and wet and thinking about Spring. I look at the colours of the emerging cyclamen leaves and love the glitter of their silvery finery. Every year more and more pop up in the garden. From a few pots planted over a few years there are now so so many. It is a joy. I can wait for Spring but seeing these now gives me real hopes for it.

A couple of limp, soggy looking snowdrops keep appearing. They don't look hugely happy which is a bit of surprise as snowdrops expect to be cold and a bit soggy. Maybe they are awake just a little too early and not prepared for Winter yet. I am not sure I am prepared for Winter either.

The lawns also have that pinched, rufty-tufty look that means they could do with a mow but are just too soggy. The blades of grass ae edged with cold wetness, that can look like frost from a distance, but it is just the rain hanging on to the edges for as long as they can. I cannot pretend that this is garden looking at its best, but it is looking like it should. This is what Winter looks like in my garden and I enjoy this period in the garden as I enjoy all the periods for my garden.

It's at this time of year I start to really appreciate the Hydrangea quercifolia. I say 'really appreciate' as frankly I do not spend enough time appreciating this plant that has been in my garden for a good 15/16 years. It performs brilliantly every year; it flowers well and works well in the Exotic Border. But I do not tell it how much I admire it, and I rarely spend enough time appreciating it. It adds fabulous leaf-contrast into the Exotic Border, but when it is dying down at this point in the year, this is when I stand in front of it and think 'you really are a good doer'.

The lead up to Christmas is not the lead up to Christmas without me starting to fret about the Edgeworthia chrystantha. Whilst it has successfully got through many Winters now, I still have that moment of will this be a hard cold Winter and will it be too cold for the Edgeworthia. I keep a watchful eye on it all Winter and I hope and hope that each forming bud will grow and open and release its fabulous fragrance. Edgeworthia Watch Winter 2025 is go!

The Daphne Jacqeline Postill is similarly gearing up to release its colour and fragrance in the Spring. I worry less about this plant, it seems much more robust than the Edgeworthia. I also have two of them which does not mean that I want to lose one, but frankly I could and still have one. The fragrance from this shrub is wonderful and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

and how is the pond I hear you ask? Well, its still very clogged up with plants, which is more than a little embarressing. It is also quite full of water: which is due to the amount of rain we have had lately and is a very good thing.

(meanwhile the tulip bulbs still need planting..... maybe next month.....)

Time will tell.

Take care and be kind.

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Gone over, but not forgotten

2025-11-27T15:55:00.000+00:00

There are still buds on some of the roses, I doubt they will come to much, but there they are, clinging on for every moment that they can.

Meanwhile in the lounge, the last cut of the roses are looking a little, erm, dry.

I keep walking past them and thinking 'I must deal with them'.

I keep walking past them and thinking 'for heavens sake chuck them on the compost and clean out the favourite vase ready for next year'.

Does this happen?

It does not.

Instead I start to walk past, pause and step back and look at them and think that in this dried state they have beauty. Of course dried flowers have great beauty, this is not news, but these are accidental dried flowers and are the product of inactivity rather than deliberate choice.

Yet now they have become a deliberate choice. Now I look and make sure I notice them and they make me smile. I am not casting them out as I see their new beauty. This is not the beauty of them forming from buds, this is not the beauty from when they reached their peak which meant someone with a pair of trigger-happy secateurs cut them off in the their prime. No this is the beauty of how they have aged and what they have now become. They will not get removed for quite some time: that I can guarantee.

Take care and be kind.

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