happymarion

Talkback: Apple blossom

Snap, Bleeding Heart, My bungalow sits on the site of a farmer's orchard and the Bramley was old when we moved in 48years ago. It is a great delight when in blossom and fruit. And this nasty weather we have been having does not seem to have bothered it at all.

Talkback: Magpies in the garden

Nil desperandum, Kate. Your magpie is obviously a drinker and is sampling the grapes for strength of fermentation. When it is to his liking he will imbibe a bit too much and go off and find himself a mate. Your garden will be too small for the pair of them and back will come your small birds. Awww, everyone deserves to have a robin for company in their garden.

Advice from the odlies :)

This 83 year old will try her best always to answer queries by novice gardeners.  I saw how valuable gardeners were in the war and think we could be just as valuable in this economic global war we find ourselves in and I do think we could make the whole country so beautiful with our temperate (yes, really) climate that we would rearn the title of ,ost beautiful country in the world.

Do you consider gardening to be like art?

Both an art and a craft in the same way as medecine is a science and an art.  Ia you want to see the pinnacle in this country visit Stowe Landscape Gardens in Buvckinghamshire.  But when a visitor comes round a corner in my garden and gasps with delight i get as much pleasure as when I feast my eyes on a painting i have of my favourite plants - broomrapes!  Good art entices you to come back for more.  creating good art is never easy.  A lot of craft skills have to be learned to be a good painter, sculpture, photographer or gardener.

Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora' pruning

Don't worry if it buckets down and you cannot get it done at the right time as it is impossible to kill so you can prune whenever you have time.  Mine has been hacked back at almost every season and in all weathers and still it fills the herges and spinney with glorious clour, not just in the spring either.  i swear some of it has been in flower for all of last year.

Talkback: Holly blue butterflies

I live in Bristol, Jean, and have seen quite a few butterflies. I photographed an orange tip at the Botanic Garden last Thursday which snoozed for hours on a dicentra flower and only flew off when the first raindrop fell. They hate getting their wings wet.I think I put the pic on the Dicentra thread in Forum,

Talkback: Toad tadpoles

PS That photo looks like a beautiful mermaid.

Talkback: Toad tadpoles

Much more interesting itinerary for your run than the Bristol Downs where I see fun joggers and serious runners on my way to the Bot. garden, Kate, but they don't have time like I do on my walk to inspect interesting fungi, wild flowers in the meadow area, and insects everywhere, so i expect you would take time out to do the same. I seemed to wait an inordinate time to see my first tadpoles this year too because of the summer like early spring.

Talkback: Growing salad leaves

Thanks, figrat, I will stock up.  Thrifty mama, salad leaves are the easoest and most useful and quick.  They make lovely soup when they are coming to the end of their life.  Just keep sowing every fortnght.

Dicentra

Oh, no, just when i have got my tongue round Brachyglottis.  I think we will have to get used to change!!

picture difficulties

SOS 

Talkback: Gardening in Russia

Awww, it was the same for my sister gardening in Edmonton in Canada, James. It was amazing how much they could grow in their very short thr... 

Spring sweethearts

The sun shone brightly enough for my tulips to open up,something that thrills me every spring. 

Spring Spectacular

The Garden Sculpture Exhibition at the Bristol Botanic Garden  

Talkback: House sparrows

In the eighties I used to stop counting at 20 when the sparrows descended on my garden. The wild patch og groud at the back of my garden wa... 

Gardeners World new season

How was it for you 

Talkback: Blind daffodils

You would not think from seeing the wonderful display our hellebores are putting on in the Bristol Botanic Garden that they once had the dre... 

Talkback: Good things about February

Oh, and Iris unguilaris is at its height though it can flower for ten months of the year. Pancake day has just been and I made 32 of them. ... 

Talkback: Waiting for the snow to thaw

Ah. James. I already have a duck pond at the kitchen door and loads of birdseed and crumbled fat balls on the paths. lots of eucalyptus bar... 

Talkback: Learning from 2012

I have vowed only to grow early potatoes anf harvest them before the dreaded blight, and only Gardeners; Delight or similar tomatoes and yel... 

Winter wonders

What is beautiful in the winter garden 

Talkback: 2013 in the garden

Happy New Year to you too, James and my resolution is the same as it has been for as many years as I can remember for just that - to make it... 

Talkback: Winkworth Arboretum

So with you there, Pippa, as long as it is not too cold. Stretching my legs at the Brisol Bot. Garden on Thursday in between cleaning seed ... 

Grow it and eat it

A combination of gardening and cooking is long overdue. 

Talkback: December gardening jobs

I have to go up to my spinney and cut cornus sticks which are now bright red to stick into my spreads of white heather at the front gate whi...