-
Beautiful biennial flowers, blooms and seeds
I thought I would share some photos of my beautiful biennial flowers blooming in my garden in June. Not only do they look fabulously colourful, they are a treat for the pollinators too. Moreover, June and July is the perfect time to be sowing biennials for next year’s blooms. Biennials are flowers that are sown…
-
First beautiful dahlias, flowering in May
I thought I would share some photos of beautiful dahlias that have started flowering in May in my garden. Interestingly, almost all of them are single, anemone or collarette varieties. Therefore, they are all great for pollinators, as well as providing some beautiful colour in the garden in late Spring. I imagine that the big…
-
The wonderful wildlife in an English garden
I thought I would share some of the wonderful wildlife I have seen in my garden this month. Once the warmer weather arrives, the bees and butterflies come flying in. Of course, there is plenty of other spectacular wildlife too. I love my garden in May because there is so much colour with more flowers…
-
Best new tulips, colourful spring has sprung
Now that spring has really sprung, it is time to share some of my best new tulips. I am also sharing some tulips that my dear friend, the lovely Cosmos Queen, has flowering in her garden. Last year I had over two thousand new tulips in my garden. However, many of these were eaten over…
-
Natural time out in the garden
My post for Easter will focus on taking some time out in the garden. Something that can benefit us all for a boost to our wellbeing. Whether this is simply watching the bees on our flowers or gazing into a wildlife pond. I full intend to do plenty of both over Easter. Naturally, there will…
-
Fabulous blooms for a beautiful spring
By the meteorological calendar, spring always starts on March 1st and ends on May 31st. So, we have finally nudged into a beautiful spring, after a sodden winter. In addition, as I write this post the spring equinox has arrived. This celestial event marks the, long awaited, beginning of the astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere. During the spring equinox, the…
-
Companion gardeners, some of the best
For this post I have chosen some of my fabulous companion gardeners who assist me in my garden and in Favolosa, my greenhouse. The above photo shows Tansy Teapot on my knee, Pickle Pixie Pantaloon and my beautiful black cat, Remus Nautilus. Naturally, their assistance is coupled with plenty of fun and frolics of the…
-
Flowers for pollinators, more fantastic blooms
I thought we should have another post on fantastic flowers for pollinators, to add to my earlier one. In addition to the eight fabulous flowers I chose earlier, there are so many more that attract pollinators. Furthermore, they all add colour and beauty to our garden borders and pots so are well worth growing for…
-
Best cosmos flowers for a beautiful garden
Time for a post on some of my favourite cosmos flowers. I have chosen eight of them, in an array of beautiful colours and shapes. Naturally, I could have given thirty favourites, but that would be a jolly long post! So, this can be a first one perhaps. Cosmos are annual flowers with fabulously colourful…
-
The best flowers for fantastic pollinators
For this post, I have chosen some of my best flowers for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. We have pollinators to thank for so much of what we eat. Not only do they pollinate our food crops, they are also vital for plenty of wild plants that in turn, support so much wildlife. Naturally, we…
-
The Cosmos Queen and her beautiful garden
Time for a new post featuring my lovely friend, the Cosmos Queen. She has been a busy bee, making a beautiful garden, packed with flowers. You may have met the Cosmos Queen in some earlier posts. I have added a link below, for her most recent post. The awesome power of the garden We first…
-
Sowing seeds with my beautiful cat
It is time for a new post featuring my beautiful black cat, Remus Nautilus. He will be helping with sowing seeds or hindering perhaps. We shall see. One of his earlier posts is below, if you have not met him or need a recap on his gardening exploits. The beautiful black cat who gardens for…
-
Best summer bulbs for beautiful colour
It is time to get some summer bulbs for planting in the garden and in pots. Summer bulbs can be tubers, corms or rhizomes and all are super easy to grow. I have chosen a few of my favourite summer bulbs to share with you. Clearly, nobody will be surprised to see that one of…
-
Winter gardening with beautiful chickens
Time for another post featuring my beautiful rescue chickens. At this time of year, they are heavily involved in winter gardening. Actually, they are tremendously involved at all times of the year, but here we are in the winter. I love spending time in the garden with my fabulous girls and enjoy their feathered antics.…
-
Beautiful blooms in an English garden
Time for some colourful flowers I thought. So, here is a post on some beautiful blooms in my English garden. I will concentrate on summer blooms. Primarily because I am sure we are all looking forward to a sunny summer over the wet and gloomy depths of winter. In addition, we clearly need some fabulous…
-
12 Days Wild, into the New Year
Happy New Year to you all. Here’s to the second half of 12 Days Wild, and may it be full of exciting wildlife, over these final six days and over the coming year. 12 Days Wild is the festive nature challenge, encouraging us to do one wild thing a day from the 25th December to the 5th January each year. …
-
12 Days Wild, some festive Christmas magic
Christmas Day has arrived, so it is time to start the festive fun and frolics for the beginning of 12 Days Wild. 12 Days Wild is the festive nature challenge, encouraging us to do one wild thing a day from the 25th December to the 5th January each year. Further details can be found below https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/12dayswild Having thoroughly enjoyed the…
-
My colourful dahlias, beautiful summers to come
Some dark and dreary days need a sprinkle of colour I thought. So, here are some of my colourful dahlias to brighten up the winter, once the Christmas tinsel has been stored away. Also, to help us look forward to a beautiful summer full of colour. I always find that looking at photos of my…
-
One festive challenge, 12 Days Wild
12 Days Wild is a festive nature challenge set by the Wildlife Trust. Encouraging us to do one wild thing a day from the 25th December to the 5th January. So, could you do one wild thing for 12 days over the festive season? You may remember The Wildlife’s Trust’s 30 Days wild challenge where they asked everyone to…
-
Gardening for wellbeing with beautiful sunflowers
I thought it would be good to share some beautiful sunflowers on this post. Such gorgeous smiley happy faces which make us smile in return. I love sunflowers in my garden for many reasons. One of which is their incredible benefits for wildlife. Both for the pollinators and for the birds. Secondly, the fantastic boon…
-
One beautiful dahlia for pollinators
I have one extra special dahlia in my garden to share with you. An absolutely fabulous dahlia for pollinators. Naturally, I have hundreds of photos of this fantastic dahlia. So many snaps of the beautiful blooms with bumble bees and butterflies having a feed. The photo above shows some hoverflies having a feed in late…
-
Tulip time for a beautiful spring
Finally, it is tulip time so bulb planting tools, dibbers or trowels at the ready. November is the best time to start planting out tulip bulbs, as the temperatures start to cool. However, if you have not got your bulbs yet, it is not too late. A December planting will be fine, and I often…
-
Gardening with chickens, more fantastic fun
I thought it was time for another post featuring my beautiful rescue hens. Moreover, the girls have been posturing and posing, so they are clearly expecting to feature again, jolly soon. Such fantastic fun can be had when gardening with chickens. I must say, my girls never cease to amuse me with their cheeky antics.…
-
Winter bedding plants for beautiful colour
I could not be without some winter bedding plants each year and here are some reasons why they deserve to be grown. Firstly, they can provide some nectar and pollen for pollinators, and as a gardener for wildlife, this is very important for me. Secondly, they brighten up the garden during an often cold and…
-
Growing sweet peas, beautiful colours, fantastic fragrance
Growing sweet peas is so easy to do and provides fantastic colour and fragrance in the garden and the home. Now is the time to sow some sweet peas, so here is a post about those beautiful fragrant flowers. By sowing and growing sweet peas in October or November, you will have bigger plants with…
-
Beautiful enchanting dahlias chosen for you
For this post I have chosen some of my favourite dahlias, including some new varieties I have grown this year. Beautiful enchanting dahlias, one and all. When autumn arrives, it is still fabulous to have so much colour in the garden. Such a boost for wellbeing. And of course, the beautiful dahlia is often the…
-
Gardening for wellbeing, a beautiful beneficial boon
My opening photo for this post is a beautiful sunflower (Velvet Queen) in my garden with a bee. Gardening for wellbeing for me always includes some sunflowers. I always think that sunflowers are such a positive, happy flower to grow. Additionally, they are fabulous for wildlife. Providing nectar and pollen for our bees, butterflies and…
-
More beautiful tulips, planting for the spring.
There are over three thousand varieties of beautiful tulips, split into fifteen groups, based on flower types, height, and blooming period. So many tulips for spring. However, we cannot look at all of them on this post, so I have just chosen a few to share with you. Choosing beautiful tulips for spring in the…
-
Let’s sow some beautiful hardy annual seeds
Hardy annuals are among the easiest flowers to grow. They cope with a frost, unlike annuals and come in so many varieties and colours. So, hardy annual seeds are fantastic choices for gardens, pots, courtyards and balconies. Hardy annuals can be sown in Autumn, straight into the ground. Because the soil is still warm and…
-
Big Butterfly Count, the results are in
I expect you remember The Big Butterfly Count this year, and may well have taken part. 2023 was its 13th year, which ran from 14th July till 6th August. A UK-wide citizen science survey run by Butterfly Conservation. I always submit counts and hoped that you would too. Primarily, butterflies and moths are excellent indicators…
-
The best dahlias, my dark sultry beauties
Time to show you some of my beautiful dark dahlias, the best dahlias in my garden. Although I love all of my dahlias, the dark, sultry beauties are my absolute favourites. Primarily, it is the colour I swoon over, but I also love the variety of flower shapes and sizes of the dark and sultry…
-
Beautiful rescue chickens get gardening for England
After Remus Nautilus, my beautiful black cat featured in another post (link below if you missed it) my beautiful rescue chickens were clucking for their new post. And honestly, they can cluck for England. The beautiful black cat who gardens for England So, I thought I would compile a new post featuring my fabulous rescue…
-
Time to order beautiful bulbs for spring
September is a great time to look at new bulbs for spring for a beautiful display. So, once you have your bulbs, late September and October is a fantastic time to plant them. Primarily, this is the time for planting daffodils, Iris reticulata, crocus, allium and hyacinth bulbs. All of these bulbs for spring prefer…
-
Time to choose beautiful tulips for spring
It may seem jolly strange to be thinking about tulips in high summer, but we need to do this for our spring displays. Ordering tulips from late August onwards means we will have bulbs ready to plant in November. Seeing a garden full of tulips for spring is a fantastic sight to see and a…
-
10 zingy dahlias for a truly beautiful garden
Time for some bright and zingy dahlias, so be warned and get your sunglasses at the ready! I have not grown many bright dahlias before, preferring the dark and sultry and the pale and interesting. However, this year, I have branched out into the world of bright, zingy, patterned, and oh so colourful. A new…
-
The beautiful black cat who gardens for England
Remus Nautilus, my beautiful black cat is back for another post. You may have met him in this earlier post Companion planting with a beautiful cat Well here he is again. I noticed that he spends more time than ever before, posing in the garden. Clearly he is waiting for me to take some photos…
-
Wonderful alliums for beauty and the bees
Alliums are super bulbous perennials and I grow hundreds of them in my garden. The majority of these wonderful alliums are purple, my favourite colour. However, some alliums are white, some pink, Moly is yellow and one variety, Caeruleum, is blue. Also called ornamental onions, but I will stick with allium I think. With a…
-
Wonderful dahlias, stunning beauty and buzzing bees
With the nickname of Dahlia Queen, it will be pretty clear that I adore wonderful dahlias. They are unrivalled for giving a fantastic colourful display for months, from early summer through to the first frosts. In addition, there are so many varieties and such a wide choice of flower shapes and colours to choose from.…
-
The fabulous positivity of beautiful plants
I have been thinking about the amazing and positive can do attitude of beautiful plants. They strive to grow, whatever fate throws at them. Take the example above. I ordered a beautiful new dahlia from Sarah Raven. This one is named Rosie Raven and is perfect for pollinators as well as being a fabulous colour.…
-
Some beautiful lavender, 10 minutes gazing, 10 fantastic pollinators
Unsurprisingly beautiful lavender is one of the most loved flowering plants in the world. Treasured for its fantastic fragrance, beautiful flowers, and calming properties. I was looking at one of the clumps of beautiful lavender in my garden and admiring the beautiful flowers. Also, I noticed the abundance of bees, buzzing away merrily on the…
-
10 beautiful dahlia flowers for pollinators
I absolutely adore dahlias for their beauty and the colour they bring to my garden. They flower their socks off from June or July right up till the first frosts in November or December. Who can resist a beautiful dahlia. Although I do grow some decorative and dinner plate varieties, my main passion is for…
-
The awesome power of the garden
You may have met my dear friend, the Cosmos Queen, in some earlier posts. Links below if you missed them. Well, here she is again, demonstrating the awesome power of the garden. Greatest benefits of becoming a gardener The amazing benefits of gardening The Cosmos Queen’s beautiful dahlias We first met under incredibly sad circumstances…
-
Wild 30 Days. The beautiful finale
Wow, what a fabulous time I have had, joining the 30 Days Wild challenge 2023. And what a Wild 30 Days I had. 30 Days Wild is The Wildlife Trusts’ annual challenge where they ask everyone to do one wild thing a day throughout the month of June. My post Wild things for gardeners, bee beautiful set…
-
Counting beautiful butterflies, gardeners can help
The Big Butterfly Count, now in its 13th year, is a UK-wide citizen science survey run by Butterfly Conservation. This year the Count officially runs from Friday 14 July until Sunday 6 August. I have always joined in with counting beautiful butterflies and hope that you will too. Here is the link for more information https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/…
-
10 beautiful dahlias chosen for you
I mainly grow beautiful dahlias for the pollinators and my first top twelve can be found in my post 12 of the best dahlias for pollinators. And here is my second post on ten more beautiful dahlias for pollinators 10 beautiful dahlia flowers for pollinators Equally important to me though is growing some of the…
-
The fantastic wildness of magic week 3
My post Wild things for gardeners, bee beautiful set a challenge for June. And I looked forward to the fantastic wildness I would see in the 30 Days Wild challenge. 30 Days Wild is The Wildlife Trusts’ annual challenge where they ask everyone to do one wild thing a day throughout the month of June. More details…
-
Behold The Beautiful Queen of Thyme
This post is about a very dear friend of mine. She was mentioned in two previous blog posts. A powerful gardening for wellbeing story and The Chief Gardener’s beautiful vegetables. And now she will become the beautiful Queen of thyme. Her lovely husband had gone through a horrid time and after one of our regular…
-
30 Days Wild, week two of the challenge
Another quick recap My recent post Wild things for gardeners, bee beautiful set a challenge called 30 Days Wild. 30 Days Wild is The Wildlife Trusts’ annual challenge where they ask everyone to do one wild thing a day throughout the month of June. More details can be found here https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/30dayswild I was sure we could do that!…
-
The Cosmos Queen’s beautiful dahlias
Remember the Cosmos Queen? Well, read on for her interest in beautiful dahlias. We first met under incredibly sad circumstances over four years ago. Sadly, her much loved husband had passed away. As we got to know each other, I mentioned my garden, as I knew the benefits of gardening for our wellbeing. With this in…
-
30 Days Wild. First week challenge
A quick recap My recent post Wild things for gardeners, bee beautiful set a challenge for 30 Days Wild. 30 Days Wild is The Wildlife Trusts’ annual challenge where they ask everyone to do one wild thing a day throughout the month of June. More details can be found here https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/30dayswild I was sure we…
GARDENING WITH HARMONY
A passionate gardener, helping you achieve harmony in your garden for wildlife and your own wellbeing.