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Colourful dahlia beds for a beautiful summer
Time for another post featuring my dear friend, the Cosmos Queen. She has worked jolly hard on her new dahlia beds and is now reaping the rewards of all that effort. We first met under incredibly sad circumstances over five years ago. Sadly, her much loved husband had passed away. As we got to know…
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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…
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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…
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Two beautiful robins in my English garden
I thought it would be lovely to have a post about the beautiful robins that are sharing my garden this spring. As the UK’s favourite bird, the robin really is a much-loved part of our gardens. And I have thoroughly enjoyed gardening with a friendly male robin, especially over winter. In fact, the male has been with…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The beautiful diversity of wildlife ponds
A wildlife pond is one of the best things we can have in our gardens. I have four wildlife ponds in my garden, and they are always brimming full with wildlife. So, do you have a wildlife pond, or would you like to grab your spade and dig one? Of course, a pond can be…
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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. …
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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/…
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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…
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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!…
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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…
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World Environment Day. Action wonderful gardeners
World Environment Day 5th June World Environment day. The Theme for 2023 : Solutions to plastic pollution Here are the shocking statistics on plastic. Over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced worldwide every year. Firstly, we all know that plastic pollution is a complex issue, and affects all land, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. It threatens…
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Wild things for gardeners, bee beautiful
So here is the question: Could you do one wild thing every day for an entire month? Wild things for gardeners sounds good to me. 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. I was sure we could…
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Let’s all help the beautiful bees
World Bee Day on 20th May The UN have designated this date every year to raise awareness of the vital importance of pollinators. Also, the threats they face and their contribution as pollinators. So let us all help the beautiful bees. I suggest we should all get involved for World Bee Day every year. Whether…
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Beautiful Coronation displays? Let’s do it.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is launching National Gardening Week 2023 on 1 May, for a week of gardening across the UK. Read on for some Coronation displays. National Gardening Week (NGW) was first celebrated in 2012 to motivate everyone in the UK to get out into their garden. I am a well-motivated gardener, especially when…
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Important, it’s Earth day 2023
Invest in Our Planet for Earth Day Earth Day 2023 2023 marked the 53rd anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement, commemorated annually as Earth Day. Every April 22nd more than 190 countries and billions of people come together to take action towards a greener future for our planet. To protect our planet, we…
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How to grow cosmos for pollinators
How to grow cosmos for pollinators and for months of beautiful flowers Cosmos seeds are a half hardy annual flower which means they will not survive a frost. Seeds can be sown in a greenhouse or sunny windowsill between February and April. Similarly, they can be sown directly into the garden or into pots when…
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Sowing bee beautiful hardy annuals
Now is a great time to sow some hardy annual seeds. These are flowers that will germinate, grow, flower and die in one year. They can be sown straight into the ground from late March onwards which is the reason they are called hardy annuals as opposed to half-hardy annuals which cannot tolerate frost. Check…
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8 benefits of beautiful cosmos flowers
For me, cosmos flowers represent harmony with nature and the Greek word Kosmos stands for harmony and order. No wonder I love the beautiful cosmos flowers so much. Other words often linked to them are tranquility, peace, love, joy, beauty, and serenity. I could go on and on and on here…………… The usual annual cosmos…
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12 of the best dahlias for pollinators
I absolutely love dahlias, especially the best dahlias for pollinators. For their sheer beauty, flamboyance, and charm, they are a fabulous choice for your garden. Out of the various flower types, the pollinators need the single flowered, the anemone, the collarette and the star dahlias (also called single orchid) for easy access to nectar. …
GARDENING WITH HARMONY
A passionate gardener, helping you achieve harmony in your garden for wildlife and your own wellbeing.