Spring – Cambridge Flower Journal

Glowing peach, buzzing bees

Colour craving

Postbox-red tulips are dazzling in the spring sunshine this morning, together with hints of colour elsewhere. The leaves of epimedium fascinate me, with their heart shape, veined surface and range of tones from crimson to chartreuse…then up pops a delicate gathering of yellow flowers. Forget-me-nots have seeded themselves across our garden, for which I’m grateful.Continue reading “Colour craving”

Much promise

There is hope in the promise of new life and colour in springtime. Looking out of the window even on a grey, rainy day, I revel in the sight of green shoots and leaves, and of bulbs peering from pots, getting ready to bloom. Today, yellow is aplenty here… The pink of this cercis isContinue reading “Much promise”

Fumiphobia and gardening | new rainy day magic

Have you ever tried to dig up a creeping buttercup? Its roots can run surprisingly deep, sprawling out in clumps, thick and white. The more you dig, the more you find, and a fork perhaps won’t do; you’ll likely need a spade to get to the bottom, but you’ll get there in the end. ThatContinue reading “Fumiphobia and gardening | new rainy day magic”

Late May garden round-up

Our first May with a garden is drawing to a close, so it’s a good time to reflect on what’s been blooming, and where. Noticing gaps in the flowerbeds and patterns of colour will be helpful for next springtime. For example, aside from wallflowers and bulbs, the garden has predominantly been dotted with pink, redContinue reading “Late May garden round-up”

A rainy afternoon wander around Great Thurlow Hall

I visited Great Thurlow Hall in Suffolk this weekend, and took a few quick phone snaps of things which stood out as especially beautiful and fascinating… Beyond this, the abundance of cow parsley and established trees in the arboretum – which follows the line of the river – guarantee a peaceful and inspirational visit, noContinue reading “A rainy afternoon wander around Great Thurlow Hall”

Hazy mid-May update

It’s been pretty rainy here in Cambridge this fortnight, and the gardens have loved it! Looking around each day it is as though the plants have grown substantially overnight. I wandered around the garden during a break in the rainfall earlier and took some slightly hazy photographs of things which have changed this week… I’mContinue reading “Hazy mid-May update”

Growing, day by day

It’s wonderful to watch plants grow in springtime. This is my first spring with a garden, so everything is extra exciting! The first bed I made here has really started to fill out this week, with plants like hosta, viburnum and geum unfurling and blooming in the daylight. I wasn’t expecting the latter (pictured below)Continue reading “Growing, day by day”

Pinks, purples and reds

The sunshine has brought quite a few plants out of dormancy lately. I snapped some photos of what’s blooming (or beginning to appear) in my little garden this week: In the next few weeks I look forward to sharing stories about biodiversity at Eddington (NW Cambridge), and an interview with artist Clare Halifax, who recentlyContinue reading “Pinks, purples and reds”

Before the April snow

What a random week, weather-wise: sunshine, heavy cloud, and now snow. That’s Britain, right?! I managed to spend quite a bit of time in our little garden neatening the beds and watering pots before the frost arrived, and during that time I took the photos below. I’m looking forward to the sun returning and watchingContinue reading “Before the April snow”