'UP THE GARDEN PATH' by Pam Thompson
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- THE CAST
- THE GARDEN
- GARDEN WILDLIFE
- 2005 - 2016 GREENHOUSE UPGRADES
- 2008 -THYME SQUARE
- 2012 - THE PEAR HUT
- 2006 - OIL TANK SCULPTURES
- 2005 - RABBITS OUT-FOXED
- 2006 - BOUNDARIES
- 2004 - AN OLD BUOY
- 2009 - CULVERT+SUMMERHOUSE
- 2005 - PUMP RESTORATION
- 2010 - LIVING WITH HENS!
- THE WORLD'S MOST RECYCLED GARDEN!
- 'UP THE GARDEN PATH' by Pam Thompson
The green and rolling countryside of Worcestershire, England, is home to the cider apple orchards which surround the gardens of Pear Tree Cottage. They enjoy a sunny south westerly aspect with sweeping views across to Martley Hillside, Woodbury and Abberley clock tower. The Teme Valley lies just over the hill and, not far away, is the Herefordshire border. Although our climate is temperate, our seasons are often uncertain and always a challenge to a gardener! This began in 2010 & follows the weekly ups and downs of garden work chronicling both successes and failures but, above all, demonstrates the fun enjoyed by three people who regularly garden in all weathers
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1 January 2017
13 December 2016
6 December 2016
Tea Pot Competition!
And there was me thinking that teapots in the garden was just a little English eccentricity until I saw these in Owaka, New Zealand! Trust a Kiwi to think BIG!
25 November 2016
November Down Under
I s'pose a Brit was always going to be wowed by anything that flowers in November so, true to form, here's one enjoying Rhododendrons and Azaleas in Hanmer Springs New Zealand just south of the earthquake affected area. These colourful Rhodies had just enjoyed a light shower of rain before the sun came out and it was just like a UK spring day in May!!
Photos don't do justice to the height of the trees in this picturesque little spa town with its myriad of natural hot springs.
Hanmer Springs main street! |
Peonies & Yuccas in flower |
16 November 2016
Kiwi Wisdom?
12 November 2016
Autumn to Spring in 24 Hours!
A natural forest of tree ferns |
Roses in November |
A bad picture of a swarm of bees |
Unusually, this is a post about gardening down under. Here in New Zealand - just a few miles away from PTC, we are wowed about what thrives here. Just growing wild on the roadside verges are Arums, Nasturtiums, Impatiens, Daturas - to name but a few. At the botanical gardens in Auckland are masses of roses all in full bloom with not so much of a hint of black spot, mildew or rust! Even a Wisteria is blooming in November - I ask you!!It's just not fair! As for tree ferns - they abound e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e!! Huge natural forests full of them. The other weird thing is the fact that it's spring here. It was autumn when I left home and I left all the trees dropping their leaves.
2 November 2016
Tulip Tree = Pure Gold
Woodberry Hill |
Liriodendron Tulipifera |
PTC & a gilded lawn! |
Not much one can say about this post except, if there's room, this is a tree and a half! Our garden is not big enough for this beast and already it has been pollarded. See Rabbits Outfoxed for the full story of this particular tree
31 October 2016
Growing Gold!
Crocus sativus - saffron crocus |
As weird as it sounds, I harvested my very first saffron stigmas! So far only 3 as only one flower has opened. However: this is the world's most expensive spice and gram for gram more expensive than gold.
In 2014, a single gram, (that’s 0.035 of an ounce) of this
sought-after spice was selling for up to £75, making saffron more expensive
than gold. The reason for this is the
fact that each flower has only 3 stigmas and harvesting these precious stigmas
is so laborious. Strange that we eat this crocus when the corms, seeds and leaves of the Autumn crocus (colchicum) are deadly poisonous.
With only 6 corms, somehow I don't think I'm going to be an overnight millionaire! However, I might have enough for a very small dish of saffron potatoes!
With only 6 corms, somehow I don't think I'm going to be an overnight millionaire! However, I might have enough for a very small dish of saffron potatoes!
Anyone for dinner?
More Autumn Colour
Too many colours to show in one post so, here's a collage. More photos can be seen here: And then the sun came out! I figured we need to make the best of some sunshine when autumn can be so dark and dank! |
And then the mists lifted & the sun came out! |
Back to Brassicas
January King |
Bold Brassicas |
Whilst other trees and plants are dazzling us with their colourful leaves, things in the vegetable patch are look a tad more somber! It would be more than a little worrying if the brassicas turned orange or red. Having said that, the chard is looking pretty colourful even though the cabbages remain merely green! We have January King's, Hispi's and some Purple Sprouting. They do get full marks for clinging on to water droplets! Chris gave us a rather agricultural bird scarer which spins round. Hopefully it'll deter thieving pigeons!
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