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Rhododendron and Sandstone
16 May 2012
We’ve just returned from walking the Sandstone Trail. -
Peregrines and Cuckoos
14 May 2012
Later, we were delighted to watch these spectacular falcons chasing crows at high speed. -
Bluebell and Yellow Archangel
08 May 2012
This photo, taken in Balls Wood near Yealmpton, shows Bluebell, Yellow Archangel and Ramsons. -
Cowslip and Ramsons
30 April 2012
The name is a corruption of cow-slop; Cowslips are often found on pasture with cattle. -
Echinopsis Cactus and Hazel
22 April 2012
This particular plant is well over thirty years old, and when it does flower, it always puts out two of these beautiful blooms. -
Midfeather and Garden Rescues - Part 2
13 April 2012
If you want your small garden rescued in a day, get in touch and we’ll see what we can do! -
Midfeather and Garden Rescues - Part 1
12 April 2012
Take this classic, neglected, small back garden. The new owner, a ‘buy-to-let’ landlord, just wanted the garden tidied up, prior to advertising for tenants. -
Cormorants and Golden Weeping Willow
06 April 2012
The Golden Weeping Willows on the River Severn look wonderful at the moment. -
Stinking Hellebore and Lesser Celandine
26 March 2012
Another plant that has been flowering for a while now is the Stinking Hellebore. I photographed this example in oak woodland two days ago. -
Dog Violet and Fallow Deer
21 March 2012
Actually, given that they’re flowering so early, they’re probably Wood Dog Violets rather than Common Dog Violets. -
Weasel and Dry Stone Wall
15 March 2012
Yesterday, I had my best ever encounter with a Weasel! Here’s what happened. -
Buzzard and Mahonia
05 March 2012
It has small yellow flowers with a lovely fragrance and is a good shrub to plant if you want to attract bees into your garden. -
Box and Privet
26 February 2012
Last week, I prepared a planting trench for a new Box hedge, adding compost to improve the soil. -
Silk Tassel Bush and Virginia Creeper
21 February 2012
At this time of year, these now mature shrubs have a magnificent display of grey-green catkins, which are so delicate as to seem weightless when you hold them. -
Yellowhammer and Wild Carrot
19 February 2012
Wild Carrot is a plant found on dry, poor grassland, which is where the Yellowhammers were spotted. -
Red Grouse and Freezing Rain
06 February 2012
It wasn’t long before we were covered in a layer of ice, as this photo of my rucksack shows. -
Red Squirrel and Pygmy Weed
25 January 2012
As we approached White Moss Tarn along the Coffin Route that links Grasmere to Ambleside, a Red Squirrel jumped across the path in front of us. -
Slate and Snow
23 January 2012
The Old Man of Coniston is a lovely fell to climb at any time of the year. -
Epiphyllum Cactus and Periwinkle
10 January 2012
I’d never pruned them back so hard before and there was always a chance that it might finish them off. -
London Plane and Lyth Hill
02 January 2012
This hybrid tree is easily recognised by its patchwork bark, which it sheds, so helping it to breathe in polluted, smoky environments. -
Bamboo and Ewe
27 December 2011
At one point, it leapt off the grassy bank by the side of the road and was briefly airborne several feet off the ground. -
Gorse and Jelly Fungi
25 December 2011
We passed a patch of Gorse that had been cut down and noticed this bright yellow Jelly Fungi growing on the dead wood. -
Lintels and Rafters
23 December 2011
Once most of the Lintels were in place, he decided to concentrate on one section to get the wall up to roof height so that some of the Rafters could be put on. -
Shaggy Parasol and Sparrowhawk
11 December 2011
I liked the setting of this particular Shaggy Parasol mushroom, surrounded by ivy, leaves, moss and stones. -
Greywacke and Bees Nest
03 December 2011
A few days ago, just outside the quarry we noticed a Bees Nest in a hawthorn hedge. -
Light and Shade
28 November 2011
It was a blustery day and we both commented on how the light was constantly changing, as clouds were blown quickly across the face of the sun. -
Dog Rose and Ivy
25 November 2011
The fence was a bit the worse for wear, as this photo shows, and was intertwined with thorny Dog Rose and masses of Ivy in places. -
Pumpkin and Squash
19 November 2011
I think that allotments are a bit like gardens in that they need a small amount of work on a regular basis to keep them ticking over nicely. -
Huge Gardens and Measuring Up
11 November 2011
A vital part of designing a large garden is getting an accurate idea of its size, including the scale of any changes in level. -
Lancashire Weathered and Siphoned Rainwater
08 November 2011
Since July, I’ve been helping my mate Mark to build an extension on his house. -
Old Man's Beard and Limestone Woodland
31 October 2011
Old Man’s Beard is the name given to the seeds of the clematis-like climber called Traveller’s Joy, which is common in woods and hedgerows on limestone and chalk soils. -
Beech and Bilberry
21 October 2011
I remember someone saying that mature Beech woodland was boring because virtually nothing else grows in it, and comparing it to rain forest, which has abundant and varied flora from the canopy down to ground level. -
Killer Shrimp and False Acacia
12 October 2011
Starting from the lake at Ellesmere, it wasn’t long before we came across a notice board with a poster proclaiming the dangers of Killer Shrimp! -
Teak Oil and Escallonia
03 October 2011
The Escallonia still has some of its lovely red flowers. -
Rose Hips and Sloe Berries
26 September 2011
The red Rose Hips in this photo are the fruit of the Dog Rose and the blue Sloe Berries are the fruit of the Blackthorn. -
Wood and Stone
20 September 2011
Here is an example of a patio that didn’t cost the earth! The total for all the materials (hardcore, sand, cement, slabs, brackets and railway sleeper sized timber) was under £300. -
Field Scabious and Swaledales
14 September 2011
I’ve just returned from a couple of day’s walking in the Pennines. -
Nuthatch and Yew
06 September 2011
Walking down a sunken, tree-lined bridleway today, looking at the ground to avoid tripping over, I heard a tapping noise and assumed it was a woodpecker. -
Wild Ponies and Monkey Puzzles
01 September 2011
On a walk along the Offa’s Dyke Path from Kington, we came across this clump of Monkey Puzzle trees near the top of Hergest Ridge. -
Step Building and Yellow Plums
25 August 2011
The steps in this photo were not built by us, but the ones a few yards away were, a couple of years ago! -
Heather Fly and Monkey Flower
19 August 2011
On the top of the hill, they were swarming in huge numbers. At first we were too intimidated to walk through them, but then we went back and did so, and I shot a short video of us getting covered in them, which was fun for me but not for Ann! -
Eucalyptus and Palm
13 August 2011
One of our favourite local walks passes a garden centre. -
Oak and Harebells
08 August 2011
The highlight of Saturday’s 40 mile route around the Wrekin from Shrewsbury was this magnificent veteran Oak near Eyton on Severn. -
Lesser Knapweed and Purple Loosestrife
04 August 2011
I’ve just realised that all of my blogs so far have featured the colour purple. -
Foxgloves and Thistles
30 July 2011
We’ve just spent a few days in the Forest of Bowland. -
Orchid and Marsh Woundwort
25 July 2011
Out walking in the countryside a couple of weeks ago, Ann was sure she’d spotted some orchids at the fringe of a pond. -
Poppies and Honeybees
23 July 2011
There are scores of honeybees in the garden at the moment. -
Lobelia and Verbena
16 July 2011
I’d got a few spare patio flowerpots that needed planting up for a bit of summer colour. -
Ring Ouzels and Heather
13 July 2011
I’ve just got back from a couple of day’s climbing in the Peak District with my mate Trev. -
Buddleia and Jasmine
08 July 2011
It’s a wet and breezy day so not much will get done outside today. -
Snowdrop Season …
15 January 2011
I spotted my first snowdrops today – sadly not in my own garden but in the garden of Holland House, Cropthorne, near Pershore. It is a bit early for these lovely harbingers of spring, which traditionally appear at Candlemas or second of February. -
'Tis the time to get your seed order in…
08 January 2011
I love this time of the year, it’s a time of boundless optimism when you can sit by a roaring fire with a big pile of seed catalogues and dream of the garden which is to come.