Sunday, January 28, 2007

busy week

The past week has flown by mainly because the excitement of Chelsea is starting to build and the press releases are 'flying' but also because we are planning for the next couple of months "pre-season" and I am busy writing features.

I haven't been in the garden hardly at all sad to say but the weather has not encouraged me and I am using a bad back as an excuse for not getting down to that weeding which I definitely know needs doing and will bite back at me when the weather and ground warms up!

Gertrude Jekyll once wrote that a garden should be in accordance with the "style and calibre" of the house and, above all, should be "beautiful and entirely enjoyable". It should be a place of repose and charm and there should be varied forms of interest. Well I try to make mine beautiful and probably its entirely enjoyable but I am not sure that it has varied forms of interest. Sometimes I look at it and think it a jumbled mess.

My friend Pauline has a delightful garden which is neat and tidy and clearly arranged into "rooms" of variety and delight, while Magda has a varied garden which encompasses vegetables, pond, waterfall and all manner of nooks and crannies. She has also given great thought to sitting areas for different times of the day which most of us overlook.

It is always at this time of year that I think of hard landscaping projects which could be completed before the growing season and I have one or two ideas but not sure if I will put them into operation. I think one of the really great things about gardening - apart from the fact that it keeps you fit and healthy and gives enjoyment to boot - is the kind of people you meet. In the main, gardeners are fun and genuine people, always willing to share plants and ideas, give positive comment and help when needed. I am lucky to have gardening friends who fit this category and no doubt there are many of you out there who do too.

Mine certainly don't mind getting their hands dirty on my behalf which is welcome and for which I am grateful - especially when the back goes - and its great to visit gardens with your friends and be able to talk about plants and enthuse together about colour, form and shape.

This really is the start of the most exciting part of the year - spring is on its way and if weather patterns continue will probably be warmer than usual - one morning in a few months time you will wake up and go out into the garden and it will all suddenly be there! Just be patient it will happen - it always does!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

spring is coming

January is gearing up to be rather a busy month. The announcements start coming out for the Chelsea gardens so that is very exciting and of course we start to plan in earnest for the spring and summer for Reckless.

There are some fab interviews and articles in the pipeline so make sure you keep logging in to check out the latest news, show news and garden visits.

I must admit to a tingle of excitement at this time of year. I know all the fabulous flower shows are coming up including Chelsea and Hampton Court and this year we will be travelling across the UK to take a look at gardens which we think might interest you. So all in all an exciting time ahead. In the diary already are visits to Staffordshire and Northumberland - so do be sure to keep an eye out for the gardens we visit.

Spring has got to be just around the corner - or at least I keep telling myself that - and today in Cumbria is a beautiful winter's day, snappy but cold and dry. So at least while I sit at my computer today I am looking out onto a sunlight garden rather than the constant rain to which we have become accustomed.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Camellias are blooming

Well the Camellias are well on their way now and we have several lovely blooms on two of our trees. They are not supposed to blossom until March/April but hey consider it a bonus I say. The continual rain has been a bit of a thorn in my side as I have been unable to get out and do even the smallest amount of weeding which is a worry as I always think that the more you do now the better it is for spring.

I can't say as I have noticed anything else particularly astonishing except that some of the spring plants seem to be coming up a couple of weeks early but we are mid way through January so that is to be expected with some early flowering varieties.

I don't know whether to be daring or not and start a small veg patch. I haven't particularly been into veg ever but I suppose it would be fun to grow some and it might even stimulate my intereset. I always grump that too many gardening books spend too much time talking about veg as opposed to flowers. Carol Klein's tv series is certainly entertaining and she really enthuses you - so just maybe! But no promises!

One thing which does worry me about the mild winter is the liklihood of aphids, greenfly etc during the warmer months. We haven't had the frosts to kill them off. But wait - we have got to get through February and March yet and these can be extremely bad months, so best to not speak too soon.

We have lots of new features coming up on Reckless soon so please do keep dropping by.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

quiet week

Essentially it's been a quiet week garden wise. Most of the time has been spent planning features and items for the next few months for the website. Chelsea is coming closer and so the excitement begins to build around the middle of January. This year the Reckless team are also planning trips out to a number of regional areas to bring you information on gardens specific to that area. This hopefully will help people wanting to plan gardening trips around holidays etc.

Working with websites is not like working with a magazine, there are no specific long lead-in times and things can go on instantly if required, but there is still a certain amount of planning which needs to be done nevertheless.

Hopefully, this year we will see more of our readers getting more interactive on the site. We have a new garden visits blog spot where you can leave your impressions of gardens visited or suggest gardens to others, so if you haven't looked at that please do and put your favourite garden on.

I am hoping it will stop raining long enough this week for me to do a little tidying work and some weeding - I always think the garden looks a right mess this time of year - and so I really must start putting my house in order!

Monday, January 01, 2007

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone and may the grass always be green on your lawn and the roses continue to bloom on your patio.

We had a crisis this morning. My beloved Cordyline, with the babies, - no not the Madonna with the big boobies - bit the dust in the massive gale ( or should I say hurricane) we had yesterday. I was gutted.The main trunk broke, I don't think it could support the weight of its upper leaves with the wind rocking it.

Anyway, fortunately I had left the offspring in tact and they are OK and hopefully will grow well to replace the original plant. I hope so anyway. I did really like that tree.

I hate these gardening deaths - losing a plant you really like is akin to losing your beloved cat or dog - if it dies of old age you can somehow cope but if it's unexpected then then difficult. As I write the hailstones are beating on the window and the sky outside is definitely not playing ball considering its new year's day!

Fortunately, I am not planning any garden visits today although I have had my fair share of wandering around stately edifices with neat cut borders under a broad brimmed umbrella.

And talking about borders - I read over the weekend that grasses are going to be oh so out for 2007 and borders are back in! Goody, Goody I say. As a border person myself I am overjoyed at this piece of news. However, if you really do love your grasses you can always take a leaf out of Tom Stuart-Smith's book and combine grasses in your borders. I have seen Tom create some really lovely gardens with borders which use grasses to add structure. So that is the way forward folks.

Welcome to 2007.