Author: Sandra

Daffodils – Loveliest of Spring Flowers

Sandra

Daffodil - a lovely spring flowerDaffodils are my favourite spring flowers. They bring a splash of sunshine to any garden or patio. And they start to bloom when the garden is dull and still recovering from winter.

As the poet Shelley wrote: “If winter comes can spring be far behind?

As you know, gardeners always have to think and plan for the seasons ahead.

So if you want a lovely spring show, plant your daffodils in the autumn when the nights are cool. They actually enjoy a period of cold before the bulbs start to sprout.

Daffodils are lovely planted in drifts under trees where they give a lovely woodland effect.  You can even plant them in little pockets in the lawn – as long as you remember not to mow there! Read more →

Calla lilies – Pink Marshmallow Arums

Sandra

Pink Marshmallow Arum lilyI have just received a lovely gift of Calla lilies. They are actually Pink Marshmallow lily plants.

I have never seen any Calla marshmallow lilies in flower before but I did a bit of research and they are indeed beautiful creatures.

Apparently the marshmallow lily has clumps of dark green leaves and produces tall stems about 1 metre high adorned with these magnificent pink and cream flowers.

It appears that marshmallow lilies like dappled shade and flower in spring and early summer.

I’m rather excited about this. In fact I feel inspired – so much so that I have decided to make a planting of different coloured calla lilies together in one bed.  A mix of yellow, red and deep mauve arums together with these lovely marshmallow arums should make quite a splash of colour.

I don’t know if the different varieties (zantedeschia) will all flower together. I’ll have to find out if they need the same growing conditions. But as I learn more about these lovely flowers I will keep you informed.

Meanwhile if there are any calla lily experts out there, please share your wisdom about these lovely flowers.

Pickled Cucumbers – My Easiest Quickest and Best Recipe

Sandra
Slice cucumber for pickling

Slice cucumber for pickling

Pickled cucumbers add zest to any meal. And when you can make them so easily and quickly there is no reason to be without them.

In my previous post,  Cucumbers by the Dozen,  I described how I had harvested tons of cucumbers from only six seeds.

Well this is how I made use of at least some of those cucumbers!

As a recipe this is truly a winner.  Quick, easy, fail proof and delicious.

The best part is that you don’t have to wait. You can eat them after two hours and they are delicious and crunchy.

So without further delay, here is:

My Pickled Cucumber Recipe. Read more →

Cucumbers by the Dozen from your Own Garden

Sandra

Growing cucumbersWhat could be nicer than a basket full of young green cucumbers fresh from the garden?  Well that is exactly what I had from my garden this summer.

And only from 6 cucumber seeds!

For some reason, we had been buying those long tunnel-grown cucumbers and it had been ages since I’d planted any of my own.

So early this summer I decided to give it a go. I chose a north-facing spot along the fence of my vegetable garden because I prefer cucumbers to climb.

Cucumbers that lie on the ground are liable to be eaten by insects.  And in any case, they always have a white underbelly where they have been in contact with the ground.

So I prepared the soil with lots of home grown compost. And then I bought a packet of cucumber seed and planted about 18 seeds.

It wasn’t a big patch as I reckoned we only needed one or two cucumbers a day.

In a few days the seedlings sprouted.  And once they were well established I thinned them out to only six plants at about 50 cm apart. Read more →

Why Fat Birds spurn my Bearded Irises

Sandra

Bearded IrisIf you’re wondering why fat birds are spurning my bearded irises here’s why!

We’ve had a lot of rain this summer and the bearded irises in our garden have come into bloom again.

In fact the leaves have shot up to twice their previous height.

However, although the flowers themselves are not quite the standard of the spring blooms they are displaying on longer stems.

In my earlier posts about irises I wrote about how the flowers were being eaten off by birds.  I told you how in early spring all my prize blooms were cut off just under the flower heads. Read more →

Fresh from the Garden Recipes

Sandra

Strawberries fresh from the gardenAlthough this blog is about roses, gardening and vegetables I have added a new category – “Fresh from the Garden” which is already proving to be very popular.

It’s all about my own family recipes – tried and trusted recipes that I use personally to create mouth-watering dishes from the fresh, organic vegetables and fruit produced in our garden.

You may have seen one or two already – for example, my family recipes for pumpkin fritters and creamed spinach – directly from the garden to the pot. There can be no better flavour than using such fresh organic vegetables. Read more →

Enchanted Gardens and Magic Forests

Sandra

Magic Garden“ My desires are like seeds left in the ground.  They wait for the right season and then spontaneously manifest into beautiful flowers and mighty trees, into enchanted gardens and magic forests”   The Vedas.

“Enchanted gardens and magic forests!”

What a magical and inspirational quote!  If you nurture the scene in your mind you can create that same ambiance on the ground.

I have always been a secret admirer of magical gardens and enchanted forests.  And I have always had a secret desire to have one of my own because I am a self-confessed gardening addict.

I find that I am renewed, sustained and revitalized by a garden. And it doesn’t even have to be my own garden.  Any beautiful garden has the same effect on me. Read more →