January 2019 - A new beginning

A very happy New Year in 2019 

to you all.

Thanks to all my followers.

Please keep reading. 

Peto Garden, Wiltshire

Well here we are again, 

at the start 
of another year. 



But we always like to look 

back to what we did.



2018 
You will recall that this summer 

was fabulously hot.

The best thing for me was 

feeling happy 

and caring for lots of even 
happier plants most of the time.

In the summer I had the 

privilege of visiting
 a gem of a garden 

in Wiltshire. 


I would like to share 

this place with you. 


Peto Gardens is quite an achievement 
as it is in a valley 
and it is built up on layers
 of terraces and amazing vistas.  

Peto Gardens from the
 middle looking downwards

It makes you feel like you are 

transported to somewhere
 no-one else knows about. 

Sadly it was not a nice 

summer day to take pictures
 but hopefully you can get 

a good idea of 

what it looks like. 

One of the fabulous
vistas at Peto Gardens

Plants that flower in January 

So back to our New Year and 

what you can grow
 happily even in a cold climate.

Helleborus niger 

Let me share with you one 

of my favourite flowers. 

It is so dainty and beautiful.

Better still it is really easy 

to care for. 

Spring flowering
hellebores





It was the 28th of March 2018
when I visited the beautiful 
landscaped Swiss Garden
 in Bedfordshire.


It was spring time and the rain
was pouring down! 


So looking at plants in the rain with
 a huge umbrella was a bit of a challenge.

Trying to photograph these
beauties was a bit tricky.







Plant of the week
5th January 2019


Hellebores are winter flowering
 plants. I grow them in pots.


They look lovely in a cluster,
in a woodland setting.

My advise to you is go to a good
garden centre and pick the
best looking flowering
plants.


Check the leaves for bugs
and make sure they look
healthy and green.

Bring it home and enjoy
it every day. 

 These hellebores are so
varied in colour. 

Fabulous deepest purple.

Contrasting hellebores
and daffodils 

Care for hellebores
Hellebores will be happy 

in pots but do be aware 

of seasonal bugs. 

I get them on mine and remove

 them with my fingers.

Keep them watered 

or they will dry out.



Please keep following me.
Apologies for my absence 

but I promise

 I will be updating soon.

It's Monday 7th January 2019 

and the start of a new week. 

Time to take in what is around you. 

Sometimes we are too busy 
not looking around us and
 seeing what beauty there

 is in nature. 



Trees are such an important 

part of nature so try to stop for 

a minute and look up at them.

Bamboo makes a statement




I love the way bamboo creates
such a cool effect to any beautifully
crafted garden.

Black bamboos are something 

special as they feel

 a bit mysterious with their 

black stems.

It's elegance is something that 
is very eye-catching.

See the way the glass
reflects the light here.


A small building in the middle
 of this fabulous Garden.

January flowers 

 Brightens up your 

dark January day.

Clematis 'Jungle Bells'


This year this plant is somewhat 

confused after the long hot summer 

which actually scorched the whole
plant. 


As a result it flowered early and it has
 very few flowers now.



A real winter beauty here below.

Christmas box with
the sweetest scent



Late flowering this year
so hopefully
 it will be out soon. 



So at long last the flowers 
are coming out. 


Such a fabulous
scent they have.

Should be flowering 

at the end of the year, 

in December. 

Still at the end of January 

it has a few flowers.

It really packs a punch 

this beauty with
the most fabulous scent. 

Snowdrops bring
us cheer


We all need something
to lif tour moods in January.

  

There's nothing better 

than a clump of dainty 

snowdrops to 

lift our spirits this month. 

Snowdrops are bulbs 

so it's too late 
to plant them in January, 

but if you have 

none why not enjoy looking 

at them in a wood near you. 

Clematis care
in January



Be mindful of your delicate
plants at this time of the year. 

When the white stuff 

falls from the skies it 

lands heavily on our poor 

plants, treat them carefully.

Brush it off gently and 

make sure you don't damage 

the leaves and flowers 
right now. 


If you can protect them with 

horticultural fleece 
that will be really good.

Guest post from Wendy Desler - Fall veggies to grow

Guest Post from Wendy Desler

Avid gardeners experience fall 

with mixed emotions. 

The work from the summer

and spring harvests is over. 

We have enjoyed the fresh vegetables 
that have brought our dinner tables to life. 

We have canned, frozen, 

and stored the bounty 

to get us through the cold 

days of winter.

But, do not put those garden 

gloves away just yet. 

There are many 
wonderful fall

crops just waiting for you.

Remove the mulch from your 

spring beds 
and prepare the soil. 

Once it is clean, add compost 

and peat moss to 
replace lost nutrients.

You are ready to add your seeds 
for a fall veggie garden.

Besides getting more fresh and 

nutritious foods for your table, 

the fall crops are extremely low 
in calories and very filling. 

This is a great way 

to fight the holiday

calorie stampede that is 

headed this way.

https://unsplash.com/photos/s8u1Gv2F3o

What to grow

Here are a few of the wonderful

 and nutritious 
vegetables that thrive in winter.

• Beets

This is not the most popular 

veggie on the table, 

but they are full of nutrition and 

can be added 

to recipes for a delightfully 
different taste. For a jump start, 

soak the seeds overnight.

• Broccoli

Broccoli is so packed with 

minerals and vitamins 
that you should include it in your diet

 as often as possible. 

Eat it raw with dip, 
steamed or mixed with stir-fry dishes.

• Collards
• 
  

Collard greens are very low in 

calories and they provide 
Vitamin A & C as well as manganese.

• Carrots 

This is a great addition 

to your fall garden. 

The antioxidants found in carrots 

make them a favouite. 

You can process these veggies 

in your juicer for a sweet 

and fast pick me up.

• Lettuce

Do not under estimate the 

power of lettuce. 

It is filling and fresh and it gives

 you potassium, 

biotin, vitamin B1, copper, iron

 and vitamin C. 

It is also a good source 

of vitamin B2, 

omega-3 fatty acids,

 
vitamin B6, phosphorous, cromium, 

magnesium, calcium and 

pantothenic acid. 

• Green beans and pole beans 

Here is your protein punch! 

Green beans are 
a fast and abundant crop. 

Not only are they good nutrition, 

they are also delicious. 

You will have the holiday green

 bean casserole 
that will never be forgotten. Yum!

• https://unspalsh.com/photos/0Ag8Er0D0qM

Herbs

Save a little room in your 

fall garden for fresh herbs. 

You only have a little while 

to get these 

plants in (before the first frost). 

But, consider growing these 

in a hanging garden. 


You can plant them in 

hanging coffee containers 
hung by a rope on your fence. 

That allows you to take 

them indoors on cold nights 

and adds some growing 

time and a lot of flavors. 

Here are our favorite fall herb garden plants:

• Parsley
• Sage
• 
  
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• 
  
• Cilantro
• Lavender
• Mint
• 
  
• Chives

If you start now, you can 

reap a wonderful harvest that 
will carry you through winter months 

with even 
more flavor and nutrition 
you can imagine. 

So grab your seeds and get moving, 
before those frosty nights sneak up on you! 
You will be so glad you did. 

Seasonal fayre

9th November 2017

Well where did this year go to? 

I can't quite believe we are
 in November already, can you?

Don't you just love this plant?
It's so beautifully formed

It looks like a kind of seaweed 
don't you think?



Bare branched cornus look 

fabulous with their red, 

orange and yellow stems. 

They make quite a statement.  

Leaves are falling from 

deciduous trees 
turning from green 

to ambers.

        Lots of trees are still in beautiful

 colour like Liquid amber. 

It is a fabulous orangy, red.

What flowers can you still see 
now in November? 

Roses seem to flower and flower. 
It's been a good year for them. 

It is great when the season 

is extended.

As long as it stays relatively 

mild they will 
keep budding and flowering. 

Colour at a
London market

We all need something to 

give us cheer 

at this time of the year. 

Markets are great places 

to go to take it all in. 

So much to see and enjoy. 

We need colour around us 

at this time of the year 

as autumn fades 

 into less colour and 

the trees become 

bare and the season changes. 

Market stalls are fabulous
places to go.

I get so much inspiration from them. 

Florists in markets have amazing 
and unusual flowers on sale. 

But do ask before you photograph!

Do you like browsing around markets 
to see what inspires you too?

If you have a small green space

 or just a patio, 
why not buy some 

lovely shrubs 
like bay trees (in small pots) 
to use over the coming months. 

I love bay leaves in soups, 
in veggie casseroles. 

I pick them from my bay shrubs

 and then dry 
them and they keep for ages.  

The aroma is wonderful 

when you first pick them.

Autumn is here

Thanks to everyone 

for following my blog. 

Please post up a question on anything

 plant related and I will happily 

answer it as best I can.

See the bare branches of the shrubs now

Watch the orange and yellow leaves that 

fell to the ground.

Help our little feathered friends

 and feed them now. 

What do I mean by a 'Mini Garden?'

 Mini Gardens

Hello, it is Spring 2017.

My aim this season is to create for 

any new customer a 'Mini Garden.'

With my many years of Gardening 

I wanted to 

 share my knowledge

creating you a planting scheme

in a small space. 

Simply put, you can create a garden 
in any small space. 


So if you happen to have a bigger space, 
I can divide it up into 'rooms' or sections.

What I offer my customers

January 2020

Packages 

Bronze 

Garden design 

What to buy? 

Where to buy?

How or where to plant?

Cost £50.00- £70.00 depending 

on plot size

Silver 

All of the above plus

Weekly tips

Maintenance advice

£80.00 plus depending on plot size

Research what plants would 

be suitable for your 

Garden your geographical area,  

soil type, sun, shade etc)

Additional services

Seasosnal planting  

in large pots and window boxes. 

Fee £20.00-£25.00

Please message Vanessa

 on :07944-868209

Blogs I really like

I really like reading the following blogs. They are inspiring and beautifully created. 

1. Alternative Eden- this is a really well designed blog in my mind. 

It's easy to follow and there is so much information. It is a very 

unsual type of garden with a lot of plants I would personally not 

think of trying to grow.   



You do feel like you are entering a tropical garden 
in a hot climate 
surrounded by huge greenery and you are taken 
on a horticultural journey.

I love this beautiful flower. Very unusual for an allium
self-seeded in my garden.

2. Gardening know how - Based in Ohio. 

3. Home and Joy - Jeanne Grunert (freelance writer)

4. The practical homestead - Kathleen Marshall