Geraniums

Posted on July 2, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Dorothy Clive garden, Flowers, Gardening, geranium, ground cover, Life, Plants, replanting, variety2 Comments

Perennial Geraniums (not to be confused with Pelargoniums) regrow every year after dying back in the autumn and winter. They are also known as cranesbill I think because they sometimes have a prominent pointed central part to the flower (can’t remember what that bit is). If you want ground cover this is a great plant.

We bought two plants ten years ago from the Dorothy Clive Garden and now they are all over the garden. You can cut them back after they have flowered and they might have a second flush of flowers. The bees love them.

We have them planted under the trees in the shady part of our garden. If you look them up on the Internet you can find many different varieties.

Dug up!

Posted on June 28, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bulbs, digging up plants, Food, Fox, Gardening, Hedgehogs, Nature, Night, Plants, Squirrel14 Comments

Something keeps digging up bulbs in the garden, from pots we planted up last autumn. The bulbs have roots on them but haven’t grown yet, (unless they are having the leaves nibbled).

I’ve replanted them a few times, but something comes back and pulls them up again. Not plants, just bulbs? Hubby thinks it’s a fox doing it. I think it’s a squirrel. Has anyone got an idea? The bulbs are in pots on the ground, not up on the wall where some of the other pots are. It seems to just happen at night. Could it be hedgehogs trying to find worms. We might start leaving cat food out for hedgehogs again.

Playing a with Peony flower.

Posted on June 21, 2021December 13, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Colour, curve tool, Editing, Fun, Gardening, peony, Photodirector, Photos, shadow, TextureLeave a comment

Paeony or Peony? How do you spell it. I changed this photos texture in Photodirector, then changed its hue and saturation and finally used the curve tool to adjust the lightness and shadows. I feel it has a look of embroidered silk or satin. The petals are more defined than the original white flower. I like the yellow and blue greens on the leaves. If this was the true colours I would say that it was an ill plant. But as this is an edit of the original I think it gives an interesting effect.

Garden done

Posted on June 20, 2021June 20, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Back yard, Colour, Flowers, Garden, Gardening, Hard work, PlantsLeave a comment

Had the pleasure of hanging the flower baskets and planting up some pots today. I’m expecting as they settle down there will be a mass of more flowers. Last year the baskets were still partly in flower in December!

Canal walk

Posted on June 19, 2021July 5, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Canal, festival Park, Gardening, Geese, goslings, Hanley, Hanley Park, Stoke-on trent, Toby Carvery, WalkingLeave a comment

Today we walked from the carpark of the Toby Carvery at Festival Park, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent to Hanley Park and back. The walk was only about three and a half miles but it was quite humid and I’d already been gardening in the morning.

We saw some Geese and Goslings jump off a wall on the other side of the canal, they swam over to us as I think they were looking for food. Sadly we had nothing for them.

Hanley Park was looking lovely with purple and white flowers in the beds up by the pavilion. They must have spent a lot of money on them.f

Finally we walked back to the Carvery. That was a bit difficult. We had taken a seat outside. But we had to order drinks in the bar, which meant sitting in the bar and having our orders taken, then we could take them outside. When I wanted a bag of crisps I had to go and sit again and wait for them to come and take my order. It was OK but a little strange.t

Then home to more gardening.

Hanging basket madness

Posted on June 19, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Beauty, bedding plants, Flowers, Garden, Gardening, Hanging baskets, Plants, trailing plants3 Comments

We bought home a boot full of hanging baskets today. We went a bit mad and ordered a few too many. With these and the ones on the back seat we had eight in the car. We have got to go back and collect two more. I hang them two at a time, one under another so that when I water the top one the bottom gets watered too.

We order them in April dand then wait for them to grow for a couple of months. They are usually ready for collection in the second week of June. It is mad, but I love them. They finish off the garden. Now I’ve got to hang them!

Passion flower

Posted on June 16, 2021June 16, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Flower, Gardening, Green, Life, passionflower, Plant, Poem, Poetry, Purple, suffragette, White1 Comment

Fascinating flower

Full of passion

Enchanted star

Frilled and stellar

Surviving the coldull

Full faced like the sun

Blooming with mystery

Suffragette colours

Passionate

Strong.

Seven beech trees

Posted on June 15, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged beech trees, Gardening, Life, living sculpture, seven trees, Tree, Trentham Gardens, Visit4 Comments

Looking up at Seven beech trees entwined at the top. Inner branches trimmed and from the outside looking like a huge tree. Branches with leaves going down to the ground. There is a huge wooden bench inside in the middle.

Joined

Posted on June 14, 2021June 14, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Fun, Gardening, Joined, Life, Plants, Stroll, Time, Trentham Gardens, Visit, WalkingLeave a comment

Another visit to Trentham Gardens today for a gentle stroll after a few too many Gin and Tonics last night. It was far cooler today although the sun did shine. My sunburn kept me warm. We had a meal and enjoyed exploring the show gardens over in a far corner of the site.

I still managed a reasonable 6000 steps although I never really raised me heart rate.

When I looked into joining there were various factors that helped me decide to join. I hope we go frequently enough to make it worthwhile and its pleasant to walk in grounds designed by Capability Brown although urban streets are OK too.

Oh Rose

Posted on June 11, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Beauty, blushing, evening walk, Flowers, Gardening, Life, Persia, Pink, Roses2 Comments

When I see your blushing pink I can see why Shakespeare was so effusive about you.

Pink and packed with petals, this rose shone out in the twilight. The dark green contrasting with the fresh colour of the flower.

I wish I had the skill to weave a story about you, perhaps your antecedents were worn by Cinderella at the ball, or the scent of you enchanted Snow White.

I think I heard roses came from Ancient Persia. Wherever they originated, they are lovely. I saw these outside the Portmeirion factory in Stoke, they brightened my evening.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Gardening