Those Darned DEER!

It's enough to deal with rabbits and voles. And vegetarian barn cats. But deer? They are my nemesis. For the most part I have managed to design a deer resistant garden without resorting to fences, dangling tablets of Ivory soap in old nylons or constantly spraying. Spring has it challenging moments as the new growth…

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Blanket Flower Beauty

Do you buy perennials or grow them from seed? My Mum was a remarkably thrifty – and patient gardener and grew many perennials such as delphiniums from seed. The first year they would get to be respectable sized plants but if they flowered it wasn't a spectacular show. They would typically take three years to…

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The Path Less Traveled

Have you been into your garden recently? Not to weed the borders or cut the grass – just to see what is happening? Set the alarm clock a little earlier tomorrow, grab your camera and go on a mini garden safari. I must admit I wasn't sure there was anything really worth photographing. I hadn't…

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Join me for cocktails – book review & giveaway!

We have recently purchased a fancy new propane fire pit. It is one of those lovely ones with a tile surround large enough to function as a table for your wine glass and snacks and pretty reflective glass through which the flames dance and flicker. Being propane it is a great option for instant ambience…

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Party Time for Hummingbirds!

Zzzzzzzzzzip. Zzzzzzzzzzzzip. Yes it's that time of year when hummingbirds can be seen, heard and enjoyed daily as they flit from one flower to the next. Like most gardeners I used to rely on hummingbird feeders to entice them but quickly transitioned to adding flowering plants that provided a natural food source and habitat to support…

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