Hi Folks! It's spring! And a glorious one at that. As the country, and indeed the world, locks down, thank goodness we are still permitted to tend our allotments! I have been spending more time at the plot than ever in the last couple of months, along with my fiancé, having finally re-found our motivation …
My Allotment Journey and How It Has Changed My Life (A Blog Post for Mental Health Awareness Week)
Three years ago I made a decision that would change my life. That sounds like a bold statement, but let me explain... Things were difficult; I didn’t know it at the time but I was approaching the breakdown and ending of a long-term toxic relationship, whilst being at a career crossroads, and a point of …
Gardens Month (April 2019)
Astounding April! What ever the weather throws at us, April is one of the most exciting months of the year. Many of our summer migrant wildlife species have returned, the evenings are long enough for post-work walks, and the countryside is bursting with new growth and blossom. It is also the month that my activity …
A Response from the Council: The Plastic Issue
Last month I published on this blog a letter to my district council requesting information on their policies around recycling plastic flower pots, in light of the introduction of new widely-recyclable pots into nurseries and garden centres. As a keen gardener and allotment holder, I am naturally concerned with the impact of my activities on …
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The Autumn Garden
Welcome to autumn, the season of fruitfulness! How was your summer? I hope it was filled with wild adventures and wonderful experiences. Now the countryside is filled with signs of seasonal change as trees take on golden hues and flowers begin to fade. Our gardens are following this trend too, and it is easy to …
One From the Archives: Garden of Delight
[One from the archives: This blog was originally posted Saturday 16th August 2014 on sophiecosussex.blogspot.com/ inspired by visit to Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, London] Garden of Delight Above, the roar of yet another passenger plane across the cloud-broken sky, but even as it passes directly overhead, it doesn't quite manage to drown out the hesitant high …
One From the Archives: July is a Month Made for Gardens
Originally published: Historic Gardens Weekend, Weald and Downland Open Air Museum (Singleton, West Sussex, South Downs National Park - www.wealddown.co.uk) Sunday 5th July 2015. July is a month made for gardens. For visiting open gardens with a notebook and borrowing their ideas, or peering over fences into neighbours gardens to compare competitive favourites, or allowing yourself a …
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A Nature ‘How To’: Heatwave Help
‘Flaming June’ is certainly living up to its nickname this year. In Sussex it seems as though the sun came out for the May bank holiday weekend, and never left. Much of the UK is basking under temperatures high into the 20s, a stark contrast to the cold and wet weather that dominated earlier in …
A Nature ‘How To’: Plant For Pollinators
How to: plant for pollinators April marks the start of gardening season for many people. Gardening is possibly one of the UK’s most popular hobbies or past times, enjoyed by all ages and backgrounds, right across the country. Whether you live in a rural idyll or in the heart of a bustling city, have acres …
Polytunnel Party!
Well what a day that was! Bright but frozen, full of bird song, it started beautifully. I wandered round the corner to my parents' house a little before 9.30am, dawdling in the glory of the spring sunshine. A pair of Pied Wagtails were pottering around at the mini roundabout down the end of the street, …
