psilostemon – The Mindful Gardener

Without darkness there can be no light

A post about how the dark times we go through help us to appreciate the moments of lightness…

Sparkle

As the world turns, the light is changing. I am an early riser, and if I get up at 5am, I wake up to a gentle dappled light which dances against the curtains and invites me outside. But by 6am, the bread machine beeps, and Ruby knows it is time for breakfast. She nuzzles me…

Bridget in her Bravery

I need to share one of my absolute favourite plants, Lychnis coronaria. Its common names include ‘Dusty Miller’, ‘Rose Campion’ and, the one I only learnt recently, ‘Bridget in her Bravery’. This suits this plucky little character, who enlivens the June and July garden with magenta sprays of flowers. I discovered this plant through my mum. …

A Gallery of Geraniums

I have a bit of a thing for hardy geraniums. Since buying a Macro lens, I have been able to photograph them closer up, and rather than exposing any flaws, it has revealed more wonder. Take my most favourite of all, ‘Anne Thomson’. In case anyone wants a quick biology refresher: The female reproductive organs…

The Corner of Complete Neglect

We all have one, don’t we? This is mine. It is at the corner of the rose garden, next to the wall of the house. It is tricky because it is bone-dry and has poor, stony soil that bakes hard to concrete in the summer. We inherited this rather lovely shrub rose, ‘Marjorie Fair’. The…