borders

A long winter’s journey - My favourite early spring plants

I don’t know about you but we’re still having a long winter’s journey into spring here and it’s lashing rain. We had snow a few weeks ago. To cheer myself up, here are some of my favourite spring flowers. I’m tempted to try the crocus carpet under the trees next year. What do you look forward to seeing in spring?

January joys in the garden

It takes a bit of searching to find colour in my garden this month but I always appreciate it when I do. I had to get up close with the camera to find little yellow crocus among dead leaves, drifts of snowdrops, tiny pink and white flowers of sweet-scented Viburnum 'Fragrans' and spiky leaves of Mahonia japonica with cheerful yellow flowers. And, of course, a friendly robin.

Spring is here and it's competition time

Competition to win a paperback of ‘The Neglected Garden’

Spring is here today and I ran out with my mobile and took this photo of wild cherry blossom flowering in our garden against a clear blue sky. To celebrate its arrival, I’m holding a competition for a paperback edition of my novel The Neglected Garden. To enter all you have to do is go to the competition page and pick the answer to the question. If you’ve already read the book, you’ll know the correct answer and, if you haven’t, just take a guess. You’ve got a 50% chance of being right.

The path leading to 'The Neglected Garden'

It has been a long path often strewn with obstacles but we’re nearly there now. The walk to the red door with the peeling paint is almost over. ‘The Neglected Garden’ will be published next week and I would like to thank all who have accompanied me on this adventure, especially my friends who encouraged me, the editors who pruned my overgrown words into shape and all the kind people who have joined my Facebook and Instagram pages. I’m really grateful to you all.