Monthly Archives: December 2015

The primroses are out!

Posted on December 31, 2015 by

Last week in Bruges, I noted that primroses were in bloom. Perhaps it is therefore fitting that the flowers I saw in the back garden today were the same colour as the ones in Belgium.   I also noticed some … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Moving the rat house

Posted on December 31, 2015 by

Yesterday morning, I discovered another hole in the garden. It was to my mind clear therefore that a rat had set up home in the compost bin. So, as it hadn’t started rain again at that point, out came the … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

2015 in retrospect 

Posted on December 29, 2015 by

Just before New Year last December, I told a friend that 2015 was going to be a good year. Yet I didn’t really believe it – in my heart I had a foreboding that things might actually be quite bad. … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Health, Permaculture, Social | Tagged , , , | 25 Comments

The mystery hole

Posted on December 26, 2015 by

Whilst looking out on my garden this morning, marvelling at how full and green (as well as sodden) it looks,   I noticed something unusual near the patio. I’m not sure it was there yesterday, although perhaps I just missed … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Wildlife | Tagged , | 42 Comments

Over the sea and back again

Posted on December 23, 2015 by

On Monday, we went on a trip across the North Sea to the town of Brugge (Bruges) in Belgium. One of my colleagues had found a two-for-one deal with P&O ferries so this was the opportunity for my daughter to … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Good for the environment, Permaculture, Social | Tagged , , , , | 35 Comments

Hidden membrane

Posted on December 20, 2015 by

Yesterday, I shared with you my joy (though the joy might have passed you by as I was musing on other matters!) at getting rid of the final patch of weed-infested lawn from my back garden. Today, I thought in … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Ubiquity vs. iniquity of plastic

Posted on December 19, 2015 by

Back in the summer of 2012, when I started writing this blog, I wrote a post about the dilemmas surrouding plastic. Today, having delved further into the world of living plastic-free over the last three and a half years, I thought it … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Good for the environment, Permaculture | Tagged , | 23 Comments

Spring on the way?

Posted on December 18, 2015 by

Yesterday, I was exultant about the piano we acquired last night (at long last!). I really wanted to write a post about it and how it had galvanised me into decluttering after the pledge I had made to myself at … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Social | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The questions keep coming

Posted on December 14, 2015 by

After the continual rain this last weekend, I decided that getting the crocosmia that have regrown near my favourite rose bush out was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.    Unfortunately, there are a few which are growing very close to … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , | 26 Comments

December growth

Posted on December 12, 2015 by

I’d seen blossom on trees and heard of blossom on other trees but this afternoon I noticed that my own apple tree has grown new leaves. In December.    Now, I don’t know a lot about trees – of any … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged , | 8 Comments