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White Goose Flower Farm had their yearly seed swap this weekend and it was great! You can swap or purchase seeds from their sweet little shed. Because they've had such success in growing flowers for drying, they too were on sale. The cutting flowers are still available, which makes walking around with a pair of snips and a bucket even more fun! The dahlias are spectacular now, so that's why there are so many photos of them, but there were also cosmos, sunflowers and many many

Mike Glover who has delivered many wonderful talks on trees for the North Luffenham Garden Club is raising money for Parkinson's by selling plants.He has lots of hardy cyclamen in their fourth season, which he has grown from seed and are coming into flower now. Cyclamen take three years to mature to flower so this project has been a labour of love.They are available for £2.00 a pot and there are currently 150 available.If you would like to purchase and support Mike and his ch

A year ago, our front garden in Oakham was still a building site, having been used for skips and building materials during our bungalow renovation. Before that, it had simply been a gravelled area with no planting. We decided to build four raised beds from used scaffold boards, each measuring 8ft x 4ft. The site slopes gently towards the bungalow so the scaffold boards needed to be dug in to the ground on one side to level them off. We lined the inside with plastic to protec

The Rutland Flower Show 2026 was another celebration of all things floral, horticultural and downright beautiful. With an impressive array of flowers, plants, gardens and exhibitors, there was plenty to admire and, inevitably, plenty to tempt the bank balance! It was lovely to see so many familiar faces and to catch up with friends, gardeners and fellow plant enthusiasts. The show always has such a fantastic atmosphere, with everyone sharing the same enthusiasm for growing, c

Will, myself, and our cocker spaniel Florence, moved into Crabapple Barn on Back Lane in South Luffenham two years ago after a significant 18 month renovation project modernising, re-wiring and re-plumbing every room of the house. The location in the conservation area of South Luffenham, adjacent to a glade of mature trees and overlooking the rolling Rutland countryside and horse paddocks were instantly appealing when we viewed the property. I could easily visualise a lovely

... in North Luffenham! Was on the lookout for the little devils this morning, and yup, they're here. A lovely little silver white moth, seen flying out of the many box hedging and topiary we have here, from the small domes to huge bushes, some 16 foot high! The RHS says... The box tree caterpillar (Cydalima perspectalis) is the larval stage of the box tree moth, an invasive species from East Asia that has become one of the most destructive pests of box (Buxus) plants in the

...we have to visit a garden. And what a garden! Holkham Walled Garden. What the website says... The six-acre walled garden at Holkham Hall is one of the finest surviving historic kitchen gardens in England. Built in the late 18th century during the estate's reorganisation by Thomas William Coke, it was designed to supply the Hall with fruit, vegetables, flowers and exotic produce while demonstrating the latest horticultural techniques. Today, the restored garden combines his

We went to Wing for their open gardens. Fifteen gardens opened their gates to the public for the bargain price of £6.50, plus there were teas and scrumptious cakes in the village hall. Wing is one of Rutland's most picturesque villages, set on a ridge south of Rutland Water. With a population of around 300, it is known for its attractive ironstone cottages, historic church, ancient turf maze, and strong village community. The village opened up their gardens, and wow, what a m

On Saturday we visited the gardens at Nevill Holt which were open under the National Garden Scheme, but to also coincide with the Nevill Holt Festival. For this garden excursion Bev wore a skirt from John Lewis and an M&S t-shirt (pre-loved from Vinted)! The festival was originally just opera but three years ago it was expanded to include theatre, comedy, literature, jazz, visual arts, talks and family events. We didn't attend any of the events this year, but pre-paid £10 to

New garden, new outfit from Bev... NGS garden open today, Sunday 14th June, in Empingham. A stunning garden redesigned two years ago, and looking its best. Immaculate lawns and borders. Lovely palette of whites, blues and purples in the borders near the house, with that same colour scheme running through into the walled garden, where vegetables and flowers grow alongside each other in perfect harmony. All without a weed in sight! Great cakes with the usual tea and coffee, all

Visiting White Goose Flowers felt like discovering a hidden corner of the countryside where flowers, wildlife and careful restoration all work together. Set within a beautifully revived Victorian walled garden, the farm combines seasonal flower growing with a strong commitment to regenerative, nature-first gardening. The gardens are full of colour and movement, with pollinators everywhere and thoughtfully planted borders that feel both productive and relaxed. One of the highl

Sunday 17th May visit to the Old Vicarage garden in Whissendine: We explored a gorgeous, thoughtfully designed garden with a charming wild area around the greenhouse, which brimmed with beautiful plants, notably pelargoniums. A leisurely walk along the garden’s edge offered views of their special-breed chickens and enticing glimpses of the house through layered planting. Near the house, a superb seating area featured knot-design boxwood hedging set on an angle overlooking the

There are many box hedges at the Hall, ranging from small step-over parterres to large fifteen-foot hedges, all at the mercy of the dreaded caterpillar. This year has been particularly difficult; the winter was wet rather than cold, so more adult moths survived. With new shoots emerging quickly, the caterpillars were able to hide underneath. I spotted them early, trimmed the hedges back, and sprayed again with Bug Clear Ultra 2. Hopefully it will work.

To get the most out of the re-wilding area, we needed some beasts... cows to be precise. Luckily I know a local breeder, who says she could loan us a few Belted Galloways... so how hard could it be? Tyring to get six cows into a trailor is harder than you think, cows are sooo heavy, you cant just push them around! Just the opposite... So after a long morning, finally we released six beautiful Galloways into half of the area, including Tin Tin, born on 1st August. I've visited

The Ginkgo biloba, often called the maidenhair tree, is one of the oldest living tree species, unchanged for millions of years. Its distinctive fan-shaped leaves turn brilliant yellow in autumn. Tough, long-lived and pollution-tolerant, it thrives in urban and garden settings. Revered in many cultures, it symbolises resilience, longevity and renewal. And what a stunning tree for the garden...