Explore the Garden Gallery

Lily of the Valley

With its small nodding bell-shaped flowers, and a sweet perfume, Lilly of the Valley is a beautiful ground cover, but be aware that all parts are highly poisonous.

Finding Beauty Outside

Please enjoy these water droplet pictures from my walks and trips into the garden.

I found this beauty on my car – he did turn to look at me as I took his picture which could be a little alarming for some of us – but leaving aside the initial fear of that stare, they are without a doubt quite exquisite.

Foxglove

The foxglove produces stunning towers blooms with beautiful cascading flower bells that come in an array of colours. The brightly-coloured flowers that are tubular hold lots of nectar, which is particularly attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Be careful where you plant them though, as all parts of this plant are highly poisonous.

Calla Lily

The stunning architecture of the Calla Lilly pictured here coupled with the towering blooms of purple delphiniums, creates a an incredibly graceful and exotic display.

Mimulus

Mimulus is also known by its common name, Monkey Flower. Its bright orchid-like flowers will attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. They prefer moist soil, so this is a perfect plant for areas in your garden that are damp or wet such as bog gardens or around ponds with afternoon shade in hotter climates

Mock Orange

The mock orange as its name suggests is not a true orange, but it does have beautiful citrus scented blossoms. Some varieties are more fragrant than others so check with your local garden centre as to the best varieties for your garden and be sure to plant it where you can enjoy its fragrance.

Next Entries »

Growing Cucumbers

Planting: outside after last frostDays to harvest: 55 - 60Light: full sunBy: Meriel Bradley The fresh flavour of your own homegrown cucumber is hard to beat. I like to start the seeds inside about 3 weeks before planting outside to get a head start on the growing...

Crocus

Zone 3 - 8Height: 3 - 6 inchesLight: full sun to part shadeBy: Meriel Bradley Crocus flowers are some of the first to appear in spring and are a great early flower for the bees as they come out of hibernation. They grow from corms and should be planted in the fall...

Crocosmia

Zone 6 - 10Height: 2 - 6 feetLight: full sunBy: Meriel Bradley Crocosmia is a beautiful vibrant flower growing on long stems that reach out from a clump of vibrant sword-like leaves. It's suggested that the corms from which they grow are hardy to zone 6, but I am in...

Coral Bells – Heuchera

Zone: 4 - 9Height: 12 - 18 inchesLight: shadeBy: Meriel Bradley Corel Bells or Heucheras add stunning leaf colour to the garden from greens to gold, lime, burgundy, and more. The leaves not only add colour but shape and texture too and are often large and heart-shaped...

Clematis

Zone variousHeight: 2 - 20 feetLight: full sunBy: Meriel Bradley There are many different clematis varieties to choose from. The range in height, flower colour, and blooming times, but all will add charm and beauty to your garden. Most will share the same needs in...

Penstemon – Beardtongue

Zone 4 - 8Height: 1 - 8 feetLight: full sunBy: Meriel Bradley Penstemon - Beardtongue is a long blooming herbaceous perennial. The diversity of this beautiful plant is remarkable from dwarf plants that add a wonderful splash of colour in a rock garden to tall prairie...

Hi, I’m Meriel

Welcome to my creative space. I’m very happy to have you here!

This space is for all the foodies out there - all of you who love to browse cookbooks and recipe sites for inspiration, try new foods and learn new things about food and cooking.

And equally, this space is for all the garden lovers – all the folks who love to get their hands dirty in the garden and watch their plants grow and thrive.

Enjoy browsing!

Meriel x

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