There’s a family of foxes in our neighbourhood. I suspect they live next-door, where the garden is more of a junk-yard (or as he’s an artist, he’d probably say ‘store of useful objects’). Foxes have been regular visitors to our garden but their activity has really stepped up this year, possibly because there are cubs.Continue reading “Out-fox the fox”
Tag Archives: Gardening
Garden Update (May 2017)
It’s been a long time since I posted about the garden. This is the last photo of the back garden I showed you, back in January 2015: This is the same view today (sorry about the blurry photo): Some of this is simply the difference between January and May, but most of the difference isContinue reading “Garden Update (May 2017)”
Front Gardening
This is only the second front garden I’ve had. In the last house, the back was so large I just kept the front as lawn. Here, though, the back is small and quite shaded; also I want to leave enough space out there so that the tent can be put up to dry if weContinue reading “Front Gardening”
Blank sheet garden
This is our new back garden: It’s a bit of a dump, isn’t it? The builders have trodden a lot of the grass into the soil, which seems to be a heavy clay, heavily compacted, very muddy. If you’ve seen my previous gardening posts, (e.g. Garden, from 2012) you’ll see that this new garden isContinue reading “Blank sheet garden”
Farewell garden, and I thank you
The long-running saga of our house move is drawing towards a conclusion. It looks likely that we’ll be moving just before Christmas (not very good timing for a minister, but there you go). I have completed my checklist of gardening tasks, and can now report that the garden is ready for the move. I have:Continue reading “Farewell garden, and I thank you”
Autumn weeds
Hogweeds (cow parsley?) tend to take over the wildlife reserve that is the end of the garden. In the spring, I cut them down twice, but they were very determined and kept growing back, so I let them be. In the summer, the flowers were visited by lots of different insects. While enjoying my earlyContinue reading “Autumn weeds”
Spring
Spring is springing in the Mabbsonsea garden. Click on the link to see some photos … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUb1SLHMF50
Pruning
I spent a happy day in the garden, pruning shrubs and doing a bit of general tidying. Here’s one of my big fuchsias before: And after: They love a good prune! I wasn’t as severe as usual. I normally wait for the leaves to drop, but this winter’s been so mild that mostContinue reading “Pruning”
Winter flowers
Here in southern England, we’re not really having winter, just a rainy season. In the relatively mild temperatures, several plants in the garden are waking up early. This elder is coming into leaf (in mid-January!): Are plants like children? If they don’t get enough sleep, will they be crabby and crotchety all the rest ofContinue reading “Winter flowers”
Keyhole Garden
I have just come to the end of over seven years ministry with three churches in Hove and Portslade. Amongst the generous leaving gifts were some virtual gifts through Oxfam and Send A Cow: 2 rabbits, a goat, water harvesting, mixed fruit trees, a ‘Magic Muck Kit’, mosquito nets, safe water and 2 keyhole gardens.Continue reading “Keyhole Garden”
Alex Mabbs 