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    • Home
    • About Alan
    • About Felicity
      • Biography
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    Archives

    Monthly Archive for: "November, 2019"
    Home » Archives for November 2019
     The Importance of Soil pH to Gardeners
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    By Alan Down
    In Gardening, Gardening tips, Grow your own
    Posted November 28, 2019

    The Importance of Soil pH to Gardeners

    Soil pH may not sound the most exciting thing to a gardener but it’s essential to get it right for many plants to flourish. You’ve probably heard of so called ‘lime hating plants’ and maybe even [...]

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     Why not create a seasonal doorstep container?
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    By Alan Down
    In Container gardening, Seasonal Gardening, Urban Gardening
    Posted November 28, 2019

    Why not create a seasonal doorstep container?

    A seasonal doorstep container can create that wow factor. And you’d be surprised just how easy it is to do! They say that first impressions are everything! And at this time of year when we [...]

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     Planting a Native Hedge
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    By Alan Down
    In Gardening for Wildlife, Seasonal Gardening, Trees and Shrubs, Wildlife
    Posted November 24, 2019

    Planting a Native Hedge

    If you’re thinking about planting a hedge this winter I hope you’re considering planting a native hedge. Why? Well primarily because of wildlife but also because many of our native hedge plants [...]

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     Explore the benefits of flood lighting a garden
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    By Alan Down
    In Gardening tips, Seasonal Gardening, Trees and Shrubs
    Posted November 12, 2019

    Explore the benefits of flood lighting a garden

    Flood lighting a garden is perhaps not top of your ‘to do’ list. However with shorter days and longer nights it can really enhance a garden. Read on and I think that you might see the [...]

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     Build a Garden Bug Hotel
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    By Alan Down
    In Gardening for Wildlife, Wildlife
    Posted November 4, 2019

    Build a Garden Bug Hotel

    How to build a Garden Bug Hotel In this blog I’ll explain just how easy it is to build a garden bug hotel. Do you remember when you last had to scrape squashed insects off the front of your [...]

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    About Alan

    Flora and fauna have always fascinated me but it was a lifelong career in horticulture that filled most days.

    Having grown up on a farm where boyhood days were filled with discoveries of the natural world I soon found that my passion for plants – wildflowers at that time – would direct my career…

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    Alan E Down @AlanEDown
    13 hours ago
    Could this be a newly emerged tortoiseshell #butterfly in #mynewgarden today @Butterfly_bros ?
    I think you’ll agree it’s beauty! https://t.co/kNXZGgfo98
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    Alan E Down @AlanEDown
    2 days ago
    Hungry gap? What hungry gap?
    Fresh #salad leaves from our @KederGreenhouse today.
    Just add wild sorrel for that extra special ingredient! https://t.co/mfrM3llhMY
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    Alan E Down @AlanEDown
    3 days ago
    Just look at this little beauty!
    Dwarf #daffodil Elka. A true miniature. Do you like it? https://t.co/pcUP2aSVN7
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    Spotted my first tortoiseshell butterfly yesterday Spotted my first tortoiseshell butterfly yesterday!
Could it be a newly emerged one? It was in very fine condition.
It was checking out the nettles that I’ve left for wildlife to enjoy and I think they are a favourite for this species’ caterpillars.
    Spot the butterfly! Brimstone butterflies for me Spot the butterfly!

Brimstone butterflies for me always signal the start of spring and this week I’ve seen two on the wing. They are strong fliers and rarely stay still for long. This is one I snapped two years ago on wild primrose where it’s colour provides excellent camouflage.

One that I spotted was on a sunny bank @thenewtinsomerset and not phased by all the large tree planting that continues there apace!

Have you seen any yet?

#gmgspring #springisonitsway #springisontheway #spring #signsofspring #march2021 #march #springflowers #springflowersmakemehappy #yellow #mellowyellow #butterfly #butterfliesofinstagram #butterflies #celebratethelittlethings #celebratetheseason #primrose #primula #wildflowergarden #wildflowerhour #wildflowers #somerset #somersetlife #thenewtinsomerset #horticulturelife #horticultura #brimstone #butterflies #lepidoptera
    Looking forward to Pink Dragonfly Bergenia blooms Looking forward to Pink Dragonfly Bergenia blooms again soon! This is an exceptional variety of pigsqueak or elephant’s ears and much more compact than most.
Bergenia are related to Saxifrage and come from Asia.

#gardening 
#horticulture
#garden #gardendesign 
#horticulturelife #horticultura 
#bergenia #pinkpinkpink #pink #colormehappy #color #colourpop #colour #march #marchmadness #celebratethelittlethings #celebratetheseason #pigsqueak #elephantsears #springblooms
 #mynewgarden #celebratetheseason #celebratethelittlethings #naturesway #inspiredbyflowers #alittlebeautyeveryday #slowsimpleseasonal
    Precision training @thenewtinsomerset . Fan traine Precision training @thenewtinsomerset . Fan trained plums and fig trained on south facing parobala wall. I love those (oak?) battens. Shoots held in place by recycled strips of fabric.

#gardening
#horticulture
#horticulturelife #horticultura 
#plum #fig
    Moth orchids offer such great value and are dead e Moth orchids offer such great value and are dead easy to look after. Little wonder that they are the most popular indoor plant. 
In my revisited blog I visit a large British grower but also describe new developments.
Link in bio

#mothorchid #phalaenopsis #phalaenopsisorchid #phalaenopsisorchids #doubleh #houseplantsofinstagram #houseplantclub #indoorplants #indoorjungle #indoor #indoorgardener #indoorgarden #miniorchid #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantsplantsplants #plantparenthood #plantbased #plantsofinatagram #plantworld #plantwisdom
    Wonderful display and scent from this pot of #Narc Wonderful display and scent from this pot of #Narcissus Paperwhite from @HollandBulbs . Even the (unplanned?) mixture with Avalanche works! Perhaps that was their plan? Pic 2 Avalanche Pic 3 Paperwhite - might repeat this mix!
    Anemone blanda giving us a blast of blue! These ar Anemone blanda giving us a blast of blue! These are new corms planted in pots in autumn that will be planted very soon around shrubs where they will hopefully thrive and spread. We’ve white ones too but they are less well advanced. Should we mix them up or plant them separately?

#anemone #anemones #blue #windflower #springiscoming #springisintheair #gdnmediaguild #gmgspring #february #instablooms #slowsimpleseasonal #myquietbeauty #verilymoment #underthefloralspell #alittlebeautyeveryday #botanicalpickmeup #dsfloral #thebotanicalseries #noticewonderconnect #inspiremyinstagram #anemoneblanda #verilymoment #theslowdowncollective #thatvelvetfeeling #thebeautyofnature #thebeautyinwinter #blues
    Here’s a real early one! Thanks to @rogercrookes Here’s a real early one! Thanks to @rogercrookes , @taylorsbulbs1919 and Helen Brown of Little Ash Garden for the positive identification!
Need to get bulbs of this one from @taylorsbulbs1919 this autumn.

#springisonitsway #springisnear #springisnearlyhere #daffodils #daffodil #daffodilseason #yellowflowers #yellow #celebration #celebratethelittlethings #celebratetheseason #mybotanicalbungalow #february #february2021 #narcissus #gardeningismytherapy #garden #gardenerslife #springblooms #springbloom
    Iris reticulata Carolina #springiscoming #springi Iris reticulata Carolina

#springiscoming #springisintheair #blue #iris #irisreticulata #spring #celebratethelittlethings #celebratetheseason #botanical #flower #flowerbulbs #springbulbs #fresh #colourmyworld #aseasonalshift #myquietbeauty #allthingsbotanical #botanicalpickmeup #allwhatsbeautiful #verilymoment #dsfloral #inspiration #instagram #inspiremyinstagram #inspiredbyflowers
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