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    Author Archive for: "Alan Down"
    Home » Archives for Alan Down
     Plants to Deter Burglars
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    By Alan Down
    In Gardening tips, Shrubs, Trees and Shrubs
    Posted January 5, 2021

    Plants to Deter Burglars

    Plants to Deter Burglars in the Garden There has been a spate of burglaries recently and the usual powered garden equipment has been the prime target. It makes sense to lock this sort of stuff up [...]

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     Renovating old fruit trees is perfect for a New Year
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    By Alan Down
    In Fruit, Pruning
    Posted January 1, 2021

    Renovating old fruit trees is perfect for a New Year

    Renovating old fruit trees is the perfect job for a cold day with blue sky and bright sunshine! No more so than after too much rich food and drink! Those bright days should entice you out into [...]

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     Let’s hear it for ivy!
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    By Alan Down
    In Climbing and Wall Plants, Ground cover plants, Low maintenance gardening, Plant Focus
    Posted December 22, 2020

    Let’s hear it for ivy!

    Let’s hear it for ivy but first – Some background info Ivy is a much maligned garden plant. Builders hate it and think [wrongly] that it pulls buildings down. It all too often gets a [...]

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     Great Winter Flowering Shrubs
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    By Alan Down
    In Seasonal Gardening, Shrubs, Trees and Shrubs, Winter colour
    Posted December 12, 2020

    Great Winter Flowering Shrubs

        Great winter flowering shrubs can shorten winter! Is that overstating it? Well perhaps but it can certainly make those dark dank days of winter more bearable.   It will be [...]

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     How to Succeed with Cyclamen
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    By Alan Down
    In Corms, rhizomes,etc, Hardy perennials, Indoor Plants, Plant Focus, Winter colour
    Posted November 30, 2020

    How to Succeed with Cyclamen

    To succeed with cyclamen it helps to know what they need! It’s possible to have cyclamen in bloom every month of the year! But I just love the way that they are just so right for this time [...]

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     Seasonal Evergreens for Christmas
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    By Alan Down
    In Container gardening, Evergreens, Seasonal Gardening, Trees and Shrubs, Winter colour
    Posted November 29, 2020

    Seasonal Evergreens for Christmas

    Seasonal evergreens for Christmas include bay laurel, rosemary, holly and ivy. They all have their place at this time of the year but I do wonder if we sometimes forget how valuable they are in [...]

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     Holly Trees to Grow
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    By Alan Down
    In Evergreens, Ornamental trees, Plant Focus, Trees and Shrubs, Winter colour
    Posted November 20, 2020

    Holly Trees to Grow

    Holly Trees to Grow In North Somerset there is the longest holly hedge in England. At least that is what they say. Whether it is or not is open to speculation! It is easily seen along the B 3129 [...]

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     How to Grow Early Strawberries
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    By Alan Down
    In Fruit, Greenhouse Growing, Grow your own, Protected Cropping, Travel
    Posted November 18, 2020

    How to Grow Early Strawberries

    To grow early strawberries is easy and in this blog I’ll tell you how I do it. As with much of life forward planning is everything. If you want home grown tasty and fresh strawberries in [...]

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     Bloomin Amazing mulch review
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    By Alan Down
    In Irrigation and Water Saving, Low maintenance gardening, Peat Free, Product Review, Weed control
    Posted November 9, 2020

    Bloomin Amazing mulch review

    Bloomin Amazing mulch has a memorable name! I’d heard lots of positive reports about it before I decided to go ahead and buy. In fact a very large amount! I negotiated a generous discount [...]

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     Berried Treasures for Winter Colour
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    By Alan Down
    In Gardening for Wildlife, Ornamental trees, Seasonal Gardening, Trees and Shrubs, Wildlife, Winter colour
    Posted November 8, 2020

    Berried Treasures for Winter Colour

    The autumn leaves have had their turn and now it’s time for berried treasures for winter colour! Some berries are revealed as leaves fall to the ground, others sparkle among evergreen foliage and [...]

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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
    2 hours ago
    This looks like a timely initiative. https://t.co/2xoNn9My9D
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    Alan E Down @AlanEDown
    12 hours ago
    This makes so much sense! 👇 https://t.co/jlMBWSMqRD
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    BBC Newsnight @BBCNewsnight
    “The way you reform the NHS is by not reforming the NHS.”

    Former @NHSEngland Chief Exec @LordNigelCrisp says in order to deal with the fallout of the Covid pandemic and save the NHS, we will need to create a healthy society through a series of policy reforms

    #Newsnight https://t.co/7GoADsj4z3
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    Alan E Down @AlanEDown
    13 hours ago
    January 17th and the last of last year’s #tomatoes have finally ripened on the windowsill! Ok, they’re not pretty but they’ll be good for cooking. #KeepBritainGrowing #gyo https://t.co/aDDwO0wlaS
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    alanedown

    @AlanEDown

    alanedown
    The #hoarfrost this morning has turned to solid ic The #hoarfrost this morning has turned to solid ice but will soon be gone. This is on hemlock.
 #onmydogwalk #gdnmediaguild 
#jackfrost #frost #frostymorning #naturalworld #botanical #iceicebaby #thenaturalworld #naturessecrets #celebratetheseason
    Freezing fog all day has transformed what some cal Freezing fog all day has transformed what some call common weeds!
Teasel x 2
Common Reed
Hogweed
Broad leaf dock
Cocksfoot grass
Stinging nettle
Hemlock
Corn parsley
and Great Willow Herb

#thewonderofnature #hoarfrost #wildflowers #winterwonderland #winter #onmydogwalk #somersetlife #somerset #whimsicalwonderfulwild #botanicalpickmeup #distractionsandinspirations #underthefloralspell #thewonderinglight #jackfrost #frostymorning
    What a fascinating read! The Story of Trees and h What a fascinating read! 
The Story of Trees and how they changed the way we live by @florafanatica and @plantstoplant ! 
It’s full of fascinating stories about 100 trees of the world and a wonderful gift from @matthewsfamilyusa .
My only quibble.... why no iconic #baobab?
You can dip in to this one or as I did read it from cover to cover!

#treesofinstagram #tree #fascinatingworld #fascinatingnature #wildwood #treesforlife #natureisbeautiful #theconstantlycurious #allthingsbotanical #allthatsbeautiful #botanical #botanicalpickmeup #arborist #arboretum #dendrology
    Don’t waste your #ChristmasTree - #upcycle it to Don’t waste your #ChristmasTree - #upcycle it to protect plants! Cut branches off, lay on bedding plants and insulate others such as these bananas. 
#gardentip 
#gardenideas 
#inmygardennow #inmygarden #wastenotwantnot #recycle #recycling #banana #tropicalplants #winter
    Less frost here this morning but spotted this #hoa Less frost here this morning but spotted this #hoarfrost on Hylotelephium Herbstfreude (Sedum Autumn Joy) yesterday. The wonders of #nature !
    Old #orchards are valuable #wildlife havens. Here Old #orchards are valuable #wildlife havens. Here are 5 different fungi on old apple trees, dead ivy and elder in my neighbour’s old #orchard. Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor), Gillet Cap (Tubaria app), Jews Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae), Stag’s Horn or Candle Snuff (Xylaria hypoxylon) and another I can’t identify. I’m an amateur at #mycology so happy to be corrected!
    Prompted by @tonyhall_1 of @kewgardens I post Ilex Prompted by @tonyhall_1 of @kewgardens I post Ilex aquifolium Bacciflava - the yellow berry form of common our native #holly. Never a favourite with #birds but eventually eaten.

#berries #gardentreasures #winter #wintergarden #gold
    Good to see these early #blooming #hellebores perf Good to see these early #blooming #hellebores performing reliably and providing some #winter cheer!
The first two pics are of Helleborus #Christmas Carol #inmygardentoday and the second two of H. x ballardiae Cinnamon Snow. Both excellent #christmasroses .

#december #wintercheer  #winter #helleborus #aseasonalyear #aseasonalshift #myquietbeauty #morningslikethese #botanicalpickmeup
    #wreaths and #stars using as much natural material #wreaths and #stars using as much natural material as possible. The first two are on our home and the last inside.
Happy Christmas everyone!
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