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Creative Pot Painting Ideas to Brighten a Shady Garden

A garden with a pillars, a tall birdhouse and various pots

My sweetheart, who rarely does things by half, bought a job lot of creamy-white clay pots at wholesale prices decades ago. Most survive. Some are huge, others, squat; all are big enough to hold several plants. Over the years, they have been not exactly hidden, but tucked as out of the way as such a collection can be in a smallish garden. You can spot one in the top picture beside Granny’s chicken and another in the background. Continue reading “Creative Pot Painting Ideas to Brighten a Shady Garden”

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Becky and Don Potts’ Garden, Fondren, Mississippi

Dragonfly above the words 'Welcome! Be Nice or Leave' in a leafy garden
Be nice or leave

Whenever we’re on our way to see Becky and Don Potts, I tell myself firmly, ‘No more pictures!’

It never works.

Their garden is such a fun place to visit. Fewer minutes later than is really courteous after arriving, I’ll find myself drifting off to twist my iPhone over an unusual plant, trying to get a decent angle. A miniature will have cried out for attention, something with variegations, or a new coleus as Becky is fascinated by all of these.

My eye for an interesting plant lures me along paths, under trees, over mossy ground, round corners and beyond fences, through areas of full sun and almost as full shade, one plant leading to the next.

Then I’m tugged back round to see what I’ve missed.

Continue reading “Becky and Don Potts’ Garden, Fondren, Mississippi”

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Walking a Wintry Darwen Moor Through Hoar Frosted Birch Trees

Winter grasses on Darwen moor

On leaving the house, I usually glance up at Darwen moor to get an idea of what weather is heading our way. Last week, to my surprise, the trees below Darwen Tower were standing out white with hoar frost against the darker moorland. Intrigued, we changed our plans and made our way up the hill so we could witness the effect up close. Continue reading “Walking a Wintry Darwen Moor Through Hoar Frosted Birch Trees”

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January Squares With A Geometric Theme

White rose garden outside a traditional building at Bodnant in Wales
Roses and lilies at Bodnant Garden

Having woken up from a night of weird, news-related dreams, I thought I’d look for something more cheery to post, working within Becky’s guidelines (must be square pictures featuring triangles, squares, arches or other geometric forms). So here’s my mix of contrasting patterns and architectural features that have clean, traditional or funky styles – and, of course, with a smattering of flowers along the way. Continue reading “January Squares With A Geometric Theme”