Outofmyshed

LATEST ARTICLES ( 199 )

• Salad Leaves (and Flowers) in January

  

  Although I’ve started to buy in lettuces from my local greengrocer, this mild weather has meant that I still have a fair few herbs and autumn leaves in the... Read more

  Posted on 13 January 2014 GARDENING, HOME, ORGANIC

• Winter Blooms

  

  I just popped out to place a new bird feeder (more about this later) in the back garden when I noticed that this gorgeous Iris unguicularis ‘Mary Barnard’ has... Read more

  Posted on 09 January 2014 GARDENING, HOME

• Happy New Year!

  

  It’s been a very relaxing holiday, and although I’ve taken advantage of a couple of gloriously sunny days (amidst all the rain) to tackle some overdue... Read more

  Posted on 31 December 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Prieuré D’Orsan

  

  Somehow after our summer holiday I just didn’t get to writing about Prieuré D’Orsan, but you may well have caught a glimpse of this gorgeous boutique... Read more

  Posted on 14 December 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Planning a Quince Tree

  

  I’ve just had a large ornamental cherry tree removed from my smallish back garden. I’ve been humming and hawing over this drastic surgery for a few years now,... Read more

  Posted on 07 December 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Wrapping up Veg for Winter

  

  I’ve failed again! I’m really starting to get to grips with successional sowing over summer and have enjoyed months and months of lettuces (and other herbs and... Read more

  Posted on 01 December 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Delicious Scent for November-Eriobotrya Japonica

  

  Winter fragrance has to be the icing on the cake for this gorgeous shrub. I wrote a post some while back about all year round scent and I was scratching my... Read more

  Posted on 16 November 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Salvia Involucrata ‘Bethellii’

  

  I always feel a bit gloomy as summer stumbles into autumn. I got a whiff of a lone sweet pea the other day and it really confused my senses. Read more

  Posted on 31 October 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Wiveton Hall Kitchen Garden

  

  I’m a creature of habit, and once I find a fantastic garden, I can’t help returning to the scene, again and again. The stylishly unkempt walled kitchen garden a... Read more

  Posted on 18 October 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Jardin Plume Revisited

  

  The last time I visited Jardin Plume was 2 years ago and although most of the structure remains the same, the planting, especially in the flower and autumn... Read more

  Posted on 10 October 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Great Dixter Plant Fair This Weekend

  

  Looks like the weather is going to be perfect for Great Dixter’s fourth plant fair this weekend, 5th and 6th October from 11-4pm. Read more

  Posted on 04 October 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Château De La Bourdaisière- Tomato Heaven

  

  I love visiting gardens, but it’s not often that a garden completely exceeds all your expectations. However, the field of tomatoes at Château de la... Read more

  Posted on 30 September 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Japanese Wineberries.

  

  What with the lower temperatures and rainy days, I definitely get the feeling that summer is well and truly over. And whilst I’m still happily picking my... Read more

  Posted on 18 September 2013 FOOD & DRINK, GARDENING, HOME

• ‘No Digging’ with Charles Dowding (part 2)

  

  Back in spring last year I went to visit Charles Dowding on his well-established ‘No Dig’ farm in Somerset. I’d read his books on ‘No Dig’ gardening, packed ful... Read more

  Posted on 13 September 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Polka Raspberries

  

  My Polka (autumn) raspberries are coming thick and fast at the moment. This is their second year and they really seem to have come into their own. Read more

  Posted on 24 August 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Tree Spinach (Chenopodium Giganteum)

  

  I’m not sure why Chenopodium giganteum isn’t more widely grown. It’s beautifully decorative, sitting well in any mixed border or veg patch (N.B. Read more

  Posted on 07 August 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Allotments, Stockholm Style

  

  On a recent trip to Stockholm, as well as getting to merrily sing along at the newly created Abba Museum (great fun by the way), my fantastic host, Viveka,... Read more

  Posted on 02 August 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Someone Left the Cake out in the Rain…

  

  Ok, it’s not quite MacArthur Park, but this pack of lettuce seeds did get an unexpected soak. Great germination rate by the looks of it and a lovely sculptural... Read more

  Posted on 01 August 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• More Lettuces!

  

  While some of my summer lettuces are still going strong (Freckles and Maravilla de Verano de Canasta), others (Solix and Chatsworth) have started to bolt and... Read more

  Posted on 28 July 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Maravilla De Verano Canasta

  

  This is the first year I’ve grown Maravilla de Verano Canasta and it’s a real winner. Sweet tasting, tinged with red (more pronounced in cooler weather) and... Read more

  Posted on 23 July 2013 FOOD & DRINK