Healing Gardens

I took this photo of a weed flower that has bloomed in the sunken border. It has very delicate yellow petals, and a fly looking for its nectar within the flower petals.
Tonight the second programme of Spring watch is back on. A week has flown by already!
I enjoyed the wildlife films that interspersed Chris Packham and Kate Humble talking. I missed Simon King and felt there was a big gap missing. They are having guest presenters every week but he is a hugely charismatic guy to replace!
I'm off for a few days so expect a few posts and photos. I wander how often people need to blog throughout the year?
I originally started with the idea of 365 posts, one for each day of the year. This has been impossible with me working full time at the hospital. When you return exhausted from work you want to eat and sleep, ready for the next day.
I have also been poorly with a cough and very sore throat. What do people think are good plant/flower remedies for the cough and cold?
I have been sucking cough lozenges flavoured with Cherry or Raspberry. The original gardens were monastic Herb gardens for treating and healing. Plants have always been grown for their looks but also their healing properties
I hope i can recover from me being ill, and revamp the garden ready for winter and spring.

Plants and Pounds Reviews

Its Sunday afternoon, and just time for a quick post. I'm working nights again tonight. I thought I would show the pond with its wildflowers spilling out all over the grass.
The pond plants have multiplied like crazy and need thinning down. The one from Hampsons was the most vigorous and has covered almost the whole pond surface.
I have not seen the Frogs for a while so I don't know if they have moved away for the winter.
The compost bin next to the pond is half full now and has lovely compost forming in the bottom half. All the kitchens vegetable/potato scraps go into the bin and is mixing with the weeds/plants/grass mix.
I hope to cover all the borders in the winter with the compost mulch mix ready for the worms to start breaking it down and adding it to the soil.
Once I'm off again I will try to get to the allotment ready to start my end of season clearance. The gardens front and back grass needs one final cut to prepare them for winter.
As one season draws to a close there are always jobs to do for the next season. A gardeners work is never fully done, and that is good.

Pink Poinsettia

The snow has returned back to Britain. We have had a small dusting of the white stuff. The pond and birdbath have both gone back to being frozen solid.
This Pink Poinsettia was an Xmas present from my Mum. It is pink leaved instead of the usual Red coloured bracts.
This Mexican weed has become big business in the UK, being sold in millions around Xmas.
It is sat by the TV in its velvety bag. The big freeze is set to continue for the next few days. Will it be snowy on Xmas day I wander?
The snow has caused chaos in other parts of the country. The houseplants are the only plants I'm looking at.
I do like the colours of this new Houseplant..

Xmas Day 2010

The Artic conditions has meaned the garden has been frozen solid under a layer of ice. The only thing flowering is this tough Viola Labrodorica.
I love the small flowers with the patterned throat..
I hope you all are having a wanderful Xmas day wherever you are.
I hope to be blogging much more regularly after Xmas and New Year..
Happy Christmas Everyone!