wildflower meadows

I can't remember when my obsession for wildflower meadows began but I know I've always dreamed of having one. I dream of lying down, hidden, embraced by long beautiful flowers and grasses. I dream of silence, of hearing nothing but the rustle of the meadow in the wind as the sun shines upon my face. That is my happy place. One day when my garden is my own (at the moment my house is rented) and when I have a huge plot of land (a girl can dream) I will have my very own meadow, at the moment though I shall have to make do with creating a 'mini meadow' within my borders. 

I am very excited as I have just purchased some seeds from Pictorial Meadows, a company based in Sheffield and who recently created the beautiful flower meadow displays at the Olympic Park. They have so many amazing mixes it was hard to choose but I’ve gone for the ‘Pastel’ Annual Mix which includes some of my absolute favourite flowers such as; Bishops Flower Ammi Majus, Cosmos Cosmos Bipinnatus, Cornflower Centaurea Cyanus and Shirley Poppy Papaver Rhoeas. 

It’s strange, I always hated pale pastel colours before I started gardening, and now pastel coloured flowers have become my weakness! I would have shuddered before at pale pink and now I have embraced it, yet another way in which gardening has changed me I guess. 

I can’t wait to plant my meadow mix, looking at the pictures below it shall keep me, my garden and of course all those lovely insects happy this Summer!

Pictorial Meadow Seeds - 'Pastel' Annual Mix

Pictorial Meadows Pastel Annual Mix - As trialled by Sarah Raven 

grange farm cottage in the snow

It's been snowing here at Grange Farm Cottage and I thought I'd share with you some pictures of the garden. The garden was looking extremely bare and drab but snow does that wonderful thing of making everything look beautiful and somewhat magical. I've been taking great pleasure in walking around the garden, hearing that satisfying crunch as I leave my footprints in the freshly fallen snow.

  

winter garden blues

This is my first Winter as a gardener and I feel like I was wholly unprepared for it. The garden is lacking a strong structure and I definitely need to invest in some more evergreens for next year so that the garden will look less bare during this bleak time. My two front borders, which I look out on from every room of my house, are particularly stark and depressing.

The two front borders, looking bare this Winter

A peek in to my neighbour's garden below shows how a few shrubs and a nice pot, which give the garden height, really help the garden to retain its bones and keep it looking good during Winter.

A view into my neighbour's garden

It's not all bad news though, there are a few plants in my garden that are particularly shining this Winter. The lack of competition only helps these beauties stand out all the more.

Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea' in front of Cornus alba 'Sibirica'

 Winter Jasmine Jasminum nudiflorum

The first buds of Mahonia × media 'Winter Sun'