The Rose Widow

I've been writing poems and short stories inspired by old postcards.  Here's one about an obsessive gardener.




Visit my Amazon page for more bijou fiction


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hug a New Herb

Image
 I recently had a go at growing chervil, which is not something I previously knew much about, in fact I had barely heard of it before. But apparently it lasts well over winter so I picked up a few seeds and chucked them into a pot in the greenhouse in the autumn. I was not disappointed! Look at this lovely lush offering! The leaves are reminiscent of parsley, and like that herb they also belong to the carrot family and have a strong tap root. The flavour is not dissimilar, but it is milder, perhaps with a hint of aniseed. According to herb expert Alys Fowler, the benefits of chervil include an improved digestion and it also acts as a diuretic. In times past, it was also used in an eyewash for inflamed eyes.  You can grow it in a pot in the greenhouse as I have done, or sow the seeds direct into the garden. However, it is apparently much favoured by slugs, so you must be prepared to sacrifice many of the plants. It enjoys shade, which is just what  I have in abundance in m...
Read more

Friendly, Fragrant, Mint

Image
  If you grow your own new potatoes, then you must grow your own mint to go with them! This is possibly the easiest herb to grow – too easy at times. The first thing any mint grower will say to you is “don’t plant it directly into the ground, because you’ll be plague d by it forever!” Once it is established it will spread as far as it can, and come back strong every year – even if you think you’ve pulled it all out! I ha ve some in a planter next to my back door, and one day last summer I noticed that it was growing out of a gap in the wood. It is an ama zingly tenacious plant. Officially it likes its roots in shade and its leaves in sun, but if you ask me you can grow it anywhere, it just doesn’t care.       I have ignored professional advice and put a bit directly into the ground. It was an awkward corner in double shade, where nothing would grow and it looked barren and boring all year round. I had an inkling that mint and wild strawberries might like to ...
Read more

Watering the Wildlife

Image
  One of the most pleasant ways to spend your time in the spring and summer is garden wildlife watching.  It is mindful and relaxing - a great way to reduce stress levels without leaving the comfort of your own chair. Over the lockdown period, I have noticed just how important   water   is in attracting wildlife and providing scenes worth staring at.  Many of us have been feeding birds for years, and planting flowers to attract pollinators - but how much thought has been given to providing plenty of drinking and bathing   water ? I currently have six sources of  water  on my small back garden and each seems to be favoured by different creatures. Firstly, there is the pond. This is home to the frogs, whose spawn provides entertainment every spring and summer as it develops into tadpoles and froglets. To me, the arrival of frogspawn is a joyous occasion as then I know that winter really is on its way out. But the pond also has a shallow end which is...
Read more