Petrol crossed 156p per litre in August 2026 and diesel topped 174p. The temporary 5p fuel duty cut was due to expire at the end of August, but in May 2026 the government postponed the increases until 2027. Duty will […]
Never was the old saying ”be careful what you wish for, you might just get it” more true. I recall ruefully bemoaning the surfeit of Winter and Spring rains with boggy borders and lawns impossible to access. They are not […]
I seem to have spent a large amount of time this year bemoaning the wet weather, longing for a prolonged spell of dry and sunny weather. Not anymore! The recent phenomenon of a ‘heat dome’ topping 35 degrees kept me, […]
If anyone has doubts about climate change this winter and spring should serve as confirmation of the fact. Although blessed by a mild coastal situation I usually expect occasional drops to minus a few degrees of frost. But this winter […]
Although at the time of writing we are still in the grip of winter many plants appear confused by our mix of weather and have half-heartedly thrown precocious blooms. Hellebores are flowering well after their annual ‘leaf cut’ and the […]
On a cold and wet winter’s day, it’s hard to imagine the joys of spring. However, a close look can reveal that our spring flowers are indeed poised to perform their annual show. I always feel that the ‘spring’ show […]
The ancient saying ‘be careful what you wish for, lest it come true’! could not be more appropriate after such a wet September. Scarcely two successive dry days. October augured well, with high pressure promising sunny autumnal days, only to […]
At the time of writing we are in the midst of our fourth heatwave of the year with no guarantee that it is the final one. Whilst, like most sun lovers, I revel in blue skies and warm (not hot!) […]
After the recent end to a long sunny period without rain and the premature flowering of so many plants, it is difficult to realise that officially, summer is only just beginning. Since I bought and planted numerous plants and shrubs […]
Whatever happened to the ‘April showers’? I have been heavily occupied with watering due to cracking ground and drooping leaves and not just for new plants. At the time of writing there are no clouds in a clear blue sky, […]
This spring as it comes bursts up in bonfires green, Wild puffing of emerald trees, and flame-filled bushes, Thorn-blossom lifting in wreaths of smoke between Where the wood fumes up and the watery, flickering rushes. D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) After […]
Come, children, gather round my knee; Something is about to be. Tonight’s December thirty-first, Something is about to burst. The clock is crouching, dark and small, Like a time bomb in the hall. Hark! It’s midnight, children dear. Duck! Here […]
