A couple of weeks ago, iris-type leaves emerged in the lean-to-garden and produced a bud. No plant label, which is not too unusual, but the Head Gardener had no recollection of planting iris tubers in this particular spot. Eventually the identity of the mystery plant as revealed as the flower opened. It is a plant
Day 12: Anticipation I have been watching this flower for over a week now with growing excitement. According to the label it is Narcissus fernandesii grown from seed planted in 2014. Each day I monitored its progress, watching as the perianth elongated and slowly started to open. Yesterday I could see the anthers and the
Day 5: A Plant for all seasons There are some plants which are as tough as old boots, live in dark corners, prefer to be totally pot-bound, appear to exist on little more than fresh air and flower in the winter! This is the perfect plant to give to anyone who professes to kill any
Day 2: Galanthus elwesii ‘Mrs Macnamara’ For many Christmas may have been a little more low key, minimalist or subdued than usual; perhaps solitary but I hope not lonely. Christmas for the Croft Gardeners is always secular and modest, but perhaps with a touch of hedonism as befits the Winter Festival. Today it is raining
Even by Hebridean standards, November and December have been particularly wet, ranging from the grey, wet blanket dreich to torrential rain with a liberal sprinkling of squalls. The calvalcade of westerly depressions has been accompanied by some blustery winds, but so far we have been spared the storm force winds. So there has been no