One Year On!

It’s been one year today since I started this blog. I’ve been surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed it having never kept a diary or been much of a writer in my younger days. It’s just a gardening journal really with a few other bits and bobs thrown in. This is my 132nd post and you’ve popped across over 10,000 times. Thank-you for reading and commenting. I’ve also enjoyed reading your blogs; here’s to a great year and an even better 2011!

Over the last year I’ve grown some great (and not so great) veg and flowers, won some prizes, given one or two things away and generally enjoyed my time with family and friends.

So how did I spend my anniversary? I picked some veg of course for tomorrow’s roast dinner.

Those sprouts and parsnips are going to taste good. And while the girls had some friends around I took my dog Polo for a walk in nearby Bentley Wood.

We’re lucky to live only 10 minutes away from such a special place. At 1700 acres it’s one of the largest areas of unbroken woodland in Wiltshire, an SSSI, and home to rare butterflies such as the Purple Emporer, White Admiral and Pearl-bordered Fritillary. It was too late for the deer rut which dominates the wood in October but the small birds were on good form and I managed to spot one of my favourites, the Jay.

I think Autumn is becoming my favourite season. There’s still interest in the veg plot and garden, it’s a great time for foraging and when the leaves are coming off the trees you can see so much more wildlife in places like Bentley Wood.

There’s only one contender in my garden for the most colour over the next few weeks. I love this Japonica.

My local Horticultural Society held their AGM & Supper last night. We had a lovely meal and some great company. I was elected to the committee so if you have any good ideas for events or new show classes we could do next year let me know.

I think 2011 is going to be an even busier one!