Terra Bella Gardens

28/07/2026

DEADHEADING EUPHORBIAS

Flowers are definitely going over quicker in this hot dry weather, so today I was deadheading the euphorbias. I always advise wearing gloves to do this (do as I say not as I do!) The sap is nasty, and can cause skin blistering, water won't wash it off, as its latex based so use an oil to rub it off and then rinse with soapy water. Cut the lowest stems first to avoid contact with dripping sap. Or you can always wait until they stems have gone dry and brown when the sap has dried up.

24/05/2026

Another before and after from this lovely job in the sunshine to end the week. Wonderful clients bought me some cold drinks while I hand weeded these beautiful old cobbles in their courtyard. We agreed to leave some of the moss and liverworts so that it still had character while removing all the annual and perennial weeds that love to germinate in the soil filled spaces between the stones. I think they look gorgeous 😍

23/05/2026

Mulch ✔️
Compost ✔️
Plants ✔️
Time with one of my faves peeps ✔️

thanks for a lush middle aged garden centre day!!

19/05/2026

Another garden friend, Mr or Ms Common Toad, found while digging up mega clumps of bamboo to make space for a new potted Japanese garden for a client. Such gorgeous colours! And one of the best Latin names, Bufo bufo, so good they named it twice, literally!

19/05/2026

The meadows and woodlands close to home have burst into life, the early nectar rich dandelions have made way for Buttercups and grasses which are starting to flower. It's a sea of colour and life. While in the woodland the wild garlic has flowered and is dying back, the sticky w***y is just starting to flower so will follow suit soon too. Trees are flowering and starting to set seed and there are signs of the first tiny hawthorn berries. I love this time of year!

16/05/2026

All the whites 🤍 if you want to channel your inner Vita or create your own white garden al la Sissinghurst, here are a few white blooms that are looking fabulous in May.

Wisteria floribunda possibly Snow Showers (camera just not doing her justice, very proud "here's one I pruned earlier" moment!)
Viburnum plicatum
Weigela florida
Choisia ternata smelling delicious
Philadelphus coronarius also smelling delicious
Clematis montana
And
Fragaria ananassa or Strawberries to you and I 🍓

12/05/2026

Incredible opportunity!

New traineeship with BBC Natural History Unit 🎉

We’re excited to share a new traineeship with one of the world’s leading natural history production teams, BBC Studios Natural History Unit. This opportunity is ideal for someone interested in the financial and organisational side of television production and looking to gain hands-on experience within the natural history filmmaking industry.

📊 Assistant Production Accountant Trainee
BBC Studios Natural History Unit
Location: Bristol, Hybrid
Salary: Real Living Wage (£13.45 p/h)
Contract: 210 hours. 30 hours per week over 7 weeks. Part-time working is negotiable.
Start Date: June 2026
Deadline for applications: Monday 25th May, 12pm BST

To be eligible to apply for this role you must be:
UK-based and have the right to work in the UK.
Aged 18–30.

🔗 Head to our website to find out more and apply: https://wildscreen.org/internships/

(you'll need to set up your free NatureStory account in order to see the job descriptions and apply)

11/05/2026

A very personal before and after this week.

I spent the weekend with my gorgeous brother and sister and their amazing partners doing the final visit to empty and clean our dads cottage before handing it back to the National Trust. I wanted to be responsible for the garden, I don't always know what to say to people when things are difficult but I can always do something helpful. Something I got from dad. It was really special to spend time in a space that he loved and cultivated, from a plain patch of grass to an area with a thriving wildlife pond, fruit trees and veg beds with a rosemary I grew from a cutting for him years ago.

When we'd finished the cottage had never been cleaner, and the garden hadn't looked so up together in ages, it felt like such a shame that Dad wasn't there to enjoy it, and to enjoy us all being there together. I'll (hopefully) be growing some memorial roses from cuttings of his beautiful climber to share and I found the stash of wildflower seeds that he'd collected, so will find somewhere to sow them in memory of him ❤️🌱

05/05/2026

Guess the flower 🌼 🤩

Clue: they're all looking particularly gorgeous in the garden at the moment 😀

01/05/2026

Anyone else?