The Manic Botanic

03/09/2026

For most of the year I’m happy with my choice of hornbeam for the hedge around my flower borders. I don’t even mind the brown in winter because it’s looks lovely on the winter morning sun with a frost. But in early spring, it drops its leaves in preparation for new growth. And that coincides with the blooming of tulips. So my tulips never have a pretty green backdrop. So for about two weeks I question my choices, but then it leafs up and I banish those thoughts until the same time next year.

Every plant or tree has pros and cons. And sometimes you just have to take the two weeks of ‘meh’ on the chin.

03/09/2026

I wouldn’t be without her. But she keeps me in my toes! 😆

02/09/2026

Are you so busy dreaming about the next thing, you forget to appreciate what you already have?

Read it by clicking the link.

There’s a phrase I’ve been thinking about a lot lately… ‘want what you have.’ Simple enough in theory but considerably harder in practice because humans, as a species, seem to have been designed with a small but persistent software glitch that constantly whispers, ‘

02/09/2026

If you’re potting up dahlias to grow them under cover, water them when you initially pot them and then don’t water them much again until growth shows. If you water them regularly before growth starts, the tuber is at a higher risk of rotting. Just ask me what I did to a $40 tuber once upon a time.

If the soil is looking a bit dry you can moisten it prior to growth starting but it shouldn’t be wet.

02/09/2026

Do you believe in fairies?

You can find the full story of this fairy invasion on The Manic Botanic Substack. It’ll be available for free for a few weeks.



*AI may have been used to create images of fairies in my garden. Or fairies are real. You choose.

01/09/2026

A little magical delight to start your day.

Read it free by clicking the link.

Part 2 of a two-part saga and a FREE bonus post to bring some delight to your day

01/09/2026

I have to admit, I’m sometimes affected by this psychology 😆

01/09/2026

I just can’t look at supermarket tomatoes the same anymore.

01/09/2026

It’s because they’re so fleeting that we appreciate them so much.

01/09/2026

I’m just going outside for five minutes is the biggest lie gardeners tell themselves. That and ‘just one more plant’. 😆