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Quotes

Gardening is annoyingly full of all these “should haves” that optimists call learning curves.
-Helen Yemm

Wych Elm: threads of gold

'Clotho' camperdown elm & wych elm neighbour

‘Clotho’ and her opposite wych elm neighbour

Two months have passed since I featured the Camperdown elms of Old St Pancras churchyard. In the last post, I’d belatedly tuned in to the fact that a Wych elm was in fact growing  just opposite the Umbrella elms, ‘Clotho’ and ‘Lachesis’, that I’d been studying. Recently I took an even closer look at it and believe that this was once  a Camperdown elm.

To understand this phenomenon a quick recap is necessary. Camperdown elms are small, twisted limb, umbrella-shaped, cultivars originating from a mutant elm branch, grafted onto either Wych or English elm rootstock. First cultivated by the Earl of Camperdown’s head forester in the mid 1800s,  the original mutant cutting has been the stock for every cultivar since. Read More…»

GBMD: September Plowing

autumn trio - garden gate and wildflowers “For seasons the walled meadow
south of the house built of its stone
grows up in shepherd’s purse and thistles
the weeds share April as a secret
finches disguised as summer earth
click the drying seeds
mice run over rags of parchment in August
the hare keeps looking up remembering
a hidden joy fills the songs of the cicadas Read More…»

GBMDonabella: Contemplation upon Flowers

Spring crocus

Spring crocus

Brave flowers—that I could gallant it like you,
And be as little vain!
You come abroad, and make a harmless show,
And to your beds of earth again.
You are not proud: you know your birth:
For your embroider’d garments are from earth Read More…»