Patience, patience… how long does it take tree seeds to germinate?

I bought a pack of mixed conifer seeds from Chiltern Seeds, always a favourite company of mine, and they come in a large packet containing literally hundreds of seeds – enough to reforest the whole of Devon, I’m sure. There’s a technique involved in successful germination of tree seeds called stratification, those who use it … Read more

The day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom

Open your heart up to the colours of our vivid mimosa, our warming marigold and our strong natural indigo. Open up your mind to the potential of natural dyes – sometimes life tells us that things are ready to change. A favourite dress (and a favourite light coloured top) were ruined in the washing machine, … Read more

How to make a moss garden

When a friend told me his disused moss-covered tennis court was about to be demolished I jumped at the chance to create a beautiful moss garden! Collecting moss can be frowned upon in the UK, but if you get the chance to save some then why not make your own moss garden? If you have … Read more

Tall Is Beautiful!

We all know that good things come in small packages but for some things, including life itself, length matters! There are over seventy species of ‘sunflower’ or Helianthus, and they sit within the much bigger plant family of Astereaceae, which includes Jerusalem Artichoke. Our specimen here stands at over two metres, whilst the tallest can … Read more

Baby goldfish, newly hatched

tiny day old goldfish with prominent eye and translucent tail

It’s ALL about timing We’ve had some new arrivals in the garden here at Sheepskin Towers – our goldfish felt suitably happy enough to lay eggs into this home made breeding mop, and by a stroke of luck we were lucky enough to catch it after the males had fertilised the eggs, but before all … Read more

Tie Dye Tuesday!

Let’s not pretend this summer has been jam-packed with great weather, probably the best we can say is ‘the garden needs the rain’. “Ashley Starkes Tie Dye Dress and Delias Lips Tee” by Lucy Burrows is licensed under CC BY 2.0 It’s fun As we lurch towards the beginning of the autumn term parents across … Read more