The Genus Garden

Every spring sees frenzied activity on a corner of the Genus HQ lawn.  Flying at low level are a dozen or so ashy mining bees searching for new mates and...

A corner of the Genus garden is affectionately known as Cherry Tree Corner and at this time of year it comes into its own with Prunus serrulata ‘Shirotae’, P. Serrula,...

Two weeks ago we mentioned our excitement in the spring while waiting for toads to return to our pond and make merry, where they leave their ribbons of spawn like...

We’re quick off the block in the Genus vegetable garden this year.  We planted our first-early potatoes (Epicure) in a nice deep trench and covered them with our homemade compost...

With the sun shining we decided to give the orchard lawn its first cut of the year.  We removed fallen twigs and sticks and in some areas the grass was...

Spring has sprung, birds are singing, and borders are coming back to life with early blooms of snowdrops, daffodils, and winter flowering shrubs.  But the slowly rising temperatures have initiated...

Garden Excavations We’ve had a busy week at Genus HQ, not on large important projects, but on the smaller jobs that often get relegated to the bottom of the list. ...

Without invitation, Storm Dudley passed through the Genus garden last week.  ‘Only a broken pot’ or so we thought, until from the kitchen window we spotted the  top of our...

After raking out fallen branches and debris from under our recently renovated beech hedge (we gave it a serious short back, top, and sides) we decided to renew and freshen...

Lovely weather for the last few days has given us a great opportunity to get to work pruning the apple and pear trees in our orchard.  We deal with each...

Back in early December, 10:35 am on the 8th to be precise, we sowed four rows of broad beans in the Genus vegetable garden.  Through all the recent cold, freezing,...

Recent mulching activity at Genus HQ has left the compost heaps empty and ready to receive more material to use later this year.  One bay containing recently cut-back and uncomposted...

Searching for interest in the garden at this time of year can often be a challenge.  The early bulbs may be starting to show, the wonderful range of coloured and...

Last month we were busy weeding, cutting back perennials, and planting tulip bulbs in the flower garden.  With that work completed, the beds were ready for a mulch to be...

We recently started to fill the bird feeders that sit just outside the French doors at Genus HQ.  It didn’t take long for the local population to discover what we’d...

As gardeners we love it when plants behave, flower well, and appear to have read the book on good behaviour.  Maybe that salvia hard-pruned in late spring has flowered non-stop...

As you enter into the flower garden at Genus HQ you pass under a metal arch planted with a rose, clematis, and honeysuckle; a beautiful combination, scented, and often providing...

With a day of dry weather and our borders cut back, we found time to plant the tulip bulbs that had been awaiting this moment for over a month.  Robust...

Several freezing days made clearing the last remaining fallen leaves hard work.  Some were stuck together with the frost while others protected by hedging or evergreen shrubs were easy to...

For several days our mornings have been initiated by beautiful sunrises making early starts a joy.  The low sun casts long shadows across the orchard and the local dog fox...

Previously we’ve extolled the virtues of keeping circles clear of grass underneath our fruit trees in the orchard.  Without competition from grass the trees establish quickly and the clear area...