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The Garden Cure by Jan Cameron

The Garden Cure by Jan Cameron

The Grow Create Joy book club is back and I'm picking up from where I left off with The Garden Cure by Jan Cameron. The Garden Cure is a guide to cultivating wellness, for ones self or for others, using the garden. Jan has many years experience...

Unearthed by Claire Ratinon

Unearthed by Claire Ratinon

The timing of reading Unearthed by Claire Ratinon was significant for me and I will explain why later. It strongly articulates why representation in nature writing is so important. Claire did this beautifully and so cleverly against a phenomena...

GJC Book Club – Plot 29

GJC Book Club – Plot 29

Our second GCJ Book Club read, Plot 29 by Allan Jenkins was highly recommended to us by Eleanor from Hope Springs Gardening and what a wonderful choice!

GCJ Book Club – Grow Easy

GCJ Book Club – Grow Easy

This is a very exciting post because we have just finished our first ever GCJ Book Club read, Grow Easy by Anna Greenland. What a great book to get us started!

Book club!

Book club!

Let’s read botanical books together. I’m starting a book club with the theme of plants and nature. Who’s in?

On Flowers by Amy Merrick

On Flowers by Amy Merrick

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I heard Amy say in a podcast that she had waited nearly a decade to write this book. What she has created is testament to doing something at the right time for the most perfect result.

Edible flower books

Edible flower books

I’m sometimes asked for ideas on how to use flowers in food and drinks, so I thought it would be useful to share a few great books about choosing and cooking with edible flowers.

Recent articles

The grey of the slate and of the mountains in the haze

The grey of the slate and of the mountains in the haze and of the stratocumulus filled sky is a far cry from the grey of the roads and of the walls and dusty windows of abandoned buildings. Three days in the grey (and green and blue) of North Wales quietened my mind....

Handfuls of sweet peas for Great Uncle Bill

July brought handful after handful of sweet peas. A handful is the number of times I ever met my Great Uncle Bill. A handful is the number of garden tools of his that I now own. Even though in person Bill wasn’t a regular or considerable part of my life, he certainly...

The Garden Cure by Jan Cameron

The Grow Create Joy book club is back and I'm picking up from where I left off with The Garden Cure by Jan Cameron. The Garden Cure is a guide to cultivating wellness, for ones self or for others, using the garden. Jan has many years experience working in community...

Chamomile, before the tea

Once you invite chamomile in, it becomes a faithful friend. Returning year after year, at first almost undetected as their tiny seeds nestle between the soil particles and the little plants volunteer their services around the site where their mother once stood. I...

Unearthed by Claire Ratinon

The timing of reading Unearthed by Claire Ratinon was significant for me and I will explain why later. It strongly articulates why representation in nature writing is so important. Claire did this beautifully and so cleverly against a phenomena that we experienced...

The chameleon and the crown

Goodbye to October, the chameleon and the crown of the season. A month when we can nostalgically forget the dark, rainy days and delight in the life-giving glow of decay. It’s no coincidence that this beginning of the end sparks inspiration, a time to wonder who we...

How my garden holds me

The motif of this summer was intense heat and more intense work schedules. A garden participant said to me in one session “how lucky you are to work in this calming garden”. I agree, I am. When I am at either of the gardens I work at I feel incredibly privileged. In...

The gentle flow of flower pressing

Sometimes, when our heads are full of thoughts and concerns, we need more than a passive activity to distract us. But worries are tiring and can leave us too exhausted to do anything energetic in the garden. The gentle flow of flower pressing has all the qualities...

GJC Book Club – The Hidden Life of Trees

Our third GJC Book Club read, The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, was recommended by Emily at Garden to Wellbeing and what a fascinating book it is. I also took Emily's lead and listened to the audio book because spring is a busy time for us gardeners and...

Edible flowers for ease, flavour and beauty

I’ve had a few conversations lately with people looking to grow edible flowers for the first time or intentionally wanting to add flowers they grow into dishes. Since edible flowers was my previous business I’m always happy to talk floral food. If you search for...