Category Archives: gardens

how plants become weeds (and vice versa)

Posted on April 23, 2025 by jonathan trustram

Here’s Euphorbia rigida, on neglected ground near olive trees in the Peleponnese. Actually, you can’t see it very clearly. I’ll see if I can come up with a cropped version. It’s April, and this early euphorbia has nearly finished flowering. … Continue reading →

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into the past again, naturally: the perfect tulip?

Posted on October 22, 2024 by jonathan trustram

Of course I don’t have a favourite flower, but this is it. In 2016, in April, at the end of a trip to Greece, I drove a long way round back towards the airport, though Parnon, or Parnonas, in the … Continue reading →

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After the first frost in November

Posted on December 12, 2023 by jonathan trustram

It’s as if the subjects of the garden have been subjected to a citizenship test, a freeze and thaw torture which has exposed the illegals. The plectranthus now are scarecrows, cobweb grey; their dead tissues flop, inert, unless stirred by … Continue reading →

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Thames Water’s revenge, and one foot in the grave.

Posted on July 21, 2023 by jonathan trustram

I had a letter from them recently which said, terribly sorry, but we haven’t been collecting your direct debit, and you owe us £996, but don’t worry, there are lots of ways you can pay. Only do something before July … Continue reading →

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a few notes, including garden notes

Posted on June 27, 2023 by jonathan trustram

I’m puzzled by this. Why is her phone asking her a question? Shouldn’t it be the other way round? What’s so funny? And do hormone levels affect the fertility of women and smartphones? I’d guess that they do. Sorry: this … Continue reading →

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close to home

Posted on May 16, 2023 by jonathan trustram

I’ll just get this out of the way first – I’m not a moany old git all the time although the temptations and provocations are many – it’s an ad at the bus stop: What on earth does it mean? … Continue reading →

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Garden notes no 37 beeday at St John’s, Waterloo, july 15th, 2022

Posted on July 28, 2022 by jonathan trustram

It was a lovely coincidence of insects – not just bees – and flowers on a sunny day before the burning record breaking heat. The pollen seems extravagantly thrown about. I think it’s a hoverfly, not a bee. The lily … Continue reading →

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garden notes no 36. sorry for my absence. some late spring/early summer flowers.

Posted on June 18, 2021 by jonathan trustram

The rains began two days ago and everything changed again. From just a few days ago… the end of spring – the heat is withering the thalictrum flowers, the welsh poppies seem fragile. You might remember the poppy last year … Continue reading →

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Garden Notes No 35, 2021, Echiums (the pain, the glory, the jealousy etc) – and an unusual scilla

Posted on March 15, 2021 by jonathan trustram

To start with, the pain: I’m still looking for signs of life, finding it hard to believe that it’s dead. But every day it looks deader than the day before. The damage was done during that cold week in february, … Continue reading →

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Olympus 3 Dracunculus, tortoise, the monastery, Dresden, garden notes, etc.

Posted on February 6, 2021 by jonathan trustram

Just outside Litochoro, right by the road, I came across a dracunculus – literally little dragon. When you’ve only ever seen something once it takes on special importance. I was driving slowly but you’d see it even if you flashed … Continue reading →

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