Calling all succulent and houseplant folks 🌿 My money tree has started flowering with tiny white blooms. I’m unsure whether to celebrate or panic. Is this normal, or the plants cry for help? Would love any help or advice.

Just shared a short blog on drying garlic 🧄 I do this twice a year, at harvest and again in January when some of the stored cloves start to soften.… https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2026/01/10/dehydrate-garlic-this-january-save-flavour-and-prevent-waste/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Cold winds, salty air, and a cracking weekend in Ramsgate with good friends. As gardeners, are you more countryside or seaside at heart?

A post about seeds for late January planting. Hopefully there will be something in there for all beginner gardeners. Enjoy https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2026/01/06/what-vegetable-seeds-to-sow-in-late-january-a-planting-guide-for-beginners/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

ikkle 'Real Seeds' haul. So much joy getting seeds in the post. #https://www.realseeds.co.uk

Beautiful… but absolutely BITTER ❄️ Frosted sage and dwarf kale don’t seem to mind though. I very much do! 🥶 At minus 1 celcius this morning am I being dramatic, or is this proper cold?❄️🧊 #frosty #solitairegardener.co.uk #wintergarden

Seed sorting day has arrived. Now to cull this little lot! Bet I'll end up with just as many as I started with & probably buy more 🫣😂🤦🏼‍♀️ Any suggestions for your best seeds gratefully received.

For folk on the Gregorian calendar have a happy & garden productive new year. For folk on other calendars enjoy your celebrations when they arrive. The heat mats are out & a seed trays are at the ready! 🌱 🌱

A wee blog for beginners on building a dead hedge. I love these structures. Bug & little critter friendly & all natural. Hope you like it. Any suggestions for future… https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2025/12/30/build-your-own-dead-hedge-a-beginners-guide/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Gerti the greenhouse on a cold and frosty morning.

Love it when a random comfrey plant pops up in the veg patch. More free natural plant & soil food is always good. Nature is amazing!

Not posted much recently, been a bit poorly. Better now, & excited for the coming gardening year. For those who celebrate, have a fab Xmas, & those who don't, enjoy the lull before wiping the cobwebs off those seed trays! Enjoy 🪏🥕🥦🍅🍆🫑🫛🦌🎄

Is it ridiculous to think of Radio 4 as a friend - or am I just getting old! ☺️

A little blog about planning for the coming growing season. I always do my planning in one of the lull days between xmas & the new year. Happy planning. https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2025/12/07/vegetable-garden-planning-for-the-coming-year/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Looks like Santa's got a runaway 😊

The rabbits, or squirrels are on a roll. This bed has wire around it too. Love them but, they are little b####ds 🥴🫣

Always been interested in Luna gardening so thought it would be worth writing about for a winter bog post. hope you enjoy https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2025/12/01/planting-by-the-phases-of-the-moon/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

This one is a bit of a monster. It dominates our front paddock - but she is beautiful!

Me kayletts have liked the colder weather.

This blog is a bit late - sometimes life gets in the way. But hope you like this beginners guide to creating leaf mould. https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2025/11/25/a-beginners-guide-to-leaf-mould/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

A free raised bed, topped up with lovely mushroom compost. A beautiful sight 😊

Free Download DIY Organic Pest control Thank you so much for taking the time to subscribe to Solitaire Gardener. I hope you will find this free downloadable guide to organic pest control interesting and helpful. Inside you will find tips on companion planting, along with how to combat a range of…

We got away quite lightly in storm Claudia. Only a few branches & some of a fence down. Really do feel for those who were so badly flooded. 😢

Proper blowing out there - storm Claudia. Even the cat won't go out. 😼😾🙀

Been extra vigilant in chopping everything that goes in the compost bin into much smaller pieces. It's a bit of a faff without a shredder - but what a difference in the decomposition time. Amazing how it speeds things up. Now to purchase a wee shredder 😂

Blog about some gardening jobs for winter. This is a short one (well a short one for me). A bit of a basic one, but I hope there's something in there to like. https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2025/11/09/10-winter-garden-tasks-for-a-thriving-spring/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

This afternoon's visitor to the garden.

It was by birthday a couple of months but couldn't quite put this one card in the recycling bin 😂

Bit gnarly, but it'll do for cauliflower cheese tonight. Can't beat home grown food!

I'm in smart casual work clothes with my laptop in the coffee shop in South Bank ct, L/don. Feel like a fish out of water. Just want to get back my wellies, compost, trowel, messy hair, and muddy out door coat. Great respect for peeps who can do this every day! I couldn't!

Quick post about topping up raised beds. I'm in year 5 with raised beds & love them. So it's top up, & plenty of mulch. Get those worm working their… https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2025/11/02/revive-your-raised-beds-essential-winter-care-tips/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Today's little windfall for processing. Thought I might try fermenting some of twith cinnamon sticks & cloves - any tips greatfully received 🍎🍏

Saw this from 'Garden Tabs' on Facebook & it made me chuckle www.facebook.com/gardentabs

Getting ready for November planting. Late autumn, early winter is my favourite time of year. Plenty of garden jobs & planting still to do. Nearly time to get me… https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2025/10/28/november-gardening-top-crops-to-plant-now/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

It's not perfect or pretty but Chard, Curly kale and Cavolo Nero, my favorite trio of veg. Ignore the dead leaves that need moving🫣

Quick blog (well perhaps not so quick) about basic beginner gardening tools for organic gardeners. With some makeshift alternatives thrown in for good… https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2025/10/21/essential-gardening-tools-for-no-dig-organic-gardening/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Cinnamon & coconut sugar apples in the dehydrator. These make great snacks for the cold winter months. Thoroughly dried and popped in an air tight jar. They'll keep the best part of a year (if not longer). Proper yummy with a big lump of cheese.

Little blog about overwintering onions. Again it's more of a beginners guide but hopefully useful for some. Especially if you've never overwintered onions before. https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2025/10/13/ultimate-guide-to-growing-overwintering-onions/

First of the overwinter 'Shakespeare' onions in today. All in raised beds, some in one of the veg patches & some in the paddock. 25 in, only another 40 to go 🥴 Bit messy but thought I'd share paddock pics.

This one is for those who want to keep gardening under perhaps more challenging circumstances. There are tips & hints that hopefully we can all identify with and may be helpful. https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2025/10/07/accessible-gardening-tips-for-everyone/

Must have been ladybird day today. Not sure you can see them properly on this small section of wall. But for a couple of hours there were hundreds of them partying in the sunshine. Now all they need to do is eat my blooming aphids!

We call this bit of our property 'weeping angel alley' (Dr. Who ref). The ivy adds to its ominous beauty. All we need now is a stone weeping angel statue at one end 🫣 not sure how the grandchildren would feel about that 😂🤭

Been waiting ages for this blousy little madam to make an appearance. And good grief is she worth the wait.

The remnants of tonight's big burn up. Only thing missing was a guy & sparklers 🎇 Will use some of the ash to amend the potato patch. See if I can reduce the potato scab next year. She says confidently 🥴

Visit from this little chap today 😊

This is blog is a bit late, as newer gardeners will need to buy seed and source garlic. But it's not too late to keep planting for both winter veg & an early spring harvest. Hope you like it & please do let me know… https://solitairegardener.co.uk/2025/09/29/october-gardening-best-crops-to-sow-now/

These colder nights mean I can get the hotty out. What bliss. Nothing nicer than warm feet! ❄️

Not my usual veg post, but this is such a beautiful hot lips salvia. So delicately, simple and needs no explanation.

Nice to know I'm feeding all the local ecosystem critters! This one was netted, copper taped, eggshelled, garlic sprayed the works. Luckily I have loads more all year round cauliflower to replace it. In the polytunnel for the next batch methinks. All critter taming tips are more than welcome!

Tomato skins in the dehydrator getting ready to be turned into 🍅 powder. It's really useful in the kitchen for that intense flavour. It's a faff, but well worth the effort, and doesn't stuff my already jam packed freezers.