Creating Another Beachside Plant Container

With the worst of the Winter out of the way and a January I won't easily forget,

I thought I'd cheer up the room with a new seaside plant container. I couldn't quite

find the right colour container so I bought a dull grey one, sanded it down and painted

it in a cheery seaside light blue.

Of course the few plants in it are artificial so no watering needed.

October Shrubs

The plants at the side of the house are looking quite healthy for October. I think I made

some good investments by planting several Winter shrubs in the big blue container I built

last year. And they'll put on quite a show right through Winter into next Spring.

Although technically we're still in British Summertime for another week and a half.

Thankfully my neighbour on the ground floor takes care of everything as he enjoys caring

for the plants.

Oddly enough they were away during that horrible heatwave in July when it reached 39c/40c

so I was kept well busy watering them each day. I wonder what kind of a Winter awaits us.

Last year was the mildest one I can remember as I didn't once wear my Winter overcoat.

The Bird House table (on the left) was this Summer's big project. And I've added a coconut

feeder as well as a nut feeder as well as putting lots of straw inside the roof should a bird

decide to nest in there soon. The tree trunk itself was from a massive 20 year old Leylandii tree

that our neighbour had cut down. 

A Spring Roundup.

Spring arrived early in March although the daffodils at the front of our house are long gone.

Below is the big plant tub I created last Summer. And thanks to our mild Winter all

our plants from last year are simply coming back round again, even our Red Geraniums.

I did invest well in filling up the big blue container with Winter hardy plants.

In fact it's so overgrown now I'll need to cut some of it back to make way for some Summer colour.

Above left is the popular Pink Sea Thrift which can now be seen growing wildly

all over our sea coastal areas. And I always remember how the Thrift comes into peak

during May down in Cornwall.

Above right is last year's hanging basket of mint herbs. It looks like it's tearing away

and will soon trail down to the ground.

Above: Just one of several grand houses that line the little side streets that lead into

Hampstead Heath. 

Around about March 21st I just happened to visit the Heath and was surprised to see the

local Magnolia tree in full bloom. Clearly the mild Winter brought things forward.

Had I visited a week later and I might have missed it.

Late March brought the first of our warm Spring days. And picnics were to be seen everywhere.

Above: Hampstead High Street.

Below is The Clock Tower (1873) in Heath Street opposite Hampstead Tube Station.

The Tower was used as a Fire Station right up to 1915.

Whitestone Pond Hampstead. And on one side the Sun was going down, while on the

other side of the Pond the Easter Full Moon was rising.

Above: Dusk at Whitestone Pond.

Below: Jack Straw's Castle Hampstead.