The Rosamund Diaries

Welcome to the last newsletter of 2025! By the way, if you missed our Clare on BBC Radio Surrey on Sunday - here’s the link at 1:18:53. As we move towards the quiet of Winter, the low light and shift in temperatures make for reflection on the year and allow time to tidy, cut back and put things to bed. Poly-Tunnels The gorgeous salads in poly 1 continue to yield spicy leaves full of goodness, but they won’t put on any more growth until February, when the days start to length

I think we can safely say that the summer is over and the Autumnal rains are replenishing the soil and ponds in the garden, after the thirsty, but enjoyable months of sunshine. This year, we haven’t had to water the fruit-cage or the orchard, and even the new Forest Garden has needed minimal watering. This proves that no-dig practices and deep mulching really work to lock moisture into the soil, maintaining vital fungal pathways. Keeping soil covered with plants through the y

Latin name:   Clematis vitalba Height: Low-growing, scrambling plant Conservation status: Common Origin: Native to southern UK Habitat: Hedgerows and low scrub, preferring chalky soil Appearance: Old Man’s Beard, part of the buttercup family, has compound leaves with three to five toothed leaflets. The white flowers, about 2 cm wide, appear to have petals but are actually sepals with large stamens. Its silky, feathery seed clusters, or achenes, give the plant its distinct