Hello from Rob

This past winter was officially the coldest UK winter in about 20 years, though my plants have pulled through - mainly. I like to have a tropical theme to my English cottage garden, which is a bit of a stretch, and perhaps would not be approved of by famed English cottage gardeners of old. 2 Banana plants, Bottle Brushes, Succulents, scores of palms and plants that captivate me one way or the other. It's been an English spring, with snowdrops now finished, daffodils in flower, that have naturalised well, and native birds feeding and starting to nest. Currently have had blue and great tits starting to nest and, probably, robins, blackbirds and wrens at it too. Chaffinches are around, and possibly nesting, judging by their behavior - I've designed my garden to be a wildlife habitat too, and garden organically. generally.

I've kept some Agaves and Aloes outside all winter, and they're fine - my Bottle Brush Callistemon plants are mostly OK - a new one, planted last year, is poor, but I'm sure will sprout.

Just sowing some Castor Oil plant seeds, to give away, as I don't have the space this year, and I'm spending a couple of months in the US, from April through to June/July, with a short break in between.

My red Camellia has been in flower since February, and is almost finished, though I have another, in a cooler spot, that hasn't started yet.