The potting table
Photographing one plant through a season
A consistent photograph can reveal growth, flowering and gaps that disappear from memory between garden visits.
2 min read
PAGES FROM THE NOTEBOOK
The potting table
Keep a useful note, arrange a few stems, share a plant. The small rituals that make growing your own.
Pick a page. Stay a while.
START HERE / NOTE 181
Keep the notes you will actually use
A useful growing journal begins with a handful of observations that answer your next gardening question.
Open this story ↗
The potting table
A pressed-flower page that dries cleanly
Dry surfaces, thin layers and a little attention at the beginning make pressed flowers easier to keep.
2 min read
The potting table
Drying small bunches for an autumn arrangement
Small, airy bundles preserve texture well and are easier to dry evenly than one crowded harvest.
2 min read
The potting table
Cutting garden flowers for a longer vase life
The journey from border to bucket matters as much as the final position of your vase.
2 min read
The potting table
A loose arrangement in a small jug
A small jug gives a handful of garden stems enough structure to look considered without becoming formal.
2 min read
The potting table
Cleaning a vase before the next bouquet
Removing the old residue gives the next bouquet a clean place to start, especially in narrow-necked containers.
2 min read
The potting table
Making labels you can still read next spring
A clear label needs a durable writing surface, a useful name and a second record somewhere sheltered.
2 min read
The potting table
A potting bench with only the useful tools
A useful bench leaves enough clear space to handle a pot and makes the frequently used tools easy to return.
2 min read
The potting table
Buying a plant: what to check below the flowers
Flowers attract attention in a nursery, but roots, foliage and the conditions at home decide what happens next.
2 min read
The potting table
Quarantining a new houseplant without fuss
A separate settling place gives you time to notice problems before a new plant joins the main collection.
2 min read
The potting table
Swapping plants with clear growing notes
A successful plant swap passes on a healthy specimen and enough honest information to give it a fair start.
2 min read
The potting table
Giving a plant with a useful care card
The best plant gift fits the recipient’s space, while a short care card makes the first few decisions easier.
2 min read
The potting table
Taking a small garden inventory
An inventory helps you see what is already growing, where it belongs and which names still need checking.
2 min read
The potting table
Planning a seed order you can actually grow
Count the space for young plants as carefully as the space for the flowers you hope to grow.
2 min read
The potting table
Keeping a record of a failed sowing
An empty tray can still produce a useful result when you record what happened closely enough to change the next attempt.
2 min read
The potting table
A simple seasonal flower colour notebook
A colour notebook records which flowers are actually open together, rather than which colours merely share a catalogue page.
2 min read
The potting table
Repairing a loose plant tie before damage starts
A quick support check can prevent a loose loop from becoming a rubbed stem or a constricting knot.
2 min read
The potting table
Preparing a plant for a short car journey
A short journey is easier on a plant when the pot cannot tip, foliage is protected and unloading is planned.
2 min read
The potting table
Knowing when to let a struggling plant go
A clear assessment can separate a recoverable plant from a project that no longer suits your space or attention.
2 min read