Crosby Holme Grown

10/01/2026

When you add the changing climate to the passing fads of retail fashion this work becomes ever more crucial. If you are not a member please consider joining Plant Heritage. If, like me you already are, please of consider becoming more involved by taking part in their annual Plant Exchange or Dispersed collections.

Plant Heritage says gardening trends mean many species in danger of disappearing as they are no longer offered for sale

06/12/2025

10 years ago about now there was big gurgling as the last of Storm Desmond drained from the house. 10 years ago tomorrow this is a sample of what we were looking at outside.
Devastating, physically and emotionally but thankfully with nothing like the loss of life being seen in Indonesia right now.
Events like this are why we were peat free then, and why we still are now.

This year ,2025 has had its own trials and i'll update via a blog on the website in due course.

While we now have better designed defences locally now the global progress in tackling the issue with appropriate level and scale of action is still sadly lacking.

10 years on and my daughter Hazel , (Hazy Music Creations, looking over the veg plot gate) now composes, plays, and arranges her own music. For the release of her first single "Life with the Storms Part 1 - The Flood of Storm Desmond", she also made a video to show how this event felt from her perspective. (Link in comments).

02/10/2025

22/05/2025

I don't know that I've ever needed to quote myself before!
I wrote a blog post for the website in Feb that ended ...

"As a parting tip from this gardener I’ll offer you this; Always make a plan, but only ever use one side of the paper, when, as it aft will, it gangs agley, you can always use the reverse for a shopping list, or lighting the paraffin lamp."

(Full blog post) https://crosbyholmegrown.uk/2025/02/18/pondering-a-plan/

For here it suffices to say that some recent happenings have left us plumb out of reverse sides and unable to attend recent shows in order to deal the more pressing things that ganged agley.

Sorry if you missed us.

Dalemain on 8th June still looking good for our next outing.

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02/04/2025

While our first selling event isn't till May (see Events) we will be helping out on the Plant Heritage North West Group Stall at this amazing fair at RHS Brigewater. Come on Down!

18/02/2025

Posts from Crosby Holme Grown for 02/18/2025 -

I’m not really a one for quotes, I find them harder to remember than Latin Plant names! But I do recall one that go’s“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail!”Apparently, it may, or may not, have been said by Benjamin Franklin.So, I scrawled down a few notes to work on a new year’...

16/02/2025

FB tells me I have new views!
Thanks , that's really nice of you.

Sorry there's not much happening here right now.
As I guess we all know winter is a much slower time in the garden. Which makes it good for repairs & maintenance, for planning and pondering. Ive been doing a fair bit of that.

All plant fairs expected for the coming year are now up as events. Website has a number of updates, and more being worked on. Blog post to drop hopefully later this week.

Winter is also good for investing time in learning. I've been peat free for 12years now but there is still suff to learn. The RHS trials recently found that contrary to popular myth most peat free composts actually hold more water than peat! I could have told them that years ago!!
https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/articles/peat-free-irrigation

You can access a load more information, based on science rather than (insert here ) via their Peat Free Hub located at https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/peat . You may find that the section for growers and Industry actually has better , more detailed info that is also applicable on a small domestic scale 😉

New results from RHS trials in commercial settings reveal that peat-free growing media often retain water better than those containing peat, with new insights on irrigation

03/10/2024

Rudbeckia mollis - Softhair Coneflower. Stunning in the autumn sun. Mollis = covered in soft hair. A distinct and entirely different species from the relatively bald one in the garden centres. Which is why it’s under guardianship.
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23/09/2024

Impressive from this Inula helenium. Commonly known as Elecampane. Sun + water + air + soil =