The real gardeners diary

The following extracts are taken from an old diary kept by a gardener who was in service. The diary covers the period from 1884 to 1889. We hope to publish weekly extracts from this diary to give an insight into the activities of the period and as notes have been made concerning the weather it is interesting to make comparisons with the prevailing weather conditions we experience today. The handwriting is very difficult to read therefore some of the extracts may be incomplete and seem grammatically odd.





February 2nd 1884

Weather fine at the beginning of the week but stormy and unsettled afterwards. Replanting, digging and clearing ground. Putting in cuttings of ????? and potted fernes (fern)

February 9th 1884

Very dry but dull, a little sun on Monday but not all day. Pot up more cuttings and potted off ????. Re potted Smilax and thing?????? Cineraria's coming into bloom, deutzia, hyacinths and tulips. (presumably under glass)