Welcome to brimfields.com, thank you for visiting.
This is my new website covering interests in ‘The Life of Brian’.
I started writing it in 2015, Irene suggested I start posting about life here in OurGarden@19. I think she thought it would give me something to do during the winter months however it soon expanded to be all through the year as we followed the world of gardening through the seasons.
The pages, The Garden and Photography, explain more about my interests and level of “Expertise”.
Photography has always interested me, (I think it was the lifestyle of Patrick Lichfield that appealed to me!) I began to develop my interest in visiting gardens especially with the National Garden Scheme and as a member of various gardening clubs, most recently the Black Pear Gardening Club, which we helped set up. These visits both here and abroad provide pictures I can use in my website articles and in my gardening presentations.
I enjoy taking pictures of the wildlife that visits and recoding what is happening in the garden.
This is one of my favourite photographs, posted in Raindrops under Plantlife.
I have always gardened to some extent. When growing up, my parents and grandparents, who lived next door, both had a large traditional garden with vegetables, flowers, orchard, chickens and bees. From an early age, my brother and I were given a small plot to look after and I still remember my pleasure when my nasturtiums, covered with flowers, spread everywhere.
My family is the most important feature in The Life of Brian. Irene and I have two daughters and two granddaughters. They help with serving the refreshments on our open days.
Irene sadly passed away in January 2025.
See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil.
The birds that visit our garden give an extra source of pleasure and if you are lucky a photographic opportunity.
This is my favourite wildlife picture so far, posted in feeding time under wildlife.
I originally trained and worked in agriculture, specialising in Dairy Herd Management.
When we were young, Irene and I were very involved in youth work, Irene with the Guides, myself as a Scout Leader completing the leader training course at Gilwell Park in 1972.
We moved to Wiltshire with my work for 18 happy years before coming back to Worcestershire plus two daughters.
When I retired from agriculture, I worked as a Freelance Gardener for a few select clients, (i.e. desperate), now retired.
I am a founder member of the Black Pear Gardening Club, group co-ordinator for the Hanley Swan NGS open gardens and county social media volunteer for the Worcestershire NGS. I love wildlife (except slugs), enjoy Jazz, Red wine Rioja (if your asking), Lapsang Souchong tea, (Ditto) Photography, Gardening and Yoga ( It helps with balance especially after the Rioja! )
I hope you enjoy reading brimfields.com please leave comments, one of the joys of blogging is the communication you have with fellow bloggers. I will reply as soon as I can.
Email Brian: skeysbrian@gmail.com
brimfields.com 
Besides the roses, you got white campion and California poppy in both natural orange and white or cream! California poppy seems to be popular everywhere. However, as much as I like white, and the white campion, California poppy is at its best in natural bright orange. There are so many better white flowers. In Europe or England, is anyone aware that California poppy are naturally bright orange or gold? I mean, do white (cream), yellow, red, purple (lavender) and all the other colors besides orange and gold seem to be ‘normal’ colors for them? I have considered trying a white (cream) variety, just to experience it, and just might try a mix (!) with the hopes of experiencing a few odd colors. It is not easy for me though, since California poppy is SO traditional. When I was a kid, finding an extremely rare white poppy was like finding a four leaf clover is for other kids. Purple (lavender) poppies were even more rare. I happened to find BOTH, but only once. Regardless of what any literature will tell you, almost all California poppies are orange in the wild. Large but relatively sparse swaths of yellow poppies bloom in the Mojave Desert, but their seed somehow grows into plants that bloom mostly orange in other regions, as if the yellow color is a response to the environment. (I believe it to be genetic though.) A few gold poppies are blooming on the roadside outside right now, but they are smaller and not as spectacular as the orange poppies.
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