Hartley Magazine

All the latest news, hints, tips and advice from our experts

Hardwood Cuttings

This is the time of year for hardwood cuttings, they don’t need a propagator, heat, misting or any specialist equipment, all you need is good old fashioned garden soil, sharp sand and a pair of secateurs. Plants that can be propagated using this method include ‘Dogwood’, ‘Buddleia’, gooseberries, roses, winter flowering viburnum’s and red and […]

Growing Garlic – Try it this year!

If you’ve never tried growing garlic, make this the year! It needs light soil, an open sunny site and can be planted from early October to late December. Don’t plant until spring on heavier soils, digging in grit or planting it on ridges or temporarily in pots of loam based compost then transplanting outdoors in […]

Garden and Lawn Maintenance in the Autumn

Autumn is main seasons for lawn maintenance. Rake out the ‘thatch‘ or dead grass and moss that has accumulated over the mowing season using a wire rake or lawn rake from the tool hire shop. To save money, you could hire it and share the use and cost with several friends. Spike compacted areas with […]

Growing Carrots – Which Varieties?

Last year‘s carrot crop was reasonable, considering the soil, they prefer it light and free draining but my garden is clay. This year I‘m hoping for even greater success from my new raised beds filled with well rotted compost, fertiliser made from wormcasts and sieved loam that will improve the growing conditions all round. They […]

Growing Soft Fruit – Gooseberries, Red and White Currants

Few gardeners grow soft fruit these days, a few strawberries or a row or two of raspberries at the very most – Red or White currants are out of the question because gardeners assume that they take up a lot of space. I inherited a range of familiar and unusual red and white currants and […]