Some greenhouse plants are appreciated more for their luxuriant foliage than for their flowers or food appeal. Taro, Colocasia antiquorum, is a good example and ideal for gracing a frost free conservatory or bay window. Luxuriant dark green, rhubarb sized, broad arrow shaped, leaves similar to those of an Arum lily, held on stems a […]
I’ve been doing plenty of very sensible and grown-up sowing recently in my mini greenhouse – lettuce, beetroot, spinach and more, all to be planted out at the allotment as soon as they are big and ugly enough – but I have also been having a little fun with pea shoots. I ran my first […]
For those of us who grow tomatoes in a greenhouse and outside in the garden, there is no competition – the greenhouse wins every time! The patio is fine for growing bush varieties in large pots and hanging baskets or tall varieties up against a wall in grow bags, but to guarantee a successful crop […]
The clean, uncluttered lines of Hartley Botanics’ new Horizon glasshouse – unveiled on stand MA13 at the 2012 RHS Chelsea Flower Show (May 22-26) – reflect a new age of modernism in the domestic landscape, giving garden owners the option to project contemporary house styles and increasingly popular rectilinear garden designs into their outdoor structures. […]
High-tech sunshine harvesting is all very well if you can afford it, but there’s an easier and more earth-friendly way of turning sunlight into energy right outside your back door.
For a long time I’ve been fascinated about the effect of the moon on plant growth. I’m no expert and there are plenty of places to learn more, but the pulling power of the moon on the tides and lifecycle of the planet must in some way affect not just plant growth but life in […]
The end of last month took us from -15 C to 15C in a matter of two weeks in parts of Britain, some gardeners I spoke to expressed surprise; others, wore that knowing, well worn look based on years of experience. I clearly remember when I was a teenager (yes, that long ago!) planting trees […]
