Okay, guess, what is a really ornamental foliage plant ideal for greenhouse or conservatory. Definitely attractive, tough as old boots, not prone to pests or diseases, quick to grow, easy to multiply, obliging as to compost, withstands poor watering regimes and will do in any position surviving sun or shade. So robust we usually give […]
Dumbing down the National Pollinator Strategy is unlikely to inspire gardeners to take their vital role seriously – so it’s hardly going to help the bees. My job, as an independent gardening writer, is not just to tap out occasionally colourful, hopefully informative, possibly thought-prodding and – dare I say it – sometimes witty prose […]
Last winter was my most successful for getting slightly tender plants through the winter, and Im hoping to repeat my success. I laid a very low wattage propagation mat onto one of the shelves of the mini greenhouse and then snuggled all of the aeoniums, geraniums and succulents onto it. It seemed more efficient to […]
Flavour is one of the main reasons most people grow their own food. You might be able to buy bags of low cost veg in the supermarket, but you can never replicate that just picked, fresh, harvest taste and by growing your own, you can have ingredients that are hard to find in the shops, […]
Anthuriums are another gorgeous greenhouse flower that is not really a flower, or rather most of each one is not. These are Araceae or Aroids, tropical versions of our native Lords and Ladies Arums. The flower shaped spathes often glossy and in many flamboyant shades have rod shaped spadix composed of a myriad tiny true […]
Remember, remember the fifth of November is an ideal opportunity to burn woody material that doesn’t compost readily. Build your bonfire as late as possible so hedgehogs and amphibians don’t take up residence beforehand, then save the wood ash. It is a good source of potash for fruiting trees, though younger wood contains more than […]
