Now’s the time to capitalise on the current warm spell before the onset of autumn, and a chance to get into the garden and enjoy the sunshine. Wherever a plant goes, the label goes too, so check that tender plants in borders like Cannas and Dahlia’s still have their labels, so you know what to […]
‘Keep quiet and grow on’ simply isn’t tenable any longer. What we do in our gardens does make a difference to climate change – for better or for worse. It needs a snappier name for sure, but Gardening and Climate Change Day might be just what we need to snap us out of the comatose […]
A frost free greenhouse that stays cool all summer is perfect for this exotically perfumed climber. Indeed this is excellent run along high wires in a shady greenhouse or conservatory as this will seldom get too hot and there will be enough light next to the glass. Mandevilla suaveolens is a tender deciduous climber from […]
There have been few times the greenhouse has looked scruffier. This year I have grown a couple of tomatoes and aubergines in there, rather than transferring everything to the polytunnel, and it is true that these few lonely plants are still ripening up their fruits and looking green and healthy. But the rest of the […]
Having a lovely greenhouse may not have worked out quite the way I’d like. As you may know ( from previous griping) the Best Beloved has filled it with edibles – sweet peppers, tomatoes and aubergines mainly. However I do manage to reclaim some space for my twenty or so nerines and they produce spectacular […]
Happy in a cool greenhouse Maidenhair ferns, Adiantums, have the reputation of being easy to kill as a houseplant. They just do not like hot dry conditions. Indeed they’re most satisfied in a Wardian case, or even a bottle. Still a cool greenhouse is good and set in dappled shade amongst other plants they usefully […]
Now a firm part of British culture, over the last few centuries, the great English Victorian Glasshouse has become an iconic feature in botanic gardens throughout the country. Often thought of as a cornerstone of gardening itself, the history of the English glasshouse takes its roots from far and wide. Early beginnings Although a far […]
There are many reasons we grow our own food. There’s nothing better than the living larder that the garden and greenhouse creates. For me it’s a reality check. While pretty much everyone relies on supermarkets for some of their shopping, being able to not only supplement the weekly shop with some really fresh and tasty […]
Enter for your chance to win a delicious & bespoke cheese hamper Please note: this competition has now ended, but thank you to every one who entered, and congratulations to our winner – Alison Barker, of Walsall in the West Midlands. Summer may feel like it’s on its way out, but here’s a […]
