The greenhouse’s most bonny specimens at the moment are beans, almost bursting out of their pots and modules desperate to get out into the ground. And it won’t be long. I have a few types on the go. Most shamefully I have broad beans, which is an admission that all of those I sowed in […]
Now here’s a genus I promise you are going to grow at least one species of some day. You may already have one. A delightful purple leaved miniature clover like creeping plant, Yellow Oxalis, Oxalis corniculata. It’s one of the commonest of greenhouse weeds, which means it’s seldom thought desirable. Okay, it does spread invasively […]
Protein is an important part of our diet, but many people rarely consider plants as a good source of protein. That’s a shame, because plants can be a great source of protein and if you grow a variety of plants for seed, grains, fruits and nuts you can actually grow a lot of protein in […]
Stop trying to control your garden, start letting nature take the lead, then sit back and watch the benefits to people, plants and planet. Fast-moving feathered flashes of black, white and red, amid a flurry of sawdust, to the tap-tap-tap of beak on wood: it isn’t what we usually wake up to here. Blue, great […]
A Hartley Botanic greenhouse is not only a joy to behold, it’s also a useful gardening tool because it creates an ambient environment that encourages plant growth. And if you live where I live, in the aptly named village of Cold Aston, it’s a necessity for it’s parky up here! My greenhouse began life with […]
The Queensland Umbrella tree, Schefflera is an evergreen greenhouse or conservatory shrub come small tree distantly related to ivy. Given good conditions a plant under cover may flower and berry though it’s for the somewhat hand shaped and handsome foliage this is cultivated. Originally from Australasia these distinctive ornamental shrubs have proved popular in subtropical […]
This competition is now closed. Thank you to all who entered. Our winner was Janet Clegg of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Do you love luscious plants, beautiful flowers and all things gardening? Then I imagine you might like to attend the prestigious, world-renowned RHS Chelsea Flower Show. If so, today could be your lucky day! […]
Now’s the time to repot or ‘top dress’ and spring clean houseplants. They can last for 2-3 years before repotting but it pays to check annually. Knock your plants from the pot, to see if they are ‘pot bound’ – soaking the root-ball for half an hour in tepid water makes it easier to remove […]
I like to think that there are very few real pests in the garden and the greenhouse. Most of the issues the gardener faces are ephemeral, a passing phase and more a meal for a larger predator than a real problem. That to me is the secret in pest control; find the creature that feeds […]
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The strong urge to push on with the growing year only increases if you have a greenhouse at your disposal: surely – we think – I can get everything going nice and early and be ahead of the game? Be harvesting when everyone else is just planting out? Have ripe tomatoes in June? We might […]
Locally adapted varieties, UK-grown seed, and a company owned by growers and gardeners: a new venture aims to future-proof our seed supply by bringing it all back home. It’s always struck me how smaller seed companies, often those with the most colourful and engaging tales to tell, have the dourest of seed packets. I’m not […]
