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Sowing Seed for Thoughtful Gardening
Having a wide-ranging collection of gardening books amassed over the decades of my writing career often provides me with ideas for this column and always gives me a lift when gardening gets tough. In those moments, my library reminds me that whatever the problem/pleasure/trend is in the world of the garden, it has all been […]
Seed starting
Here in New England, snow from the recent record-breaking storm is being washed away by torrential rain as I write this. Most nights still have frost, but the dreaded nighttime temperatures in the teens (oF) seem over. Although it’s still too cold and wet to work in the garden, it’s time to start plants so […]
Water of Life
After such a wet start to the season here in the UK you might wonder why my focus this month is on water. It’s a reminder about this precious resource. Sadly it doesn’t seem to be revered. In living memory, the human race has poisoned, polluted and disregarded the water of the planet. Even in […]
Daphnes
I have been writing about gardens and plants for over 30 years and, when I started, most garden writing was purely practical. Writers explained how to grow it, where to plant it and, typically, you’d get dig a hole one foot deep in a sunny place and then do this and that. It made me […]
Repot, pollinate and plant.
It’s a good time to repot citrus just before they start into growth. To keep my lemon tree at a manageable size, I tease the old compost gently from the roots, which are then trimmed back by about 1/3 and re-potted into peat free John Innes no 2 mixed with 20% horticultural grit for drainage. […]
Not I but U
There are two new greenhouse herbs that are often confused, both relatively unknown a few decades ago now becoming popular. Their confusion is quite understandable as both are from the New World, both in the Apiaceae family, both much used in West Indian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Costa Rican and South American dishes with almost similar […]
Fruits in the Greenhouse
March in the greenhouse is a month when things start moving. The light has changed, and though nights still carry a chill, a little warmth now gathers under the glass by day. It is at this hinge of the seasons that fruit grown under glass begins to stir in earnest. Buds swell along trained branches, […]
Flower power
On dull days – and in dark times – snowdrops never fail to lift the spirits. Plant, sow, divide and share them, and light up Februarys to come! Envy alert: I’ve had a fabulous February. We’ve been blessed with an unusually dry January and February here in North Wales, though we haven’t escaped a […]
Snow Can Be Good for the Greenhouse and Garden
After a winter storm here in New England, a new layer of snow often lies deep on the ground. In the early morning, it also covers the greenhouse, providing insulation that reduces nighttime heating bills and also adds a delightful softness to the roof’s outline. But as the day wears on, the greenhouse interior warms. […]
Spring Cleaning for Gardeners
“If the last month was so severe that little work could be done in the garden, there will be a necessity for forwarding business in this, provided the season be favorable.” Thus wrote Phillip Miller, in his 1775 edition of the Gardener’s Kalendar, setting out the “work to be done” in every part of the […]
Good Companions or Not?
February Fill Dyke has certainly lived up to its name this year! It’s traditionally one of the wetter months, averaging between 50mm and 100mm of rainfall, up to three inches in old money. This year I know that we’ve had far more, because the accurate Met Office rain gauge my husband so thoughtfully gave me […]