We are barely scratching the surface of autumn and yet it is time to start putting the greenhouse to some autumnal uses, to which end I have been sowing some flower seeds to give plants a head start on next year, namely: hollyhocks. I live in a street that is blessed by hollyhocks. During high […]
“This morning, when I went to look at my flowers…I saw again in my mind all the blossoms in the woods, the fields, the gardens, the orangeries and the green-houses; and I thought of all that we owe to world of marvels which the bees visit.” Maurice Maeterlinck, 1909. Not just the bees, I hasten […]
An excellent greenhouse or conservatory foliage plant this much improved once rare variety has recently become more widely available. The original plain green Fatsia japonica has long been useful as a decorative foliage plant for shady cool positions and has proved just hardy enough to go outside in summer or even permanently in sheltered courtyards […]
September began with rainfall in many areas filling up our water butts with the most precious commodity in the world and a welcome relief to all gardeners. It is the time of year when you reap the reward for your labours, with tomatoes, aubergines and peppers ripening rapidly. Begin removing individual leaves around aubergines, peppers […]
As food prices rise and supply chains fray and snap, a radical new approach to work and income could free up time for many more of us to grow our own. I’m ready to scream. If I hear this phrase one more time, I will: ‘cost of living crisis’. There, I’ve typed it and I’m […]
This spring was quite wet, which made it ideal for producing berries. I grow a variety of berry plants, all of which keep on giving year after year. Not wanting to make jams or jellies during the heat of summer, many of my berries are bagged and frozen to be used in cooler weather. Here’s […]
We have reached the most exciting moment in the greenhouse year – it is finally earning its keep. After months of coaxing, feeding, side-shooting and watering, the tomato harvest is upon me. This is the moment we greenhouse growers have been waiting for: trusses hanging heavy, fruit blushing from green to gold, orange, crimson and […]
August, a word defined as ‘inspiring reverence, admiration, dignity and grandeur’ in the dictionary, does not really define this late-summer month at all. Most gardens are tired and lacklustre and especially so in drought-stressed 2025. The subdued summer flourish has been and gone and the autumnal cavalcade is still waiting in the wings. And I’m […]
To get the most from your garden you need to learn to read the signs, signals and symptoms of your plants, soil and plot, says Jean Vernon Gardening is more than a hobby. It’s a deep connection with nature and an interest well-rooted in our psyche. When we tune into our plants and garden, caring […]
What can be more magical than a full moon on a summer evening? That great silvery orb peeping out behind drifting clouds or rising regally into a clear sky twinkling with diamonds. Makes one wax lyrical. Sitting out in the garden on such a night could be called moon-bathing, and provide an opportunity to enjoy […]
Now’s the time to sow Fennel, oriental vegetables like mizuna greens and Pak Choi, rocket, coriander dill, spinach, claytonia and land cress in modules. Germination will be fast and they can be planted out by mid-August for cropping in autumn. Later in the month August sow spinach, spring onions, lettuce and spring cabbage for transplanting […]
Anyone visiting your greenhouse will be intrigued by this. A real surprise, a tasty herb and an edible plant I’d never tried before. And when I tell you the genus I’m sure it will surprise you as well. The cheerful yellow flowers are a give-away, does their colour remind you of anything? These are an […]
