In American yards, the default way of covering the soil is grass. You’ll see yards with no trees, no shrubs, no flowers, but there’s nearly always at least a little patch of grass. Very often the grass makes no sense. On city streets with tiny front gardens, shaded by trees and buildings, I’ll often see […]
When the climate crisis took hold, the effects on gardening were devastating. Thankfully, technological innovation is allowing us to get growing again. ‘Just imagine what this kind of weather did to greenhouses in the late 2020s,’ shouted Cally over the thunderous din. Unlike the group she was guiding, she didn’t flinch as 3in-wide hellstones – or hailstones, […]
“Roses don’t like to live in pots. They all want their feet in the ground.” I thought that old rose adage was true—until I met author, photographer, and blogger, Anne Reeves. Her home garden in the Seattle area is overflowing with roses in containers. And many have been thriving for years in their pots—so I […]
It’s been quite a while since ladies fell onto their fainting couches or fumbled behind the fernery with their dashing callers – a hot date back in the day. But once the happy couple settled into domestic propriety, the fragile young girls became women of some substance, with children to raise and a home and […]
Growing plants and having a nice garden is within reach for everyone says Jean Vernon. You don’t need to be an expert gardener to have a nice garden. In fact the best way to learn is to have a go. But there are some simple basic things about plants and gardens that it is helpful […]
I have never been a great collector of things or of plants – some people have the attention to detail and the tenacity and some do not, and I fall squarely into the latter category. But it struck me recently that I have made a collection of pelargoniums. To proper plant aficionados that may seem […]
You need a warm greenhouse or conservatory to grow Wax plants successfully. Not surprisingly as these originate in the tropical Far East. The first, Hoya carnosa, was introduced to the UK from Java in 1802 and proved an immediate success. In the next fifty years another two dozen species were collected but none ever challenged […]
Sow Fennel, oriental vegetables like mizuna greens and Pak Choi, rocket, coriander dill, spinach, claytonia and land cress, in modules as soon as you can in August. These will germinate quickly and can be planted out by mid-August for an Autumn harvest. Blossom End Rot, where the end of tomatoes becomes circular, black and flattened, […]
Every greenhouse gardener needs a good compost in order to raise seeds and plants, but in recent years it’s been very difficult to find a good compost that’s consistent in quality. Historically price mattered more than anything else, so it was quite possible to buy a good bag of something one week and then get […]
