I always have a bit of a conundrum at this time of year in the greenhouse. The plants are really growing away strongly now and tomatoes and aubergines are forming (no melons yet thoughā¦). But holidays hove into view. Holidays and greenhouses really donāt mix particularly well. At this time of year greenhouse plants want […]
Caterpillars get a bad press, especially with gardeners. But if you placed a butterfly in front of a gardener and told them to kill it, would they or could they? Well ā¦. I hope not Itās time to fall in love with caterpillars. But first you need to understand a bit about them. Caterpillars are […]
Tapping into the interconnected mycological web beneath our feet lets us make allies of the myriad fungi in our gardens. Not many books ā a mere third of the way through reading them ā have me dashing excitedly out into my garden. But thatās exactly the effect thatĀ Finding the Mother Tree: Uncovering the Wisdom and […]
One of the easiest and most exotic of all greenhouse flowers this is sadly not a good choice for those who must work 9-5. You see, or rather you wonāt see, the fantastical blooms, which open in the morning and close and die that afternoon, really remarkably soon come and gone. This unfortunate habit is […]
Lack of light and cool temperatures over the last few weeks after the blast of heat and sunshine has slammed on the brakes on growth in the greenhouse. Sweet peppers and aubergines are slow get going and side shoot and the tomatoes look really lacklustre but the cucumbers in one corner, which donāt mind the […]
I was rushing to plant shrubs on a recent hot day when the heavens opened. Thunder boomed, lightning flashed, rain ran down my neck and dripped off my nose. I kept at it for a while, because gardeners are waterproof and the shrubs desperately needed planting. Iād been putting it off through weeks of June […]
Itās a time-honored tradition to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea among your plants in the greenhouse. But what about growing tea there? Tea (Camellia sinensis) has been cultivated around the world for thousands of years, but in the United States it is a relatively new crop. With the resurgence of interest in […]
Hartley Botanicās classic Victorian greenhouse was the centerpiece of one of the most relatable gardens at this yearās Philadelphia Flower Show, which was themed āHABITAT: Natureās Masterpiece,ā and geared to exploring āthe beauty of life through natureās kaleidoscopic lens.ā At 189 years old, this is the first time the PFS has been held in the […]
During summer, greenhouse plants need a lot of attention. Temperatures inside a greenhouse can easily soar to over 100oF (38oC) even with all the windows and doors open. Such heat can significantly stress your plants. The problem with high heat is that it causes water in plants to get quickly depleted through transpiration. Transpiration is […]
One of the best things about having a Hartley greenhouse is being able to propagate and that means plants for free. And thatās VERY important to those of us with Yorkshire roots. Oh yes, it is! Midsummer is a perfect time to start and it neednāt be complicated, despite what you read in books. I […]
It has certainly been excellent chilli weather in the greenhouse. In fact it has been chilli weather everywhere. The sort of sweaty, day and night heat we have had recently is perfect for chillies, which really hate the temperature fluctuations that come with spring, and hit their stride in a summer heat wave.Ā We have […]
