It’s time to look beyond plastic – there’s a new pot on the plot that promises pollution-free planting. If gardening wants to get serious – and I mean serious, not just some fluffy padding that fills a few column inches now and then in glossy magazines – about its darker side, the one that blights […]
Although we should be looking forward to May, it’s impossible not to comment on April’s extraordinary weather where conditions were totally alien gardeners in warmer parts of the UK. First sowings were abandoned or delayed and the ground was too cold and dry for transplanting. I have never known anything like it! First of all, […]
Fig trees typically grow in warm climates, so there are many regions too cold for them to survive the winter. In general, hardiness zones lower than 6 are not fig-friendly. One old-style method of protecting a fig tree during winter in cold climates is to tie up the branches after they’ve shed their leaves and […]
The plug plants for the greenhouse have arrived and now it feels like the year is off to a proper start. Plug plants are a bit of a cheat, but a brilliant one. I know most gardeners love to sow seeds, and I do too, honest. I love the magic of seeing those shoots of […]
Today, in the third week of April, it snowed in Chicago. Temperatures are still falling below freezing at night. Which is why I’m glad I didn’t buy petunias when I saw them for sale, in full bloom, three weeks ago–on April Fool’s Day, appropriately. Petunias, with their ruffly bell-shaped flowers, are popular for summer gardens […]
This month you may be bringing along your container plants in the greenhouse or choosing them at nurseries. But not all outdoor locations are ideal for planting in pots, so I’m turning to Christina Salwitz for advice. She’s known as The Personal Garden Coach, as well as a horticulturist, garden designer, photographer, and co-author of […]
No, I’m not referring to clandestine comings and goings you understand. I’m talking about those shady corners in need of softening. All gardeners have them, including me, despite the fact that most of my garden is resolutely south-facing I still have some spots that get very little sun. One path, between the woodland borders, gets […]
Sometimes life can be overwhelming. It can creep up slowly and gently cloud your mind, or knock you sideways and off the tracks It’s not always easy to find a way through the tough times, but our gardens, greenhouses and nature in general can provide a safe place of peace and quiet. The very act […]
Tomorrow I am meeting a new arrival to Colorado, an Englishwoman from the Home Counties who has bought a house to be near family. She’s keen for advice and gardening connections in this strange land—her English garden sounds like a veritable Eden. She may be surprised that the best advice I can give her for […]
Why on earth would you grow carrots in your greenhouse? After all there’s seldom shortages in the shops, they’re usually on sale year round and are inexpensive. Well simply because carrots are crunchier and sweeter when home grown especially when pulled just before eating not stored for months. Then of course there are so many […]
This is the time of year when the greenhouse becomes a plant production line, and shows its value for side stepping the effects of the weather – particularly in cooler areas. It’s also the time when you will be rewarded for the hours spent washing pots and trays during winter. Sow the following in trays […]
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