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 […]
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 […]
