There are so many great reasons to feed our plants naturally says Jean Vernon. The cost of everything is rising. Don’t let the rising price of fertilisers affect your plants and gardens. Instead use natural and low-cost alternatives to get the results you want. Plants make their own food in their leaves using sunlight and […]
Isn’t it confusing? We all love the garden birds and wish them no harm. But feeding them seems to be causing problems. So, what do we do to keep the garden birds safe? Everyone loves garden birds. We stop and listen to their melodious songs, we watch their funny antics around the garden and we […]
Have we been brainwashed into keeping a monoculture of high maintenance grass plants across a huge area of our garden, asks Jean Vernon? I’ll let you into a little secret. I don’t have a lawn. That’s rather ironic, as for many years I tested lawnmowers for The Daily Telegraph. That was possibly one of the […]
After such a wet start to the season here in the UK you might wonder why my focus this month is on water. It’s a reminder about this precious resource. Sadly it doesn’t seem to be revered. In living memory, the human race has poisoned, polluted and disregarded the water of the planet. Even in […]
There’s something very magical about plants that brave the winter weather and flower when everything else in the garden is slumbering. The nodding heads of snowdrops are a delight to the eye when everything else in the garden can seem slow to appear. This spring, the fair maids of February have appeared earlier than usual […]
This year start keeping notes about your garden. A garden journal is such a useful tool, says Jean Vernon. I spend most of my working time writing, so you might be surprised that I’m not that good at journaling. And yet there are so many times every year that I wish I’d kept better notes […]
Are you looking for the precious present. Something for the gardener in your life? Here are some ideas of gifts that are thoughtful and inexpensive I don’t often sit and contemplate what I’d like as a treat, even as Christmas approaches. To be honest, sometimes it’s just enough to be alive, with a roof over […]
Embrace some fresh ideas and inspiration from Japan and create a space that looks lovely but that also has health benefits too. The English garden is often celebrated as being superior, partly due to their romantic style and the extensive garden history. But in fact, we can learn so much from other cultures and the […]
Pumpkins are more than an ornament for Halloween, says Jean Vernon The shops are full of bright orange pumpkins for sale. Huge fields are used to grow thousands of football sized pumpkins for sale in October. But not necessarily for eating. Instead, the majority are used to create Halloween lanterns to adorn gardens and door […]
Are there plants that you can grow in your garden that will also feed the birds? Jean Vernon explores. Right now, the plants in your garden are approaching the end of their yearly cycle. For annual plants that means they have set and made seeds. Even the perennial plants will have seed heads and pods […]
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 […]
Moths are some of the most misunderstood mini-beasts in our gardens. These almost secret creatures are also pollinators and part of the food chain, Jean Vernon explains Gardeners don’t often notice moths in their gardens and that’s because many of them are active at night. Night flying moths are often (but not always) drab because […]
