In this series of monthly articles Bob explores the incredible range of plants you can grow in a greenhouse, conservatory or plastic tunnel. Not just the purely decorative but the scented and edible also, and maybe those plants that are just downright interesting. Bob starts off this month with his favourite- Pineapples. Few plant’s are […]
A bean feast is more than a sumptuous spread of leguminous vegetables, it is a celebration of self sufficiency and the ‘raison d’etre’ to which most gardeners will cite for their ‘grow their own’ activities. And so in recognition of the title of this monthly section and in celebration of the humble bean, this very […]
We are not out of March yet but already my greenhouse has readings of 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius), which means that without shading, my seedlings are pretty soon going to fry. The most economical method is to paint on white shading which comes in pre-measured sachets (a box costs around 5 pounds). Credit […]
In The Greenhouse with Lila Das Gupta The big wave of spring sowing has started, but I’m still occupied with sorting out my small urban space since the arrival of the greenhouse. That’s the way it is in a city environment “every foot counts”. I had originally intended to put my potting bench in the […]
In The Greenhouse with Lila Das Gupta Today’s lesson is a very simple one.When you go on holiday, or slip away for a few days: get someone to look after the greenhouse. I’ve just come back from the most magical few days in Santiago de Compostela, in north west Spain, for a surprise 50th birthday […]
Here’s an urgent reminder to anyone reading my diary early in the month. March is at the extreme end of the planting season for bare rooted trees and shrubs – field grown plants that are not sold in containers. They are traditionally planted between leaf fall and bud burst so when the weather starts to […]
In The Greenhouse with Lila Das Gupta As much as I love my small greenhouse, its arrival also created a huge design problem in the garden, compounded by the oversized shed (where else do you keep 5 bikes?) and the obligatory trampoline. Add to that the increasingly boxed-in feeling from neighbours extensions along the side […]
In The Greenhouse with Lila Das Gupta I love the way that every hobby has particular kit associated with it that assumes cult status. Years ago, when I did a brief stint as a bicycle mechanic, everyone lusted after ‘double butted, curly lugged’ Reynold’s tubing on their frames. Trawling round the internet looking for little […]
A few years back, there was an ad on TV for some sort of ready meal. In the 10 minutes it took to ‘boil in the bag’, the woman was able to use the extra time to take up the cello, get as fit as Madonna or complete her Phd. I thought about this the […]
This winter is like the winters of old and is the coldest for over ten yars, with snow and chilling winds. It will be interesting to discover how many of the plants that have overwintered over the past few milder years, still survive. Unfortunately, the thermostat on my greenhouse heater failed during one of the […]
In The Greenhouse with Lila Das Gupta Obviously this was not the week to let rip in the greenhouse: my sweet peas and peppers have been moved into the dining room to await the melting of snow. I’ve consoled myself with scrubbing out pots with a pot brush (hygiene is vital in a greenhouse) and […]
In The Greenhouse with Lila Das Gupta I have just spent the most magical first day in my new greenhouse. The bulk of it was spent “feathering the nest”: sorties to the shed to bring in supplies of compost, propagator, labels, hand tools, trays, seeds, radio, riddle, watering can, seat. Then came the final moment […]
