Snowball effect
Some of the drivers behind the peat-free roll-out are surprising and not all are admirable – but that doesn’t detract from the benefits to the gardener and the natural world.
Some of the drivers behind the peat-free roll-out are surprising and not all are admirable – but that doesn’t detract from the benefits to the gardener and the natural world.
Hartley Botanic are proud to be in association with the SGD & The Raymond Blanc Heritage Garden Competition. Congratulations to Anne Keenan MSGD who has been named the winning garden designer in the inaugural Raymond Blanc Heritage Garden competition. Anne’s design concept was chosen by a judging panel that included Raymond Blanc, Bob Sherman from […]
I have been cooking with herbs a lot this past summer, making use of the basil that I have finally worked out how to grow (essentially: have a hot and very sunny summer, plus a greenhouse) to make pesto in a vibrant shade of green you never find in the shops, and sprinkling with abandon […]
Last month we were fortunate to visit the RHS flower show at Tatton Park and travelled by train from Leeds to Knutsford (via Manchester) to reduce our carbon footprint. It was then a just short walk through the town to the gates, where a free courtesy bus took us to the entrance of the show. […]
In these days of credit crisis, what we grow to eat in our gardens and greenhouses plays a more and more important role in our lives. These days it’s not a lifestyle choice to grow your own, but a moral obligation and for many a commonsense solution to making ends meet. Greenhouse space is often […]
Step back, let live, and try a little gardening on the wild side. A laid-back approach has all sorts of benefits – starting with more time to enjoy it all.
You don’t need a greenhouse to grow Dahlias but having one is an immense help especially until the frosts are over. There are Dahlias in almost every colour save blue with an almost extravagant series of sizes and sorts such as Cactus, Pompon, Peony and Ball flowered. Many of these are great for cut flowers […]
And spike and scarify, for September is the traditional month for lawn maintenance, a job I find immensely satisfying. If you have a small lawn, rake out the ‘thatch’ or dead grass and moss that has accumulated over the mowing season with a wire rake or buy an electric scarifier. Hire a motorised scarifier if […]
This time last year I visited a Thai woman living in Dorset who grew the crops of her homeland in her greenhouse. On arriving in England, Nid had despaired of ever growing anything she knew, but she said: ‘I soon found out why everyone in England has a greenhouse’. She got one herself and set […]
When you grow your own fruit, vegetables and greenhouse crops you fully understand the time and effort that is invested into every mouthful. The Grow Your Own fanatic is not going to waste a morsel; every tomato, bean and cucumber will be devoured with relish, or simply pickled, jammed or chutneyed, or just eaten fresh […]
Though my raspberries have been a disappointment this year, there has been a remarkable crop of apples – a great compensation. Some of the cordons are overburdened, but one of the most surprising is a ‘Claygate Pearmain’, shown in the picture, it’s cropped poorly for several years but now definitely needs thinning! Early August is […]