For the first time for years we have an early summer, it’s so early that plants that would normally be flowering in June are in blossom in April and May. That’s the one thing that makes gardening exciting and unpredictable, the weather is never the same two years running and always has a fresh challenge. […]
Now here are a delightful though little known bunch of closely related small tender trees and shrubs. From the Americas these are widely grown in most tropical and sub-tropical countries but are also surprisingly good as frost free greenhouse subjects. Although they are from such tropical areas they are quite tough and can endure short […]
I regularly count myself as fortunate ‘freelancer’, in the gardening world. I was recently a guest lecturer on a Fred. Olsen Cruise down to the Cape Verde Islands, an archipelago off the coast of Senegal, (No I didn’t know where they were, either!) once a Portuguese colony and tipped as the next ‘big’ holiday destination. […]
Here are the lettuces I sowed in the greenhouse earlier in the year, ready for harvesting. They may not look ready to you, but I am following Charles Dowding’s method, and if Charles says they’re ready, they’re ready. Charles is salad leaf Zen master. His approach is a little different to the usual cut and […]
One of the things that gardeners often forget is that the vast majority of the plants that we grow hail from far distant shores. That’s why we need a greenhouse! To lull these hot house flowers and sun loving plants into thinking that they are growing in their native environment. Of course some plants hail […]
Early in the month, while the soil is still cold, is the perfect time to get sowing in the greenhouse. Heavier soils in particular are going to take time to warm up. Frost tender crops like Aubergine, celery, peppers, sweet corn, French and runner beans, courgettes, squashes and other tender vegetables can all be germinated […]
A few years ago I got the opportunity to visit Jersey at potato harvesting time. I spent a couple of days scrambling up hillsides by the sea, too steep for tractors and so worked by hand, with tools on pulleys. You felt that if you lost your footing you would tumble into the sea, desperately […]
Greenhouse space is usually limited so we cannot fit in everything we want and must choose just those that most appeal to our needs for bloom, foliage or produce. However there’s also growing something for the sheer fun of it, allowing in plants that may be unlikely to flower, would be a poor show if […]
Spring is in the air and the sun is shining. It’s an exciting time in the garden and greenhouse the potential of what is yet to come is immense. Already the greenhouse is bursting with shooting cuttings, sprouting seeds and bursting flower buds building up to the spring crescendo, but to keep things going and […]
I got my greenhouse two and a half years ago to shelter my burgeoning collection of exotic stuff, ensetes, aeoniums, daturas, which up to that point and through several mild winters had survived just by being pushed up by the house with a bit of fleece thrown over them. Heady days. I thought it would […]
I write this month’s diary to the sound of a birdsong, with warm sunshine streaming through the office window. Fantastic! After a dark and dreary winter, it looks like spring is finally its way and that’s great news for us all! It is amazing how sunshine and a little warmth lifts the spirits, add the […]
I doubt there’s any other tender plant so many gardeners, even really good ones, have failed to keep going. Accept a gardenia will not live long and it’s a fair price to pay for such complete loveliness. After all we do not expect a bunch of flowers to endure forever. So if we think of […]
