A belated happy 2010 to all visitors to this site. I’ve been off air for a couple of months, taking care of family life, and, in this last week, before the Siberian winds set in, preparing the soil on the allotment for the warmer weather to come. A strange thing always happens to me at […]
Angels trumpets, or Angel Strumpets as someone punned, are spectacular, and easy. Once known as Datura now some are reclassified as Brugmansia which is not appealing and rebelliously many still prefer Datura. The most commonly grown form, D. suavolens, has huge lily like white trumpets with the fantastic scent most marked in the evening. There […]
This cold winter has been a shock and I wouldn’t be surpised if there’s yet more snow to come. Even now there is some lying in a large patch behind a nearby hedge reminding me of the old country saying that if the snow lies more will come to take it away. The meltwater soaking […]
With the nights drawing out very noticeably and a slight rise in temperature the garden is starting to come alive. Spring really is only a few weeks away. In the greenhouse the plants are starting to sprout into life. Cuttings over-wintered in the shelter of the glasshouse have rooted and are ready to plant out. […]
I’ll bet this is not a plant you would ever previously thought I’d be likely to recommend. However wait, yes petunias can be a bit cheap and nasty, but they do have certain virtues other than the exuberant floriferousness they always exhibit. Too long associated only with garish town centre bedding schemes and pub frontages. […]
When you’ve got a greenhouse you’ve got everything you need to be productive in terms of homegrown fruit and vegetables. Whether you are starting out, or an experienced gardener, growing potatoes is one of the easiest and most rewarding crops you can grow. With a greenhouse you can get your potatoes off to the best […]
The ‘Indian Azalea’ is one of my favourite winter houseplants, the deep green foliage and delicate, tissue paper flowers are just perfect. With care plants last for many years and become a family heirloom: here are the secrets of success. Keep it in a cool, bright place and the compost moist with tepid soft water. […]
I’m not even going to count the days till Christmas, but if you still have some shopping to do for the gardener in your life, here are a few ideas. All prices exclude postage and packing. Rostaing Leather Gardening Gloves – £22.65 The Rostaing tannery in France has been in business for two centuries. These […]
We’ve had so much rain in the last few weeks that the greenhouse has been a haven from the elements. The gutters on my greenhouse were filled with needles from next door’s ancient cedar of Lebanon and when it rained they overflowed violently. It didn’t take long to clear them out and free up the […]
Although ‘Growing your own’ has ignited an unprecedented interest in vegetable growing, a fascination for fruit is taking a little longer. Sales are increasing slowly but people still believe that growing fruit is too challenging – birds steal the crops, lists of pollination partners are incomprehensible, and pruning, an impossible mystery to all but the […]
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. This month Bob nominates ~ The Swiss Cheese plant. We all know […]
Now I must admit ginger is not the easiest crop to grow well, but then the sense of achievement is all the greater. The foliage has wide grass like leaves angled on verdant thick rush like green stems, somewhat resembling a rare lily, and reaching a couple of feet or even a metre in height. […]
