Guest Blog from Paolo Arrigo This is a guest blog from Paolo Arrigo who together with his wife Alessandra runs ‘Seeds of Italy’, the treasure trove of seeds from all the regions of Italy. Every year I make sure I have a few packets on my list of things new things to try (Zucchini da […]
If there’s one herb that conjures up summer for me it has to be basil. Its intense fragrance and flavors creates an instant Mediterranean feel to the garden, the greenhouse and to summer meals. Basil is a tender annual that has exacting needs. Although it can be sown from seed early in the season, it […]
In The Greenhouse with Lila Das Gupta In addition to sharp eyes, a keen sense of smell is vital in the greenhouse. A couple of weeks back I started to notice a damp smell not totally dissimilar to that of a bathroom that isn’t properly ventilated. In addition the soil on top of the pots […]
During last month’s sunny weather I replanted my collection of cordon gooseberries, that had been lifted when new paths were laid around the raised beds and greenhouse, now all they need is to be tied in to a support. They will welcome the improved soil and with plenty of TLC should re-establish rapidly when 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. 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 […]
