It’s that time of year. The garden’s winding down and most of my roses have finished for the year so there are very few to pick for the house. I’ve already reduced the top growth of most by a third, to prevent the wind from rocking the plant about and creating a gaping hole above […]
Mighty oaks from little acorns grow – as do hope, serenity and a sense of purpose amidst mounting political and ecological chaos. It’s time to step up and sow. Even the most sanguine gardener has their limit. I’ve just reached mine: a maelstrom of dispiriting, unsettling news – ecological, political, economic, the here and now, […]
Mandevilla, with their numerous, large, brilliantly colored flowers, are highly prized for the tropical look they give to summertime decks and patios. Knowing that these plants originate from South America, mostly Brazil, gives a clue to the conditions they prefer – warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine. In general, mandevilla need at least six or […]
Lately, I’ve given much thought to an age-old question, why do we garden? First posited by Methuselah – I jest, but my favorite essayist, Sir Francis Bacon reasoned–and rightly so–in 1625, that the garden first created by the Almighty, remains “the purest of human pleasures. [and] the greatest refreshment to the spirit of man…”. Bacon […]
Now that the greenhouse is emptied of summer tomatoes, it’s the perfect moment to move in some bulbs. With a bit of luck and the wind behind you, you can have them in flower for Christmas, but if you don’t manage to hit Christmas just see them as a boon, something spring-like and jolly for […]
Take a wander around your garden, or into your greenhouse and I could almost guarantee there are plants that have a direct memory of a friend or loved one. In my garden I have cuttings of my grandmother’s rosemary plant. That in itself is quite ironic because rosemary is associated with remembrance. So much so […]
Be warned, these unique fruits may lure Blackbirds and Thrushes to venture into your greenhouse just to steal them. There is something about the colour, look or taste of these blue apple-berries that is irresistibly attractive to them. Which is odd as they are edible to us though not remarkably palatable, certainly not very more-ish […]
Now that the weather is starting become distinctly autumnal, it’s time to pick your last tomatoes and ripen them on the windowsill or greenhouse. Some green, blemish free fruit can be stored in a cool drawer, to be ripened in the fruit-bowl or in a paper bag with an over ripe banana, as needed during […]
Scratch beneath the surface, and this too is a season of new life, as the alchemical magic of leaf mouldering gets underway. Autumn may signal death and decay for some, but in my garden it’s when renewable, replenishing new life actually arrives (and no, it’s not a load of steaming manure). This vitalising, life-bringing force […]
My watering can sprang a leak and I went online to find the best one for watering greenhouse plants. Frankly, from what I found, very few cans were worth spending a lot of money on. Most were cheap plastic cans that will spring a leak if you try to use them more than twice. (Then […]
Writing this on the first day of autumn, whistling a sigh of relief that we got all the tomatoes and peaches in before frost turned them to mush or the squirrels got them. I the garden is taking on the shades of fall, burnished gold, steely blue, burgundy purple, while the rugosa roses are setting […]
Lots of people in horticulture will have very fond memories of out late Queen Elizabeth, including the staff and management of Hartley Botanic. Her late Majesty adored going to the Chelsea Flower Show and Hartley are regular attendees. I particularly remember her visit in 2012, the year of the Diamond Jubilee, because an entire military […]
