Some years ago I wrote a book titled The Art of the Kitchen Garden about the evolution of fruit and vegetable growing and cookery from the 15th to the 18th century. Greenhouses evolved in part, I learned, from the introduction in the 17th century to Europe of the exotic pineapple, which quickly went from oddity […]
I’m always happy to get amaryllis bulbs as Christmas gifts. In January and February, when there’s not much a Midwesterner can do in the way of gardening, it’s a joy to have something to water. It’s even more joyful to see the first green sprouts. Paperwhite narcissus bulbs are another popular gift. So are bulb […]
How to grow elephant ears for winter colour — tops tips from @AlysFowler in this article ➡️ https://t.co/ic35tHg7cY… https://t.co/1AxqfBrDCo
These stately palms have long been seen in many fin de siècle drawing rooms, as backdrops on film sets and at all sorts of large events, indeed as often as simply decorating conservatories and greenhouses. Discovered on Lord Howe Island off the coast of New South Wales this Australian palm, Howeria, rapidly became incredibly popular […]
If you missed sowing broad beans in autumn, sow some now under glass for an early summer harvest, 5-8cm apart and 2.5cm deep in deep trays of multipurpose compost or singly in small pots. Put them in a cool frost-free greenhouse, and harden them off before planting outdoors in early spring. Use the hardy varieties […]
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all at Hartley Botanic https://t.co/6lP0leW1F0
It is the time for making new year’s resolutions and if I stick to mine there will be some big changes in the greenhouse in the coming year. We are planning on giving up our allotment, a slightly backwards kind of resolution I’ll admit, when everyone else is taking healthy things up, and it hardly […]
This time of year is all about anticipation. As we shop and wrap, we’re building up to a single magic moment when all will be revealed. We’re re-creating the delightful agony we remember from childhood, when we waited day after day for that special moment when we could find out if our presents lived up […]
If you own a greenhouse, where do you keep your tools and supplies, such as trowels, rakes, scoops, shears, pots, potting soil, fertilizers, pesticides, cleaning gear, and other necessities? All these things collectively take up a lot of space, especially in a small greenhouse. Clutter inside a greenhouse competes with and detracts from the plants, […]
Winter structure in the garden 🌲➡️ https://t.co/A1eYpq0Dvn #Gardening #Landscaping #Gardens https://t.co/3qZjqtnT08
One of the earliest flowers I ever encountered was the magnolia. I spent my childhood in Ealing in West London, then known as the Queen of the Suburbs. It was full of Victorian villas and practically every front garden had a tall magnolia with tulip-shaped, pale-pink flowers in spring. These rose into the air to […]
Jean Vernon extols the virtues of the winter evergreens holly and ivy explores some of the myths and legends that relate to some of these seasonal plants. Despite the cold, wet and frosty weather that accompanies winter, there are many beautiful plants that perform during this time to provide essential colour and interest in the […]
