I have always believed that you should only write or talk about what you know
After the Easter break we are all enthusiastic about working in the garden! There is lots to do. It is also the perfect time to sow hardy annuals – plants that are sown now, where they will flower, and which will provide colour all summer. There is a huge range of heights, flower colours and…
Happy Easter. I hope you have a lovely weekend and the weather allows you to enjoy your garden. Although there is lots to do in the garden perhaps we can relax a little and enjoy the beauty of spring. Of course that can always include a trip to Nags Hall to stock up on seasonal…
Manure or custard? It depends if you are growing it or eating it! Rhubarb is a strange crop. Firstly, it is not really a fruit – fruits come from flowers. Rhubarb is a vegetable – but we eat it like a fruit. It is also a perennial and plants live for many years. Its popularity…
Spring is definitely here and the weather is lovely. But this is a tricky time for gardeners. We want to get on with planting for summer but the weather is still unpredictable and frosts are possible – even likely – in the coming weeks. Do not be lulled into a false sense of security by…
Did you remember to put the clocks forward last night! As we ease into spring and thoughts turn to the outside garden one of the plants that is bound to attract our attentions are magnolias. Everyone recognises magnolias and their pink and white flowers are a feature of many gardens. Every flowering tree is worth…
We have had a mixed week of weather but the garden is warming up now and we can start to sow vegetables both out in the garden and in pots or trays to plant out in April and May. This week I will discuss sowing some vegetables. It was lovely to meet so many of…
Last week I explained the principles of how to sow most bedding plants as well as some vegetables. These were plants that needed to be sown indoors, usually in March, and protected from frost. I now want to explain what to do next, once the seedlings have germinated, and then discuss other ways you can…
Now it is March it is time to think about sowing seeds. Whether you want to grow some bedding plants, a few perennials for the border or some vegetables, March is the time to make a start. But before you do, it is important to get to grips with the basics to make sure you…
Whatever the weather is doing at the moment, March is traditionally the time to divide herbaceous plants. Most herbaceous plants will soon be bursting into growth and if you divide them into sections to replant now they will quickly recover, grow and be in bloom. But before we get started we need to understand why…
Snowdrops (galanthus) are the first hint of spring in my garden. I always welcome the appearance of their shoots even though their first blooms were the harbinger of storms this year rather than spring. Large drifts of snowdrops are the sign of an old garden. It can take time to create a carpet of their…