Author: Geoff Stebbings

When it comes to grow some veg at home, I think that beans are among the best. Apart from the fact that they are nutritious and packed with good things, I like them because they are easy to prepare for the kitchen. There is little washing and trimming needed and they can be from plot…

Two weeks ago I addressed how to grow potatoes. This week I am going to tackle onions. Why? Well they are the vegetable I use more than any other, probably more than potatoes. They are also quite easy to grow, give a good crop in a small area and there are several ways to start. …

Most gardeners want to add privacy and shelter to their gardens and divide their plots for design reasons. The gardener is faced with a number of choices to do this. Walls, trellis and fences all offer quick options. Planting a hedge does not offer a quick solution – they take many years to mature and…

I predict that even more of us will be growing some crops this year, to save money and to add to a healthy diet. So I am beginning a series on growing crops at home. And what better way to start than with potatoes. I plan to make things simple but also comprehensive so bear…

After what has probably been the wettest winter for many years, I am especially appreciative of my polytunnel. It allows me to grow crops all year, to grow crops that need more warmth than our summers usually provide and to keep busy, doing something useful in wet weather.  Polytunnels are not things of great beauty…

Happy New Year If you bought pot plants for Christmas or if you received one as a gift, I hope they are still going strong!  To help you keep your plants looking good for as long as possible, here are some useful guidelines.  Poinsettias The classic Christmas houseplant, the poinsettia is easy to look after…

Merry Christmas! May your holiday be peaceful, happy and memorable. Few of us are thinking much about our gardens in these busy days, though if you have a greenhouse or have houseplants there will be things to check. But there are always a few plants in the garden that offer some colour and fragrance and…

Winter is the traditional time to dig your plot. There are several reasons for this. The veg garden, where digging is more often an annual event, is often bare of crops. Digging and exposing the soil to frost can help improve the structure of clay soils. It is hard work and it is easier to…

We have had a cold start to winter and it may have caught some of us out! I managed to protect most plants or bring them into the greenhouse but a few plants had a nasty shock. In the past few years succulents have become very popular, in part because they are easy to grow…

It is the last day of National Tree Week, but there is never a bad time to plant a tree. But there are definitely ‘better’ times. The best time is definitely autumn, which is why it is National Tree Week now. Autumn is a good time because the soil is usually still relatively warm and…