I have always believed that you should only write or talk about what you know
Just a few days to go now and the big day will be upon us. But as long as the food shopping is done there is still time to get those last-minute presents from Nags Hall. Hardy shrubs, flowering or with berries make great gifts as well as the traditional favourites like cyclamen, poinsettias and…
Christmas is coming! It can be a bit tricky buying a gift for a gardener. Who knows what plants they like best or what they have already got? As a gardener myself I know that something that I use a lot is always welcome. So plant labels, cell trays or fertiliser would always be welcome….
Your attention is probably focussed on the wind today. Mine certainly is and has been all weekend. I hope you did not have too much damage in the garden; my summer house has ‘budged’ but I think everything else is OK. Despite the awful weather the Festive season is upon us. A traditional part of…
Every year, hundreds of new plants are introduced. It is impossible to keep up with them all. Most are variations on a well-known theme and I sometimes feel despair when a new petunia claims to be the best, biggest, brightest or bluest! Surely there are enough petunias! And, by the way, there are now transgenic,…
Well that was an interesting week of weather! With luck the next week will be a bit less extreme. Last week I discussed the advantages of growing apple at home. Although you can grow apples in a very small garden, if you are really stuck for space, or you want something that you can’t buy…
If you need some respite from tinsel and twinkly lights, it is good to know that it is possibly the best time of year to plant an apple tree. Apples are probably the most popular home-grown tree fruit and they can be grown in most gardens. You can even grow them in a pot if…
If you like to propagate plants and take cuttings there are few months when you can’t keep busy. Different plants have to be treated in various ways and you can’t root every plant the same way. Some plants root best from cuttings of soft shoot tips in spring and summer and these can root in…
Gardens can look a bit dull at the moment but there is no need to put up with this. Your garden can look spectacular in autumn with a bit of planning so add some carefully selected shrubs for colour and interest every year. My own garden is rather windy and prone to early autumn frost…
We seem to be in a mild spell at the moment and garden work is pleasant. Autumn often means lots of heavy garden work: emptying compost heaps, digging, tree planting, mulching or ‘big pruning’. So it is a relief to spend some time doing less physical and more creative jobs. Planting patio pots definitely fall…
Grape hyacinths (muscari) are delightful spring flowers that are easy to grow and adaptable to most garden conditions. But they have a bit of a bad reputation. I remember a neighbour, when I was a child, who spent years battling the common Muscari armeniacum, digging out bucketfuls every year. And he never won the battle….