I have always believed that you should only write or talk about what you know
The recent shortages of salad crops in supermarkets has sparked renewed interest in growing your own. Growing tomatoes is on everyone’s mind. Lots of us grow tomatoes already and we know that you can’t really grow tomatoes to pick anytime except in mid- late summer. That doesn’t bother me because I cook and freeze my…
I can’t imagine a garden without roses. They are the UK’s most popular flowering shrub but many people have a love/hate relationship with their roses. We all love their flowers but roses are prone to diseases and covered in prickles. And the pruning is SO complicated. Well, let’s get a few things sorted. Roses do…
When it comes to growing your own veg I always think you should grow what you like to eat, followed by what you can’t buy in the shops. For this reason I grow quite a few unusual veg. Not all crops are suited to all gardens and, try as I might, I can’t really grow…
I have never needed a reason to grow my own crops; it is satisfying and it is a joy to pop into the garden to pick something for lunch. But with finances squeezed and supermarkets running out of veg, this may be the year to have a go yourself. Over the years I have covered…
When you crave a touch of the exotic in your life, you need cannas. Nothing else gives you that magical combination of lush, tropical foliage and luxuriant flowers. Fortunately they are simple to grow but there are a few tricks to get the best from them. You can buy them in summer as growing plants…
With tall spires of colourful flowers, ideal for cutting, gladioli are very popular. They are easy to grow and the flowers can be bright or pastel shades. They are an easy way to add colour and height to your summer garden. Gladioli are not reliably hardy so they are usually lifted and stored in winter….
Over the past few weeks I have been talking about some of the main summer bulbs and how to grow them. This week I want to mention a few of the lesser-grown summer bulbs that you may not have tried before. Some are not hardy and could be considered ‘summer treats’ but they are all…
Dahlias are the best value of all the summer bulbs. They flower from July till the frosts of autumn and their flowers can be single or double in a wide range of colours. You can also get small dahlias, ideal for patio pots or tall kinds for large borders and cutting. You can grow the…
Look along the racks of summer bulbs at Nags Hall and you will see lots of begonias. Unlike the lilies I discussed last week, begonias are a bit more complicated, though they are not difficult to grow. Please bear with me! Begonias are a big group of plants and they vary from shrubby houseplants grown…
The next few months will be busy in the garden and the time to plant summer-flowering bulbs. Most of these are frost-tender and need to be started in heat but lilies are completely hardy. They can be planted now outdoors or in pots and if you have have lilies in the garden or in pots…