I have always believed that you should only write or talk about what you know
Grasses are enjoying enormous popularity but they are a confusing bunch. Lots of plants sold as grasses are not grasses at all but are sedges and rushes. Some are grown for foliage while others for their delicate flowers. Magazines glitter with wonderful photos of brassy grass stems gilded with frost but in our wet and…
Persicarias are not terribly trendy plants, though their use in ‘Prairie Planting’ might change that. But I have planted at least a dozen in my garden and feel I should extol their many virtues. The garden kinds are related to some awful weeds including the dreaded ‘Japanese knotweed’ but don’t panic and do not rule…
Hydrangea The wet July did not suit everything but hydrangeas have loved it. Famed for their long-lasting flower heads in pink or blue, they are unrivalled for bringing colour to the summer garden. There are lots of hydrangea species but I am going to restrict myself to the most popular, ‘mophead’ and ‘lacecap’ hydrangeas, called…
Plant of the week Echinacea Why grow it? Few flowers are as fashionable right now as echinceas (cone flowers) and few other flowers have received as much attention from plant breeders. The common, pink, Echinacea purpurea has long been valued for the long-lasting blooms, which attract butterflies and bees, but in the past 20 years a huge…
Plant of the week Nicandra physaloides Shoo fly plant Why grow it? Most people who have this plant don’t actually plant it – it just appears in their garden. In my other roles I answer a wide range of garden questions from a number of sources and every summer I get lots of questions, to…
Plant of the week Achilleas are useful and colourful plants in the summer garden. There are many different achilleas but the most popular are the coloured forms of the common yarrow (Achillea millefolium). These grow to about 60cm high, have flowers in shades from orange, cream, pink and red and suit lots of garden styles. …
Figs are not the most obvious garden crop but they are a viable option and the plants are attractive as ornamentals too. Figs are hardy, deciduous shrubs or small trees. They have rather thick branches, large, hand-shaped leaves and prefer a well-drained soil in sun. They can be grown in most soils including chalky soils…
Yes, it’s that time of year again. No. I don’t mean Wimbledon, but strawberry season – though the two are inextricably linked. If I was forced to pick a favourite fruit it would be easy for me to choose strawberries and fortunately it is easy to grow a few at home, whether in beds, pots…
With so many different plants to grow, I can’t grow all my favourite plants every year. I am sure you are the same. But there are a few, special plants that I like to have every summer. Many of these are fragrant or aromatic. I always like to have at least a few wallflowers, I…
If you started your tomatoes in spring then it should not be long before you will be picking your first ripe tomatoes, especially if you are growing them in a greenhouse or polytunnel. I covered the basics in spring and it may be useful to have a quick look at that . But the year…