I have always believed that you should only write or talk about what you know
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…
If you are like me, now that Christmas is cleared away I want to think about summer and the garden year ahead. It is never too early to plan and dream of our spring and summer gardens. But it can be too early to sow. While it is the perfect time to browse the rows…
I hope the New Year finds you fit and healthy and ready to enjoy a great year of gardening in 2023. Last year was challenging in many ways but the weather always brings rewards as well as problems and the heat and sun certainly helped my apples. This is the time when, with all the…
Whatever the weather, this is a time for family and friends and not gardening. We can forget about the garden for a few days and it will not come to any harm. If the weather is cold and frosty or foggy or damp, we can enjoy the garden from the warmth of the home. But…
Plants make the perfect gift at Christmas – low-carbon, no calories and beautiful. Traditional choices are poinsettias, azaleas and cyclamen. But orchids are a practical and exciting alternative and they are wonderful and thoughtful gifts. Who wouldn’t want to receive a beautiful orchid? Although they are wonderfully exotic in appearance, most orchids are not difficult…
It is hardly a shock, but it looks as though winter is here. We have been very lucky with the temperatures until this week, and now the cold is starting to bite. With lower temperatures, what should we be doing in the garden? 1 Time for digging Winter is the perfect time to get the…
With the Festive season fast approaching, it is time to think about Christmas potplants. In the ‘old days’ the choice was usually of poinsettias, cyclamen and azaleas, and although there are more flowering potplants available today, especially orchids, these are still the big three. I have a love-hate relationship with poinsettias: I joke about them…
Winter is impossible to ignore and we can’t fight it. So why not embrace it and plant something that’ll look good and cheer us up, just when we need colour and fragrance. It is surprising how many plants are looking great right now and here are just a few of the plants that are making…