I have always believed that you should only write or talk about what you know
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…
Lilies have always been shrouded in mystery and a sense of the exotic. Their large and spectacular flowers are often heavily fragrant and, unlike some other summer bulbs, they are hardy and undamaged by winter cold. They have upright stems that take up little room and they are perfect planted among other herbaceous plants or…
A dedicated band of enthusiasts never lost the faith with dahlias but it is a sad fact that for too long dahlias fell from fashion. It is with great relief; actually more like joy, that dahlias are finally not only acceptable but actually embraced by gardeners. Part of the reason for the revival in dahlias…
If you want a crop of tomatoes that taste better than anything you can buy in the shops, now is the time to plan your sowing and planting. Tomatoes are not difficult to grow but there are a few important considerations regarding what type to grow and where to grow them. Pots, bags or borders?…
There are lots of advantages in growing your own vegetables; and we all have our reasons. I don’t have enough room to grow everything I need but my raised beds allow me to grow a fair amount and I have a poly tunnel that allows me to grow crops that might struggle outside and to…
As the snowdrops start to fade (and this is the time to divide and replant them) the spring anemones begin to appear. In my new garden I have made sure to add some because they are easy to please and bring such delicate colour to the garden. Anyone who has walked through local woods in…
Lilies have come a long way since the start of my gardening career. The first I bought were Lilium regale, along with other Trumpet hybrids such as ‘Pink Perfection’. This was because I was planting in my parents’ garden at the foot of the Downs and the soil was awful, white, chalky clay and I…
After a bitterly cold week we are all desperate to plant something. Even if the soil does thaw over the next few days, it is will horribly wet so it is best to keep off it and definitely should not be sowing anything quite yet. It is horribly frustrating but it pays to wait till…
They are as inevitable as taxes and shrinking sizes of chocolate bars: articles about snowdrops in February! Although there is some debate about whether the common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) is native or not, there is little doubt that it is one of the commonest plants in our gardens. The reasons are obvious: it is hardy,…