I have always believed that you should only write or talk about what you know
When you can’t rely on the weather to keep you warm there are some plants that will bring plenty of heat to your garden. Among these, the two genera I rely on are crocosmias and kniphofias, both African plants. Crocosmias are often known as montbretias and they are familiar plants. They are generally easy to…
Welcome to a lovely sunny day! What a relief. I was talking to a friend who owns a small nursery the other day, bemoaning the weather, and she was saying that her daughter had started to grow her own veg this year but has given up and would not bother again. This is a shame…
Despite the heat of the past few days the summer weather has generally been disappointing so far but it has not been awful for all plants. While my zinnias are a disaster and the legions of snails have demolished my cabbages the cool and moist weather has suited the hydrangeas well. Hydrangeas are among the…
It is one of the basic rules of gardening that the best time to plant shrubs and trees is autumn. There are several reasons for this. The soil is still warm and moist, the shrubs which are just entering dormancy, will have plenty of time for the soil to permeate their roots ready for spring…
If you have some tomatoes in the greenhouse or on the patio things are starting to get exciting! They should be growing well and fruits will be ripening any time soon – if it ever warms up. My own plants struggled in the cool, sunless spring but they are making up for lost time now….
It can be difficult to decide what to grow at home. After all, some plants crop for a short time, some take up a lot of room and it can be tricky to know what will thrive in your area. Fruit is always worth growing, if you have room, and the most expensive to buy…
Every one can grow herbs, no matter how small your garden. Herbs are a varied bunch of plants ranging from quick-growing annuals to large shrubs and the only thing they have in common is that we use their leaves to flavour our food. The annuals, including chervil, summer savory, coriander and basil all need rich,…
While roses may be the queens of the summer garden, pinks are surely the pretty princesses! Pinks bring colour, with their often-intricately-patterned blooms, and intoxicating fragrance. They are essential plants in my own garden and they have many qualities that make them ideal for small and urban gardens: they are compact, have attractive evergreen foliage…
Every garden needs different kinds of plants. There are those that form the background and add a little for a long time. I would count hardy geraniums in this category. They gently look after themselves and add some beauty for months. And then there are plants that have a brief, but glorious moment of impact….
As summer starts to assert its grip on the garden, roses are starting to bloom and fill our gardens with colour and perfume. Now I know that a lot of people think that roses are either too much work or just annoying, prickly shrubs. I am happy to admit that, even as a confessed rose…