Remember, remember the fifth of November is an ideal opportunity to burn woody material that doesn’t compost readily. Build your bonfire as late as possible so hedgehogs and amphibians don’t take up residence beforehand, then save the wood ash. It is a good source of potash for fruiting trees, though younger wood contains more than […]
I’ve always loved gladioli; cheerful, undemanding and appealing, they were among the first things I planted as a child and I still have a soft spot for them today. Over the years they have been stalwarts of allotment and village flower shows, yet despite falling from fashion in the garden, breeders continue to produce new […]
September is traditionally the month of lawn maintenance. If you have a small lawn, rake out the ‘thatch’ or dead grass and moss that has accumulated over the mowing season, with a wire rake; on larger lawns, use a scarifier. Spike compacted areas with a fork, face the front of the fork, then push the […]
This year’s garlic suffered from leek rust due to the damp spring and the crop is poor. The orange pustules over the leaves appeared early and became so bad that the foliage died before the ‘bulb’ had time to develop. I was growing a variety, that’s normally at home in mid France, just to see […]
Unless you’re growing plants for their ornamental seed heads or want to save seed for the following year, ‘deadheading’ by removing the fading flower heads, extends the flowering season. It stops them from wasting energy producing unwanted seeds and prevents those that self seed freely, like ‘Lady’s Mantle’ or ‘Love in a mist’ from becoming […]
The long range weather forecast for June suggests a typical British summer with continued unsettled weather, now that is mixed news for the gardener! My tropical border has finally been planted out and the sun and rain will help the plants to establish quickly, though higher temperatures would help – the plants might think that […]
It is the first time for years I have not been working away from home at this time of year or sneaking time to ‘garden in the gaps’ between work commitments and I’m loving it! Just great to enjoy the garden, and take my time – which is what gardening is all about! By the […]
Even mild winters seem interminably long, so it is great when the first flowers and fresh new shoots appear. For some reason it reminds me of the nonsense rhyme which starts ‘Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the birdies iz’..? When the soil warms up in early spring it is time […]
January has been the wettest on record, February can be the coldest (hopefully not!) but at least it is the shortest and heralds the spring. Once the first snowdrops appear, I feel that the growing season has begun! Snowdrops are often lifted after flowering and sold ‘in the green’, if you bought some, replant them […]
As I write, tall trees are swaying alarmingly, bent into contorted shapes by the gale force winds that are ripping through the garden, grey clouds dull the sky above and lashing rain rushes in fast flowing rivulets down the windows. Yet another day of ‘hard core’ weather that sums up the winter so far! The […]
Some plants dislike the damp that characterises our winter weather, particularly plants like cushion alpines, as any leaves left on them, causes them to rot. Pick off fallen leaves regularly and cover with a pane of glass, polycarbonate or Perspex as protection. Helleborus niger, the ‘Christmas Rose’ needs covering too, so raindrops don’t splash soil […]
Winter pruning of apple and pear trees is important so that they remain attractive, easy to manage, healthy and crop prolifically. You can prune anytime between leaf fall and bud burst, providing the weather is not cold and frosty; the aim is to create an open goblet shape. First, remove any shoots or branches that […]
