I have always believed that you should only write or talk about what you know
Don’t forget the clocks changed last night. I apologise for mentioning Christmas so early in the season but the shops have their decorations out, people have started to buy tins of biscuits and tubs of chocolates and it is only a month till ‘stir-it-up Sunday’ (November 23). The reason for mentioning Christmas is that potted…
It is time to plant your bulbs for spring colour. The choice can seem bewildering at times with different tulips, daffodils and hyacinths and the host of smaller bulbs. But which are the most attractive to bees? That is an easy question to answer because it is always alliums, the ornamental onions. The domed or…
As the seasons change it is time to remove summer flowers from patio pots and baskets. They are probably looking tired now anyway and it is a relief to get rid of them. Some plants can be saved for next year. If you have a greenhouse you can save fuchsias, pelargoniums and other plants. Other…
It would be very unfair to judge or condemn all members of a family just because of the bad behaviour of one member. But lots of gardeners dislike persicarias, often called polygonums or knotweeds. I have a gardening friend who says they would never allow one into their garden! Persicarias are despised, or treated with…
One of the best ways to recycle, reduce your carbon footprint and feed your garden is to make your own garden compost. It is not difficult and most people can do it and you can produce material suitable to dig in the soil or use as a mulch to feed your plants, help retain soil…
If you wander into the covered plants area at Knights this week you will be greeted by a mass of colour from delicate cyclamen and wafts of their sweet fragrance. These affordable and charming plants are a relatively new development but hugely popular for winter pots and window boxes. They are often sold as ‘hardy’…
Gardeners love to experiment and grow new things. Once regarded as a novelty, bananas are seen in more gardens every year. They bring a touch of the tropics to any garden – even mine! (above). As autumn approaches, we need to think about protecting tender plants from frost. One of the plants that I really…
The joy of gardening is that you always need to plan ahead. As soon as something is looking great in the garden you need to think about what to do next. With luck, your garden is still in its summer glory but autumn is approaching and for most of us that means planting bulbs to…
Whether you already have strawberries in the garden or you want to pick some next summer, now is a busy time and a great time to start. Strawberries are an ideal crop to grow at home. They do to take up much space and plants can crop in just a few months after planting in…
As the threat of autumn approaches (I am sorry to even mention this but gardeners must plan ahead) we need to take cuttings of any tender plants that may be killed by winter frost. Traditionally this has meant fuchsias and pelargoniums (bedding geraniums) but there are lots more plant that can be rooted as cuttings…