I have always believed that you should only write or talk about what you know
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…
August is the month when most hedges are cut. There are several reasons for this. Perhaps post importantly, by now most birds will have finished nesting and so we can trim hedges with little or no risk of disturbing nesting birds. In my own garden there were at least two broods of blue tits this…
August can find the garden looking a bit the worse for wear, especially after a hot, dry summer. And it looks like it will be warm again this week. There are relatively few shrubs that bloom in August. Of course, roses should still be blooming if we keep them watered, fed and deadheaded. Hydrangeas and…
One of the most frequently asked questions I have to answer is whether old roses can be moved. It is usually in association with a story that the rose has special memories or was planted for a special occasion. The answer varies according to the age of the rose but also the time of year….
Whether they are part of your potted patio display, hardy kinds in your borders or a hedge, or cascading from baskets, fuchsias are a well-loved component of our summer garden. Their flowers can be dainty or spectacular and whether elegant singles or blowsy doubles, the plants bloom through most of summer, often reaching a peak…
It has been a tough summer for gardens and gardeners. A hot, sunny spell is fine if you are at the beach but if you have plants to look after it can be a challenge. And then torrential rain overnight can flatten plants! My own garden is looking tired. Even established shrubs have wilted and…