I have always believed that you should only write or talk about what you know
If you have been hesitating about planting bulbs for spring, now is the time to act. It is really rather late for small bulbs and daffodils – they will grow but you need to rush. But it is the perfect time to plant tulips. The photo above is me planting all the smaller bulbs of…
Up until this morning it has been a mild week, though wet and windy. Unusually, there are lots of flowers in the garden including some tender perennials thanks to the lack of real frost so far. But a lot of the colour in the garden comes from autumn foliage, some of which is hanging on…
After bringing us a summer of glorious colour, dahlias now need our help to survive winter. You probably planted your dahlias as tubers in spring. These tubers can now be saved for replanting next year. Dahlias are not truly hardy – if the growths or the tubers are frozen they will die. The active part…
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…