New season tomato plants are now becoming available from your garden centre and now is a good time to start off an early tomato plant or two. The best advise is to plant out, or pot up, a couple of tomato plants every month for the next six or seven months. By doing this you […]
Weather-wise, there’s no doubt it is winter. But take a stroll in some gardens, you could be forgiven for thinking it was spring. In a garden that’s planted with winter colour in mind, these cold wet months are far from dull. If your winter outlook needs brightening, then a strategically placed flowering shrub or tree […]
Fragrance Have you noticed how a lot of blokes who are gardeners tend to keep the emphasis on utilitarian function, producing food in the form of fruit, vegetables and nuts and are not so much interested in the purely aesthetic side of gardening? And women tend, more often, to have aesthetics at the top of […]
With autumn’s vibrant hues still in mind, winter is planting time for deciduous trees. Apart from the temporary nuisance factor that the autumn leaf drop can be (just think of all the good that composted leaf litter will do for your soil), deciduous trees are enormously useful things to have in your garden. They provide […]
It’s hard to feel inspired about roses in the dead of winter, but June is the best month to go shopping (and get planting) if you want to grow the world’s most romantic blooms in your own garden. The dilemma most of us have with roses is that the most desirable of blooms are borne […]
The importance of earthworms in our garden soils cannot be unstated. They are a quick and visual guide to how healthy your garden soils are, lots of earthworms in a square foot of soil is the goal to having healthy plants. Few or no earthworms in your gardens indicates a big problem and a continuing […]
Everywhere you turn, we encounter messages of environmental responsibility and sustainability. The wave of environmental awareness and all things ‘Green’ continues to gather pace. Hybrid cars, environmentally safe exteriors and interiors for our homes, food and yes, even our gardens. So what is "eco-friendly gardening" all about anyway? It’s all about gardening in as natural […]
You may have seen one on a garden makeover show or heard their words of wisdom on the radio, or even had your garden transformed by one… landscape designers , whilst diverse in their individual styles and in the way they present their ideas, have a shared passion for plants, landscapes and the people who […]
