When there is a drought it is a reminder of the importance of water conservation in the garden. Finishing off every planting project with a layer of organic mulch is the best investment you can make towards the future drought tolerance of your garden. A blanket of slowly decaying organic matter both protects the soil […]
Gardening, or more to the point, growing as many of your own fruit and vegetables as you can, is one way to off-set the times when your dollar has to stretch further. Most readers aged around their sixties will remember growing up at a time when our parents were very conscious of hard times. In […]
Summer Revival Having just enjoyed the most spectacular holiday weather in years, it would seem churlish to lament its effect on the garden. After all, that jaded, post-holiday look is easily remedied. We’ll have to wait a while for perfect autumn planting weather. In the meantime, watering, feeding and grooming are the big three for […]
Some gardeners may have been lucky enough to receive a glasshouse for Christmas. If so, congratulations, you are in for a lot of fun. I have been asked several times in the past for basic information about growing in a glasshouse so now is a good time to look at the subject. If you do […]
At this time of year many gardeners have one or more tomato plants growing and producing fruit that has really great flavour compared to “bought” ones. That is, of course, if the plants are grown fairly naturally and the fruit formed is picked either ripe or near ripe. However, there are some problems that can […]
January marks the half way point of the gardening year and as we do in June, preparing for the following spring/summer, now we must prepare for the coming autumn/winter. Novice gardeners often miss this vital time in establishing vegetables for use later as the days shorten. It is those shortening daylight hours that brings urgency, […]
Well gardeners, the year is quickly drawing to an end and the gardens are bursting with produce and flowers planted in the spring. It is a time that you are rewarded for your gardening efforts with produce and flowers to grace your home and table. It is also the right time to plant up in […]
Firstly we would like to wish all our readers a very merry Christmas and a happy gardening New Year. We are now halfway through another gardening year with the longest day here. This is the time of year when our gardens are growing at maximum with only the moisture content of the soil to interfere […]
