Garden Plants
08 July 2011
Most gardens have a number of flowering shrubs, from roses and lavender to buddleia and forsythia. The secret to pruning them is to look at how and when they flower. But before you even embark on pruning...
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24 May 2011
We’ve all got half a bag of multi purpose compost kicking around the greenhouse and as long as it’s this season’s compost, hasn’t been left out in the rain and smells fresh it...
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11 May 2011
Hanging baskets are a wonderful way to add colour and interest to your garden. They look particularly spectacular positioned either side of the front door. Don’t limit what you grow to just flowers...
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10 May 2011
That very much depends what sort of plants they are and where you live. This year (2011) has seen a very early spring and summer with temperatures well above the annual average. But there still remains...
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10 May 2011
The secret to successful seeds and plants is learning to read your plants. Keeping them at their peak at every stage of growth is more than half the battle. By using the correct compost at all critical...
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04 March 2011
Seeds will germinate in a variety of growing media, even in the garden soil in the right conditions. But when you are investing a pound or two for a packet of seed and when that packet has the potential...
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14 February 2011
If you buy a packet of fertiliser in a garden centre then you will find a value for NPK. This is a ration of the content of essential plant nutrients in the mixture where:N N is for Nitrogen - which is...
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07 February 2011
Growing tomatoes from seed is actually very easy, they need a few basic conditions to get them started. One of the best things about growing tomatoes from seed is the huge array of different types you...
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07 February 2011
There are dozens of reasons why your seeds may not yet have germinated, but all is not lost. Try and establish the cause of this crop failure and sow some more. Even the most experienced gardener suffers...
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10 January 2011
All seeds have the potential to grow. Each little brown casing contains everything needed to sustain the seed in the first few hours of growth, all it needs to get started, usually, is a little warmth...
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10 January 2011
Some gardeners don’t enter their greenhouse in the cold depths of winter, while others relish the returning light and start their seed sowing in earnest. While it is very tempting to draw spring...
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10 January 2011
Winter can be a good time to take a look at your soil care regime. A hard, cold winter doesn’t necessarily mean doom and gloom in your garden. Cold, frosty and icy weather can help to break up the...
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10 January 2011
If there’s one plant that springs to mind in the cold January weather, it has to be the humble snowdrop. Their pretty nodding heads are some of the first flowers to push through the cold winter...
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10 December 2010
For many homes the Christmas tree epitomises the true spirit of the festive season. With its roots in pagan rituals and celebrations, today the evergreen tree plays a starring role in the decorations...
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10 December 2010
When you’ve invested in a first class greenhouse you need to make the very most of your purchase. With Christmas looming the canny gardener can take advantage of the change of tack seen at most...
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10 November 2010
Every garden needs structure and year round interest and one of the best ways to provide this is to use evergreen shrubs. These are plants that retain their foliage throughout the year, providing a constant...
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10 November 2010
As the garden sets into its winter slumber many gardeners retire to the fireside preferring the warmth of the home to the cool of the garden. The gardening day is shortening and the weather is less and...
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11 June 2010
From cosmetics and oils, to teas, medicines and healing balms, Lavender, more than most plants deserves the accolade of panacea, the tribute of garden merit and the vote of the people Lavender conjures...
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11 June 2010
An English garden just wouldn’t be the same without a rose bush or two. But some gardeners choose not to grow these quintessential garden flowers believing that they are too high maintenance or...
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12 May 2010
Growing plants from seed is one of the most satisfying rituals in gardening. It is also the most cost effective way to fill your garden with masses of new plants and it is incredibly easy too. Anyone...
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14 April 2010
Think of a plant that most gardeners have in common and the chances are you’ll come up with roses - almost every garden in Britain will have at least one plant. The problem with roses is that they...
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29 March 2010
Seedlings that germinate from seeds sown outdoors, quickly adjust to the prevailing temperatures. In fact they won’t even start to grow until the conditions are absolutely right. But those that...
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24 March 2010
Have you ever wondered why the little plants in the garden centre are called alpines? It’s because many of them originate from the alpine regions of the world. The plant hunters must have thought...
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