Seasonal tasks in the Garden
14 February 2011
Garden compost is surrounded by unnecessary myth and magic. It is easy to make and requires no special tools. In fact making garden compost is actually letting nature take its course and what I mean by...
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07 February 2011
Unless you have a greenhouse there is a limit to what you can sow during the cold months of February and even with a greenhouse you need to choose carefully and be prepared for a cold snap. It’s...
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10 January 2011
In the midst of winter it’s tempting to leave your greenhouse to its own devices, but it’s important to make sure that all is well on a regular basis. Even in the unlikely event that you have...
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10 December 2010
Winter brings a whole new variety of challenges for the gardener. The weather is unpredictable but the temperature is about to plummet, which has a profound effect on our plants and gardens. The unprepared...
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10 November 2010
With the cost of fuel rising and many homeowners turning to wood burning stoves to heat the hearth and home, gardeners are starting to realise the potential of their growing space. Even a small garden...
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10 November 2010
November can actually be quite a busy time in the greenhouse and the garden. By now you should have moved out all of the annuals, bedding and summer cropping plants and moved in anything that needs a...
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10 November 2010
Gardeners spend a lot of time and energy growing their own fruit and veg, some of them even keep chickens, but many ignore the most precious resource available and it falls by the gallon on the roof of...
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10 December 2010
Snow is a great insulator, but when the greenhouse is covered in snow and the glass thick with ice, the greenhouse gardener has a dilemma. Is it safe to open the door and check on the plants or is it...
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21 October 2010
attractive and dramatic in the midst of winter many with interesting bark patterns, vibrant dormant buds and dramatic structure that is picked out by hoare frost and snow. Most gardeners expect their...
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21 October 2010
A golden carpet of leaves on the lawn can look quite a picture, but left hugging the lawn and garden for any length of time and they could spell trouble. Leaves are not particularly fussy where they fall,...
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19 October 2010
For some of the most stunning autumn garden colour, plant a Japanese acer, they are easy to grow and extremely rewarding garden plants. If there’s one group of plants that conjure up the essence...
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18 October 2010
To keep your garden thriving you need to make sure that your soil is healthy and contains everything that your plants need to flourish. October is a good month to start looking at the overall health of...
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11 October 2010
With the main greenhouse season coming to a dramatic end, make sure you use the time you normally spend watering and tending your plants, to tidy and clean your glasshouse. Traditionally the autumn is...
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21 September 2010
Autumn conjures images of fiery coloured leaves on trees and shrubs in gardens and woodlands. While a golden carpet of leaves on the lawn can look quite a picture, but left hugging the lawn for any length...
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21 September 2010
Nothing surpasses the flavour of home grown tomatoes, and with hundreds of different varieties available to grow from seed, you can indulge a desire to grow just about any type you fancy and most gardeners...
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21 September 2010
Autumn is a great time to take stock of the whole garden, to make a mental note of any problems and to start your own preparations for the months ahead.Bug alert In the borders many plants will be pushing...
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13 September 2010
The buzz phrase of this garden season has been Grow Your Own and a huge percentage of gardeners have taken up the challenge and increased the quantity and variety of vegetables in their gardens. Allotment...
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13 September 2010
Colour and drama in the garden doesn’t need to fade as the season wanes. Choose plants with later flowers, interesting seed heads and winter structure for longer seasonal interest Sometimes, by...
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13 September 2010
August is a busy month in the greenhouse and yet it is also the time of year that many of gardeners choose to go on holiday. If you are only away for a few days you can usually set your greenhouse up...
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07 September 2010
Autumn Gold When it comes to garden plants autumn can be one of the most stunning seasons. Not only are most garden borders still bursting with late flowering perennials, but also as the light changes...
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07 September 2010
When the lawn is neat and healthy it transforms the look of the whole garden. After a summer of heat waves, torrential rain and everything in between, the garden lawn has truly had a lot to endure. It...
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07 September 2010
If there’s one thing in gardening that guarantees a great display next season, it’s garden bulbs. When it comes to choosing vibrant colour and border drama you really can’t go wrong...
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07 September 2010
Many greenhouse crops are coming to an end this month, but late sown tomatoes, peppers and other fruiting crops may continue well into the autumn until the first frosts permeate through the greenhouse...
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20 August 2010
One of things that many gardeners struggle with is taking time off for a holiday. With school holidays pretty much at the busiest and sometimes most challenging time in the garden, taking a break can...
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20 August 2010
Summer isn’t over yet. You can keep your plants in tiptop condition for longer by giving them some care and attention now. Regular feeding is essential to ensure your plants perform to their full...
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20 August 2010
If you find yourself with more time at home this season then invest in what you already have and make the very best of your garden. It’s extra living space in the warmer weather and can be a haven...
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30 July 2010
Almost every garden has at least one area of lawn. For many gardens the lawn forms the very heart of the garden and for some gardeners it is their pride and joy. The lawn can draw all the elements of...
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30 July 2010
Most summer gardens are at their peak and looking colourful and fantastic in June and July, but it doesn’t need to be downhill from there. With some careful but minimal plant maintenance you can...
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07 July 2010
One of the most time consuming jobs in the garden is watering, and when you’ve got masses of containers, newly planted trees and shrubs, or even a thirsty greenhouse it’s an essential part...
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07 July 2010
Most gardeners can’t but help to be in awe of the tremendous complexities and intricacies of nature. Of course it’s frustrating when your plants are attacked by hoards of weird and wonderful...
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11 June 2010
As the summer develops into what we all hope will be a great garden season, the greenhouse enters a new phase of productivity. It’s role as nursery for countless seedlings and tender plants is now...
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11 June 2010
Every garden and every gardener has a duty to recycle garden waste by composting. Most gardeners do this automatically, valuing the resulting nutrient rich material as a useful soil conditioner. Others...
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14 April 2010
Making the most of natural resources is essential to get the full potential from your garden. One of the most important things a gardener can do is to improve the soil in which their plants are grown....
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13 April 2010
For easy crops to grow in April choose a mixed salad seed that can be sown weekly in small pots of compost in a greenhouse, cold frame or even on a windowsill. You can easily grow enough for several family...
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24 March 2010
For gardeners across the land the arrival of March marks the start of spring. Shoots of herbaceous perennials will be starting to grow vigorously as the weather warms and gradually the garden comes alive....
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25 March 2010
For some gardeners pruning is a dark art that they simply don?t understand, but it really isn?t that complicated or difficult. Keep it simple. Use pruning to keep large shrubs in check, to keep garden...
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22 February 2010
The green shoots of spring bulbs forcing their way through the garden soil in February are a welcome sight. For not only do they foretell the arrival of spring, but their colourful flowers brighten the...
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29 March 2010
Every spring is different and each year the true start of spring can be weeks earlier or later than the year before. It’s one of the things that makes gardening a challenge and something that gardeners...
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22 February 2010
When the lawn looks good it transforms the whole garden. Time spent nurturing your lawn this spring will be richly rewarded as the season progresses. Heavy snow and extreme cold winter weather can take...
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22 February 2010
With Valentine’s Day looming in February think twice before you invest in huge floral bouquets for your loved ones. It may be the perfect way to mark this romantic date in the diary, but there are...
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22 February 2010
Early spring is the best time to make a start on weed control in the garden. As the weather starts to warm up annual weeds quickly germinate and colonise bare ground, while existing and new perennial...
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22 February 2010
There’s a certain magic created in the garden by early spring flowers. It’s a sign that the garden is coming alive again after the long and cold winter. Every flower that opens is a treasure...
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22 February 2010
As the days start to get longer, it’s a signal for garden plants to emerge from their slumber and wonderful signs of spring can start to be seen all around the garden. Early spring bulbs are starting...
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05 January 2010
The autumn provides the very best conditions for planting new trees and shrubs in your garden, especially following a wet and warm summer created perfect growing conditions for all types of plants, leaving...
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20 January 2010
Planting - Winter is a very good time for planting many trees and shrubs as they are dormant now and so less likely to be stressed during planting. Don’t plant if the soil is frozen or waterlogged...
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05 March 2010
Forget the midwinter blues, the greenhouse harbours the first signs of the far off spring, nurturing early flowering favourites into bloom. There’s plenty of new life and colour bursting through...
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