The sun has broken out, the snow is melting on the garden paths and I am thinking warm thoughts to hurry it all along. Among them I recall sitting with Rosemary Verey in her grotto cum conservatory on a cool English spring day, which leads to memories of the many women I’ve worked with, learned […]
I do love plants with silvery foliage, the trouble is they’re difficult in Cold Aston because we get a lot of rainfall dumped upon us and silvery plants hate wet. They would much rather grow on thin soil in places like East Anglia – where rainfall is far lighter. However I’ve developed an area, underneath […]
Fan palms, Livistona chinensis & L. rotundifolia, are tough enduring specimens for frost free greenhouses, conservatories or even as house plants. These endure considerable neglect yet make highly decorative foliage displays year round. Although flowering and even fruiting does happen this occurs when mature- by which time these could be 30 feet for the chinensis […]
As a greenhouse owner, to get the best growth from your plants, you often need to supplement the light that they need, especially during the winter months. In general, your greenhouse gets plenty of natural light from the sun, but there are times when you may want to keep plants growing into fall or start […]
I think of indoor flower and garden shows as giant greenhouses where you can walk among the plants and pick up great ideas for your garden. I recently attended the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival in Seattle. Here are some terrific takeaways you can use from that show. Play with perspective –The multiple award-winning Asian-inspired […]
I apologise if you’re a Daphne, but Daphnes are capricious creatures. However I’m not talking people, I’m talking plants. These gloriously scented, shrubby plants, designed for hedonsists as well as gardeners, cast a special sort of magic and they’re an essential part of my garden. However, just when they’re at their best, they’re likely to […]
At this time of year, investment in a glasshouse is paying dividends by extending the growing season. Sow aubergine, celeriac, celery, lettuce, parsley, sweet and chilli peppers, tomatoes and French beans in pots, trays or modules in a propagator. Larger seeds like peas can be sown in multipurpose compost; smaller seed like tomato and lettuce […]
There have already been a couple of days when the mini greenhouse has been flung open to let in some longed for fresh air and sunlight. And I cant help it, I find myself wondering if I’ve done it, if I’ve actually got all of the tender aeoniums and pelargoniums through winter this time. However, […]
Living in a house built in 1958, the design of which borrows heavily from California architect, Cliff May, I am only too aware that a Glasshouse structure suited to mid-century modern style needs to be spare in form and more committed to defining architectural space than serving as a decorative ornament. Having gone through several […]
As ecological crises deepen, we need to start gardening differently. On compost – peat-free, of course – the answer could be to think closer to home – and outside the bag. We often hear the term ‘blue-sky thinking’, which is consultant-speak for creative thinking that’s beyond the norm, outside the box – thinking that’s not […]
It’s well known that really obnoxious invasives can overpower our native plant populations. Now meet Nancy Lawson, garden columnist, habitat consultant, and author of the book, The Humane Gardener. She’s got great advice for how gardeners can assist natives to fight back—and win. In Nancy’s two-acre garden outside Baltimore, Maryland, a fallen tree allowed the […]
For many gardeners, owning a greenhouse is the epitome of fine gardening. Not only does a greenhouse enable you to cultivate plants throughout the year; it also allows you to grow plants that otherwise wouldn’t survive in your climate. Desert plants, alpine plants, rainforest tropicals, and more are all possible no matter where you live […]
