The most experienced of gardeners can be bested by vine weevils – but calling in a microscopic earth-friendly ally will settle the score. Otiorhynchus sulcatus got me in the end. After 17 years of mostly grub-free bliss, when I’ve relied largely – apart from the occasional gentle shove – on nature (and some wire mesh) to […]
Most years I go to the Philadelphia Flower Show. The show is held in March and is filled with incredible numbers of flowers. Last year, in the entry hall alone there were more than four thousand flowers, all in bloom and all on display. Considering that Philadelphia is in the northern part of the United […]
The Best Beloved and I are like chalk and cheese and I often wonder if there’s a mischievous sprite up above joining people in matrimony who are entirely unsuited. I’m all hustle-bustle and I get everything done as soon as it occurs to me. My mouth operates at the same speed. He ( on the […]
All over the world, antsy children are cooped up with anxious adults. It’s a scary world, all of a sudden. So grow something! Kids too! Starting a little garden of their own can give children a focus, something to care for, and a goal to wait for, besides the day they can go out for […]
If you want to have a grow with some of the things in your cupboard, there are a few things you can sow and grow now If you are not a keen gardener and don’t have your own stash of seeds to sow to stave off boredom and grow a few greens for your menus, […]
HISTORIC GLASSHOUSE & GREENHOUSE MANUFACTURER HARTLEY BOTANIC REVEALS WHAT YOU COULD BE GROWING & EATING Imagine being able to access an abundance of absolutely delicious vegetables and fruit every time you step into your garden? Thanks to our British climate, this wouldn’t be consistently possible for those growing outdoors, but for those who own a […]
In the troubled weeks ahead, greenhouses will become hubs of solace and sustenance – so if you don’t have one, or can’t use yours, some joined-up thinking is in order. Big or small, bought or inherited, loved or neglected – there are tens of thousands of bits of gardening kit scattered across our anxious land […]
I hope that this blog finds you safe and well. With so many people currently seeking solace in their greenhouse and garden and with such a massive resurgence of interest in ‘growing your own’, it is like ‘Dig for Victory’ all over again. This month it is time to sow bunching onions, beetroot and round […]
Springtime is officially here and that means that so is my greenhouse’s busiest time. We will all be slowly but surely cramming our greenhouses to the gills with seedlings and cuttings over the next few weeks. This seems as good a time as any to have a look at the various kit and gadgets that […]
What is a greenhouse to you: a hive of activity, or maybe a science lab? A place to grow strange and exotic plants, or an ER for houseplants that you really truly hope will revive in the moist humid enclosure where sunlight is abundant? And how about conservatory? Does that word conjure warm, quiet corners […]
A STATELY GLASSHOUSE WITH A CONTEMPORARY LOOK BY HARTLEY BOTANIC Historic Glasshouse and Greenhouse manufacturer Hartley Botanic has launched a new stately, bespoke Glasshouse as part of its Modern Horticulture range. The Opus Grand Botanic, which was set to be unveiled at Chelsea this year, will officially join Hartley Botanic’s unrivalled portfolio of beautiful and […]
There are so many reasons to start your vegetables from seed—including better taste, the short travel time from your garden to your table, and the sure knowledge you know where your food is coming from. Ed Hume, award-winning garden TV and radio personality and founder of the family-owned business, Hume Seeds, has great advice for […]
