At this time of year, many greenhouse owners are getting ready to start seeds. I find that pepper seeds take up to three weeks to germinate, so I usually start them first, followed by eggplants, tomatoes, and flowers. However, there’s a problem starting heat-loving plants in a small greenhouse in late winter. The seeds of […]
If you had space in the greenhouse, and time on your hands, you may well have sown your sweet peas in autumn. They are very happy with this treatment, and will put down good roots over winter and be ready to produce good early flowers this year. If, like me, you did not find the […]
Jean Vernon is starting the year with fresh intentions, determined to be prepared to grow and ready to sow. Community spirit It’s funny how good deeds have a way of rewarding you. In the midst of food shortages in 2020 and the COVID lockdown I’d made a real effort to grow more from seed and […]
When the city has only the colors of brick, slush, and concrete, green is precious. That’s why we plant evergreens. Just about every yard I see has some evergreen tree or shrub. There are tiny tidy boxwoods in pots. There are towering spruces. There are rows and rows of arborvitaes, the go-to plant for privacy […]
It is not always practical to grow everything from seed, so make a list of plants you intend to sow and those to be bought as plug plants. Plug plants save time and space in the greenhouse and heating costs, too. Once you have placed your orders, write the labels for the seed trays, put […]
We’re living in interesting times – honestly, I wish the days were rather more dull. In Colorado along the Front Range where I garden (fitfully it must be admitted), records from 1 July to 17 December report just 1.07 inches of rainfall in Denver. In Colorado Springs, we’ve had a few drops and some snowflakes […]
This is the time of year when we can imagine our gardens of the future. But how do we know which plants to choose? Today, I’m turning to Janet Sluis, Director of Plant Development Services and the curator of plants in the Sunset Plant Collection and the Southern Living Plant Collection. Essentially, she auditions plants. […]
I think I must be a pagan at heart, because the most important day of the year is the shortest day, the winter solstice. This year’s occurred on December 21st and, after that auspicious event, the days get longer and that means more time to garden. One of the first things I do in the […]
Seaweed ticks every earth-friendly box: it’s natural, renewable and packed with growth-boosting nutrients – and bagging your own lets you give back to the planet in the process. Facing into a howling gale, sand grains stinging your cheeks as you’re ducking spume, might not seem the obvious conditions in which to harvest a free and […]
Greenhouses will soon become even more invaluable for gardeners by helping them cope with climate change. We don’t know how bad things may become, however for certain our weather’s becoming more extreme, and more unpredictable. Our traditional gardening calendar’s unreliable with some current crops becoming more risky out of doors. However under cover we already […]
A selection of our latest adverts as seen in leading publications such as Gardens Illustrated, Country Life, The English Garden & many more. If you would like to request a brochure please click here.
Open greenhouse vents for as long as possible on mild sunny days, shutting them before temperatures drop early in the afternoon. The combination of high temperatures and low light makes leaves and stems soft, spindly and prone to grey mould which spreads rapidly in cool, damp conditions. Though good air circulation is vital, avoid chilling […]
