I had rather a large birthday recently, the sort you want to keep a deep, dark secret! I’ve seen a variety of gardening styles and, although I’m not quite old enough to remember Dig for Victory, I do remember the self-sufficient gardens of the 1950s, the low-maintenance shrub gardens of the 1960s, the conifers of […]
As the climate crisis escalates, 40°C heat alerts are becoming a regular event – and that’s before you’ve factored in the midsummer frosts and greenhouse-shattering storms. Dry, rustling leaves roused Lena from her heat-induced snooze; the thick, clammy air was finally on the move. Yawning, she pressed her back against the oak’s trunk, her legs […]
Plan ahead and plant some Christmas cropping potatoes now for your festive feast, says Jean Vernon Growing your own food is a wonderful way to connect with nature, nutrition and your own well-being. There’s little more healthy than harvesting fresh, homegrown produce from your own garden, especially if it’s organic and free from toxic pesticides. […]
Your greenhouse can increase your GYO production in so many ways. Naturally one’s most often used for starting plants off earlier and in summer most greenhouses are filled with tender annual crops. Recently they’re becoming utilised for growing salads and other leafy crops almost year round. Of course the frost free greenhouse was actually effectively […]
This year, the British weather has been extreme, even by its own exalted standards. I have spent more time adjusting the ventilation in the greenhouse, than any year I can remember. Too hot, too cold, too draughty, scorching sunshine, black clouds, dry wind, cold wind and that’s just in one morning. Towards the end of […]
Myth and magic are woven through gardening, like multicoloured ribbons round a maypole. Folklore is handed down through the generations. My grandmother told me, quite explicitly, that potatoes must be planted on Good Friday and that leeks must have their roots trimmed, having learnt it from her father, little knowing that her ideas went straight […]
When I first fell in love with greenhouses, it was a combination of the earthy aroma coupled with the plant fragrances. But it wasn’t the floral perfumes that tantalise my sense of smell; it was the spicy notes of aromatic foliage that transported me into this leafy world of wonder. If I could bottle the […]
Some may want to move from a purely ornamental greenhouse to also producing items for the table but worried this may result in the greenhouse not being ‘quite as pretty’. Well Citrus may be your answer. No other choice is so good looking the whole of the year, so neat, so reliable, and gives a […]
Fill your watering cans with water and allow them to stand in the greenhouse for at least 24 hours to warm before watering your plants. You may need to water two or three times while the weather is hot, especially if you are behind on your potting on and large plants are in small pots. […]
Social distancing quandaries, money worries and stock shortages are making garden centre trips fraught with anxiety – but home-mixed solutions will eke out your compost supplies. Seedlings need potting. Young plants are dropping through the letterbox, ready to pot up. Your greenhouse tomatoes, peppers and other veg are ready for their summer containers. You’ve got […]
After the shock of the mid May frost put all of my gardening plans temporarily on hold, the warming weather has meant that the greenhouse is now fully planted up and romping away. The task now is to give some of the plants a little attention and pinching out to direct their energies the right […]
The wonderful thing about having a Hartley greenhouse is it allows you to go forth and propagate! Propagation appeals to me on so many levels. The Yorkshire part of my heritage admires the fact that I can raise plants for virtually nothing. The Christian enjoys the fact that this quote about ‘going forth and propagating’ […]
