The quintessential greenhouse flower is Gloxinia. This tropically splendid beauty produces wonderful displays of luxuriant blooms. Each large almost wineglass shaped flower has fleshy petals with a velvety sheen. As the petals fade the flower drops leaving an attractive star shaped calyx. These were discovered in Brazil and South America and introduced to our Greenhouses, […]
When it is warm and sunny, sow trays, pots or old growing bags with ‘cut and come again crops’ to harvest through autumn and into winter, think land cress, oriental salads, like pak choi, mizuna and mibuna greens plus lettuce, lamb’s lettuce, chicory and radish. You can also use what’s left in the packets from […]
We are living in a global greenhouse, but our garden media is still cool on climate breakdown, and even cooler on its causes. It’s time to cultivate some candour. Mine ought to be amongst the most joyous, stress-free jobs in the world: days spent waxing away with words about the satisfaction, enrichment and contentment that […]
Jean Vernon defends gardeners against the summertime accusation of wasting water We’ve had a lovely spell of hot weather this summer, which in some areas has led to a hosepipe ban and as usual the finger of blame, is pointed at the gardener. Well I beg to differ. I disagree strongly and I want to […]
One of the things I use my greenhouse for is raising annuals every spring. One of my very favourites is the marigold because it flowers right through summer until the first frosts. The flowers come in sunny shades of mahogany-red, orange and warm-yellow and these colours attract hoverflies and pollen beetles. The hoverflies look like […]
In and out of the greenhouse, this is the year of the courgettes. That is, if you can keep them watered. Courgettes are always producing madly at this time of year but the seemingly endless heat is seeing mine pumping out fruits as fast as I can pick them. The watering really has been quite […]
With gorgeous sky blue flowers all of summer the Blue Spider-wort is an ideal plant for a cool greenhouse. True it’s a tad lax and can flop if not supported and the waist high stems of lanceolate leaves are not exactly stunning. However continuous displays of gentian blue flowers redeems all. As these lovely blooms […]
I’ve been having one or two problems with Blossom End Rot, where the end of tomatoes becomes circular, black and flattened. It occurs in peppers and aubergines, squashes and watermelons but is most often seen in tomatoes and is caused by lack of calcium in the fruits. Plants growing in soil, growing bags and potting […]
I don’t think I can ever remember such a glorious June because it’s been warm – even in the wonderfully named Cold Aston! It’s a blessing for me (and the plants) after such a long, cold winter and my roses have really appreciated it. They are better than they’ve ever been at Spring Cottage. Most […]
In the spring I started my dahlias in the greenhouse and then planted them half and half at the allotment and on my veranda, wondering which would win the race to flowering: breezy and exposed with full sun at the plot or sheltered and protected but with a little bit of shade back home. I […]
Grow your own greenhouse shading: nature offers earth-friendly alternatives to parched plants and plastic pollution. Since the end of May, in most parts of the UK, it’s been hard to pin down the oft-cited ‘joy of greenhouse gardening’. Right now, even with a sun hat on, surely ‘hell’ is the most apt substitute for ‘joy’. […]
As often found in an alpine house as a greenhouse many Bellflowers, Campanulas, are rock garden and border plants. However some low growing and prostrate species are delightful under cover for filling in around the base of taller plants with their verdant foliage and masses of cool blue flowers. Campanula is an interesting, floriferous and […]
