At Hartley Botanic we have a good relationship with many knowledgeable garden writers both in the UK and USA ā here you can enjoy reading their articles and gardening tips.
Many people use a greenhouse to start seeds, but where do you put all the potted-up plants when the greenhouse isnāt large enough for them? An outdoor, raised bed can be an ideal location. Plus, with a few additions, the bed can be easily converted to a polytunnel or even a small, temporary greenhouse. The […]
For gardeners in most parts of the country, January is a slower timeāa time of reflection, of list-making, of planning for the future, whether for your greenhouse or your garden. And what better way to expand your horizons than by putting your nose in a good book? Or engaging your ears while you potter about […]
As my garden in Colorado has matured, so have I, and the post-Christmas lull and polar vortex winter has given me thinking time, a chance to identify āimprovementsā in the aid of slow and low maintenance, and to read a book or five, including Shrouded in Light: Naturalistic Planting Inspired by Wild Shrublands, a book […]
As you may have read last month, I grow a lot of plants. Itās hard work and a lot of physical exercise, but the results are greatly worth the effort. Hereās a rundown of some of the vegetables I grow each year and how I do it. Plants that grow slowly, such as onions, leeks, […]
Many gardeners are particular about protecting their hands with gloves for different jobs. But what about their feet? Anyone familiar with a greenhouse knows that the coolest part is at floor level. Boots or shoes can only go so far. If you stand around for any time on those floors, your feet will be getting […]
Iāve been a gardener since childhood. In England, as I was growing up, I tended the family garden while my dad traveled frequently for work. After I moved to the US, my wife and I bought land in Rhode Island. A Victorian-era house had previously been on the property, but it had long ago been […]
This month is filled with memories, no matter how you observe the holiday season. For me, Christmas meant spending a week in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin at my grandmotherās home, where my Dad was born and grew up a small house on N. 63rd St. Food was the main feature: Grandma was a stunning cook in the […]
One of the best benefits of a greenhouse is bringing bulbs to bloom at the time when you most need themādĆ©cor, a celebration, or just for cheer in the darkest winter days. This month Iām talking with Brent Heath, the eponymous head of the family-owned mail order business, Brent and Beckyās. After an amazing number […]
Now that weāre well into fall, growing outdoors is almost impossible unless you have a greenhouse or some other protected enclosure. But how do you keep this environment sufficiently warm to prevent the winter cold from killing your plants, especially at night or on days without sunshine? There are more ways of doing this than […]
Itās bulb season. This will be a two-part column about how to enjoy growing bulbs inside a glasshouse. Most of this advice will also be useful for growing on a sunny windowsill. Next month I will talk about forcing other tender and hardy bulbs indoors. But this month, Iām talking about Amaryllis with Christian Curless, […]
āIf you can read a book, you can do anything.ā Short of embroidering it on a cushion, thatās a mantra Iāve lived by since my best friend in high school wised me up. Iāve packed in a lot of reading since then, researching the history of garden design and landscaping for the books Iāve written, […]
A year or so ago, a friend was throwing out a dozen ten-foot-long, one inch-diameter, galvanized pipes. I said I would take them with the thought in mind of building an affordable hoop house. Having filled my 300-square-foot heated greenhouse with more than 200 plants, and with more plants than I intended in my unheated […]
