Hartley Magazine

All the latest news, hints, tips and advice from our experts

Mornings the best time to water plants, expert says

Greenhouse and gardening enthusiasts may be interested to hear that the best time to water their plants is in the cool of the morning. That is according to Todd Forrest, vice president for horticulture and living collections at the New York Botanical Garden, who told the New York Times that watering in the heat of […]

Top gardening tools revealed

Greenhouse and gardening enthusiasts may be interested to learn that FoxNews.com has revealed its top five tools for getting the most out of outside spaces. Firstly, a sturdy trowel and hand rake are essential devices for doing the digging necessary to prepare the soil for the planting of many different varieties. They are "two essential […]

Ohio prisoners using gardening ‘as a rehabilitation aid’

A prison garden in Ohio is into its third year of providing valuable rehabilitation opportunities to inmates, in news which could interest greenhouse enthusiasts. Prisoners at Sandusky County Jail are able to make use of its 11,706-square-foot vegetable garden – which was set up in 2009 – plus the recently added pumpkin and watermelon patches. […]

City Green opens new urban gardening site

A community gardening project in North Jersey has opened a new site, news which may interest greenhouse enthusiasts. Wyckoff non-profit organisation City Green, which promotes urban community green spaces and runs educational programs in schools across the area, officially opened a new five-acre farm in Clifton last week, NorthJersey.com reports. "We're already growing food there," […]

Soil and water ‘the keys to container gardening’

The secret to successful container gardening is to pay close attention to the soil and the way that plants are watered, an expert has said. In an article for thecalifornian.com, Christa Jennings – a California Certified Nursery Professional and Master Fruit Taster who works at McShane's Nursery and Landscape Supply in Salinas – said these […]

Proactive gardening ‘the way forward’

Being proactive is much more productive than being reactive when it comes to cultivating plants, a greenhouse and gardening expert has said. Master Gardener and TV personality Joe Lamp’l wrote in the Evansville Courier & Press that getting the best out of an outside space is all about doing things to prevent problems occurring. This […]

Gardening can be fun and frugal, expert says

Working in a greenhouse or garden is fun and can save you money, it has been suggested. According to horticulture writer Jamie McWade in the Old Northeast-Downtown St Pete Patch, growing vegetables at home can cut annual bills by around $300. Not only, that, it is fun, environmentally friendly and creates a valuable space for […]

Water roots in summer, expert says

Greenhouse enthusiasts should always water the root of a plant rather than the whole thing during hot weather, an expert has said. According to an article in the Chicago Tribune by horticulture specialist Sean Conway, watering at the root is more efficient and better for them. It is also important to water plants early so […]

Container watering: Not too little, not too much

The so-called “self-watering” or sub-irrigated container has been a great boon to those of us who want the satisfaction of growing our own food but don’t have space for rows of tilled earth or even raised beds. Of course these containers don’t actually water themselves. You still have to water. And as the plants get […]

Teenagers using gardening to get over drug dependency

Teenagers who have suffered with substance abuse are being shown how gardening can help them to rebuild their lives. At the Camp Recovery Center 's Meadow Lodge in Scotts Valley, California, parents donate a plant in recognition of their teen's work during drug rehab, which their child plants in the Parent Appreciation Garden . Meanwhile, […]

University garden open to the public

The University of Maine (U-Maine) is to open its garden to the public and lay on classes providing helpful hints on how greenhouse enthusiasts can make their outside spaces more environmentally-friendly. The outdoor classroom – as U-Maine gardeners have labelled it – off Bennoch road in Orono at Rogers farm will be open for everyone […]