In February, a gardener’s fancy turns to starting seeds under lights: cabbages that can be transplanted into the garden in early spring; the earliest annuals, such as violas and snapdragons; and those that take a really long time, like petunias. Even if you have a greenhouse, you’ll need a light setup to give most plants […]

Jump-starting vegetables in your greenhouse celebrates the beginning of the year’s growing cycle. But potatoes? I hadn’t considered them as greenhouse candidates until I read the new 35th anniversary edition of my go-to edible book, Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades by Steve Solomon and co-authored this year by Marina McShane. Now why would I […]

If you’ve ever brought geraniums or pelargoniums into your greenhouse at the end of summer, you probably know how leggy the plants become in winter’s low light levels. Come spring, you can cut back these plants significantly to get them started anew, but the initial result is an ugly brown stem visible in your hanging […]

Winter is the time when many greenhouse owners are thinking about starting seeds. They may be reading through catalogs, cleaning pots, checking their supply of potting soil, and perhaps placing orders. But one thing that is often overlooked is a heating mat to go under your seed flats. With the gentle bottom heat that a […]

Now that all that holiday fuss is over, it’s time to get down to serious business: gardening. In the middle of winter? Well, sure, if you have a conservatory. You can be as busy as June, patrolling for insects and diseases, monitoring temperature, humidity and air circulation, and preening and primping your plants. But even […]

Whether you’re looking for someone to build your new greenhouse foundation or planning an entire garden makeover, there comes a time when you need skilled help beyond DIY. So how do you go about choosing the right person for the job? Robert Kirtley is the man who knows. He’s an award-winning landscape contractor who now […]

Have you ever tried to use a full-length broom in your greenhouse? I have and almost broke a window. I also tried using a full-sized hoe in one of my greenhouse beds only to knock plant pots off the shelf behind me. After these experiences and a few more too embarrassing to mention, I decided […]

To have made six gardens in five climate zones looks very like extravagance, but to have possessed a greenhouse in only one may be regarded as a misfortune. Particularly, as I realized with some shock, that greenhouse was in the garden where I least needed it – Norfolk, England; aka Britain’s Sunshine Capitol, and with […]

Colour is such a personal thing and most of us have a favourite. Mine of course is orange and it’s the choice of an exuberant Leo lady. You see I was born on the hottest day of the year, in July, and my mother never let me forget it. I’m unusual I know, for orange […]

If you’re a gardener like me, who read The Secret Garden as a child, the longing for a place of enclosure was planted early. Of course, a greenhouse is one of the best ways to satisfy our desire for an indoor/outdoor life-among-the-plants kind of space. Another is a courtyard. I was reminded of this recently […]