Hartley Magazine

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

Fertilizing Greenhouse Plants

Because potting mediums rarely provide enough nutrients for long-term growth, most greenhouse plants need fertilization. Plants three main macronutrients (those needed in relatively large amounts) are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). On the fertilizer package, the proportion of each is given by a numerical ratio, with the order always being N to P […]

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Autumn Fireworks – the penstemon

A good garden should shine throughout the year and it should also provide plenty of nectar from early spring until late autumn. This is the time of year to think about late-flowering plants, because many of them come from the southern hemisphere, particularly South America. Flowers tend to be pigment packed, with plenty of reds, […]

People and Glasshouses

Glasshouses have long been pivotal to advances in architectural engineering, marrying old traditions with the new technological advances. For example, The Palm House, the centerpiece of the Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, opened in 1848 as a repository of the world’s plant diversity flooding in from all corners of the Empire and beyond. In 1851, Queen […]

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What to grow in your first greenhouse?

Jean Vernon explores some of the plants that are ideal for your first greenhouse Let’s be honest, what’s the first plant that springs to mind when you think of a greenhouse? Chances are it’s tomatoes, and while they can be high maintenance there are ways to succeeding with tomatoes AND there is nothing tastier than […]

Fabulous Plants Depend on Great Dirt

A plant’s performance is often tied to the quality of the soil it’s growing in. According to Elizabeth Murphy, soil scientist, gardener, and author of Building Soil—A Down to Earth Approach, certain steps can be taken to modify garden soil. But what about purchased potting mixes that are the mainstay of containers, raised beds, and, […]

Written in United Kingdom

What has beautiful flowers, stunning colour & tasty fruits?

Seldom found in glasshouses or conservatories this compact shrub is near ideally suited. Although requiring lime free compost and rainwater this’s not much disadvantage as tub culture is so easy and allows the plants to be moved outdoors for those months when they’re dormant. Beautiful flowers? Yes, like large white heather bells these bloom on […]