About twenty-five years ago I bought some asparagus roots, planted them and waited to enjoy the stalks. The bed has provided fresh asparagus since that time. Every year, I add more seaweed and well-rotted horse manure or compost to the bed and have been rewarded every spring with fresh asparagus. But now I find that […]
Of course, any Hartley Botanic structure is colored using the powder coating process. That happens at the factory. But I never thought about using it for small items. If you have rusted tables, chairs, containers, or shelving that you’ve never have gotten around to refurbishing with a coat of spray paint, consider powder coating instead. […]
Microplastic pollution is one of the most insidious impacts of modern living – and, yes, gardening – but natural pollution-busting solutions abound. One of the great joys of living in the foothills of Eryri – or Snowdonia – National Park is that I get to walk among the clouds. I’m at a low enough altitude […]
Replacing an existing lawn with a plastic carpet is a bit like taking out your kitchen and putting in pretend appliances that look the part but don’t work? And maybe go on to create havoc or worse inside your home? Or Like buying a car without an engine and parking it on the drive because […]
Now that the greenhouse has been emptied of the mass of soft green growth that fills it over summer – mainly tomatoes, which are now thoroughly over, those many that didn’t ripen sitting preserved in chutney in the cupboard – I can think about how I might use it over winter. One of the ways […]
Although most plants convert light energy to chemical energy by photosynthesis, not all obtain the nutrients they need through their roots. Many of those that don’t live in bogs where their roots are permanently in low-nutrient, poorly-drained soil. One adaptation in this environment is obtaining nutrients, especially nitrogen, by digesting insects that visit the plants. […]
A lush foliage plant for a cool greenhouse Acmella makes a cascading mound of verdant foliage with almost non-stop production of cheery yellow pom-pom flower heads. Also known as the Electric Daisy, Alphabet plant, Australian cress, Para cress, Cresson du Brezil, Hoko So and Toothache plant, Acmella oleracea was originally Spilanthese acmella before moving from […]
If there’s one plant at the height of the fashion stakes, it’s the succulent. We can’t get enough of these fleshy-leaved beauties with their intricate swirls and whorls. They’re on countless nursery stands, at all the major flower shows, and they’re found in every garden centre across the land. And rightly so, for these easy-care […]
The autumn foliage was quite something this year; the fact that along the Rockies, instead of going straight from summer to winter, we had a fine fall helped…in fact, it persists. The native grasses, especially the big bluestem; the one I grow, ‘Wind Walker’, went from steely blue to rusty red; a nearby golden yellow […]
Sow sweet peas in a cool greenhouse for an early display next year. Soften the seed coat, by putting the seeds between two layers of kitchen towel on a dinner plate. Dampen the towel, drain off excess water, sow those that start to swell or sprout, usually after about 48 hours. Leave any others a […]
One of the traditional benefits of a greenhouse is to supply your home with décor—particularly cut flowers—in the off seasons. This month, I’m talking to Nicholas Staddon, a garden expert with a deep knowledge of plants, and company spokesperson for Everde Growers, a nationwide wholesale company, that features a wide assortment of plants, from trees […]
With increasingly wild weather the only certainty in future forecasts, greenhouse gardeners need to ready their structures for a stormy ride. Like it or not, increasingly powerful, destructive storms are now wired into the decades – centuries, unless we hit the emergency brake on carbon emissions – ahead. Everyday life, for us and for all […]
