Don’t let the dreaded tomato blight reduce your harvest to mush; Jean Vernon has some timely advice. Anyone who grows tomatoes has probably experienced the highs and lows of the fantabulous greenhouse crop. Let’s be honest, tomatoes are fairly high maintenance. We spend time and effort sowing, growing, repotting, tying in, pinching out and feeding. […]
Jean Vernon explains how going low-mow is good for your garden’s biodiversity and especially your garden pollinators If you’ve seen the call for no-mow May you might be wondering what it’s all about?? So, let me explain. No-mow May is a bandwagon that anyone with a garden can jump on. It’s a call to let […]
The protected environment inside a greenhouse is not just good for the plants. Jean Vernon has a few unwelcome guests to evict. It’s spring and nature is stirring. The birds are nesting, the bees are emerging, and the garden is surging into growth. There’s that earthy smell in the greenhouse with seeds sprouting, cuttings rooting […]
Sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine, sow some, grow some to add some garden sunshine and support those caught up in the conflict. I can’t think of a happier garden flower than the sunflower, so it seems rather ironic that the humble sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine. These fabulous sunny faces light […]
What’s the best way to label plants and seedlings?? Even the most knowledgeable gardener needs to use plant labels. It’s all very well being able to identify what different plant seedlings look like, but if you are growing from seed you also need to know the variety. But the problem with plant labels is that […]
Jean Vernon is starting the year with fresh intentions, determined to be prepared to grow and ready to sow For me 2021 was a very difficult year. I’d thought 2020 was bad enough but nothing prepared me for the rollercoaster ride of 2021. I won’t go into details; it was personal, vile and extremely distressing. […]
Jean Vernon explores the magic of the humble seed. There’s magic in our gardens that is often undervalued. It’s something that gardeners, farmers and growers across the world are mesmerized by. That a tiny speck of seed can grow into a fully formed plant. It never fails to amaze me and is just one of […]
Inspired by an exhibit at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021, a book yet to be published and a plant that everyone wants to grow, Jean Vernon shares some juicy tomato pulp gossip info history Pretty much everyone that has or aspires to owning a garden greenhouse wants to grow tomatoes. This enigmatic crop has had […]
Autumn is nature’s planting season, but it’s not just the best time to position new plants, it’s also a great time to sow and grow biennials especially for pollinators Jean Vernon explores Filling the garden with great plants can be a costly affair, but it doesn’t need to be. There are lots of fabulous garden […]
Growing plants and having a nice garden is within reach for everyone says Jean Vernon. You don’t need to be an expert gardener to have a nice garden. In fact the best way to learn is to have a go. But there are some simple basic things about plants and gardens that it is helpful […]
Caterpillars get a bad press, especially with gardeners. But if you placed a butterfly in front of a gardener and told them to kill it, would they or could they? Well …. I hope not It’s time to fall in love with caterpillars. But first you need to understand a bit about them. Caterpillars are […]
Whether you want to pick a posy of flowers for a gift or fill a vase for the hearth, your garden can provide plenty of flowers for cutting There are so many benefits of having a garden and a greenhouse. Picking fresh flowers for the house or for a friend is just one of the […]
