Thinking of growing a few more veg for your menus this season? Give peas a grow, you might be surprised how versatile these plants are What comes to mind when you think of peas? Mushy peas with your supper, or podding peas at the kitchen sink? If you’ve grown peas before you might have discovered […]
Whether you are vegan looking for homegrown plant protein, or want to get the kids interested in plants – Peanuts may be the answer I’ve always been fascinated by peanuts. And I’ve tried a few times to grow my own. The trouble has been getting viable seed, or basically peanuts that haven’t been roasted, irradiated […]
Keeping honeybees to save the bees just won’t cut it and here’s why, says Jean Vernon. Bees, as we know, are in deep trouble. Dubbed the modern coalmine canary; their spiraling demise has scientists, naturalists and environmentalists running scared. Become a beekeeper?? The knee jerk reaction by many well-meaning bee supporters has been to take […]
If there’s a greenhouse on your Christmas list you might need to convince a non-believer in their worth. Jean Vernon helps you state your case A gardener without a greenhouse is a bit like a cook without a stove. Yes you can manage, improvise and still be creative, but the greenhouse facilitates much more than […]
Those of us who garden, know that there is something very special and very healing about our hobby. Gardeners have known that gardening has health benefits for years but sometimes find it difficult to quantify or justify it. Finally scientists are now agreeing that nature bathing, or spending time in nature is good for us […]
Every gardener wants a greenhouse, but just what exactly are they used for? A greenhouse in the garden offers a whole new dimension to the garden. Different gardeners use them in different ways. Greenhouses have been used for decades by gardeners to extend the growing season at both ends, to cultivate and grow more tender […]
Are you confused about compost? Jean Vernon unravels the mystery If you watched the ITV documentary last month about garden centres, you could be forgiven for being confused about compost. In fact compost is one of the most misunderstood subjects in gardening and that’s mostly because of what we call it. There are two totally […]
Jean Vernon explains the whys and wherefores of deadheading your garden plants It’s a term bandied about a lot in summer – deadheading. But what does it actually mean and why do we need to do it? Deadheading is all about keeping your summer plants flowering, more specifically your annual plants but not always. It’s […]
It’s time to fall in love with snails. Jean Vernon unravels some of the myths and magic regarding these creatures Snails? What good are they? I hear you ask? Well you might be very surprised what different roles these unassuming characters play not just in your garden but in the greater environment too. Food stuff […]
If you want to do something that will make a big difference to the environment, plant trees says Jean Vernon Trees are the lungs of the planet. During the day they use carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in a process called photosynthesis that makes sugars to fuel their growth and produces oxygen. It’s a phenomenal […]
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 […]
Grow your own has been on-trend for a while now, but this year with all the uncertainty of Brexit and indeed the increases in food prices, growing food for the table is ever more popular. You don’t need an allotment to grow veg. You don’t even need a veg patch. A raised bed or some […]
