Jean Vernon defends gardeners against the summertime accusation of wasting water We’ve had a lovely spell of hot weather this summer, which in some areas has led to a hosepipe ban and as usual the finger of blame, is pointed at the gardener. Well I beg to differ. I disagree strongly and I want to […]
When you are looking to buy a greenhouse you need to do your research very carefully, where better to see a glasshouse in the flesh than an RHS Flower Show, says Jean Vernon Buying a glasshouse is usually a once in a lifetime investment. It’s really important that you can see some of the options […]
Jean Vernon explains the June Drop phenomenon, what it means and what to do June can be a strange month in our gardens. While the garden is burgeoning with lush vegetation in the moist warm weather, something very strange is happening on our fruit trees. Particularly the apples. If you watch your apple trees carefully […]
There’s a lot of unnecessary myth and magic about making garden compost says Jean Vernon First let’s unravel the confusion between the compost that you buy in bags for container plants and growing seeds. This, the trade, is called growing medium and is basically specially formulated to a precise recipe with a variety of ingredients, […]
Jean Vernon explores the wonder of seeds. Growing plants from seeds is one of the most satisfying parts of being a gardener. It’s sometimes surrounded in mystery and perceived as something difficult, but take a look in nature, any bare patch of soil and you will see that seeds germinate outside all of the time. […]
At the start of the New Year gardeners and greenhouse owners keep a close eye on nature’s clock. As the sun rises and sets to create a few extra minutes of daylight each and every day, so the sun returns to our gardens and gradually warms the soil. Every extra moment of daylight is a […]
Jean Vernon uncovers a few easy to grow perennial crops for your garden. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a few vegetable plants in the garden that grow year on year and don’t need sowing, planting and constant attention? Well you can. Just like your raspberries and strawberries that get better and better as time […]
Whether you have a tiny garden, balcony or patio or a larger garden plot if you like eating blueberries you’d be mad not to grow them yourself. So in essence yes you can grow blueberries in your garden, regardless of the soil that you have. These plants are just wonderful to grow, perfect for pots […]
It’s time to go low-mow to help feed our ailing pollinators, says Jean Vernon Lawns form the heart of most gardens, sometimes taking up half or more of the garden space. Generally the garden lawn has long been a leisure space, somewhere for the children to play and run, a space for the dog to […]
Jean Vernon turns the dilemma of ‘weeds’ on its head. The simple answer is to change your attitude to plants that you call ‘weeds’ and unless they are competing with your plants for food and water, or really taking over, learn to live with them. Most of the plants we regard as weeds are in […]
Strawberries are possibly the plant, or fruit that just about everybody wants to grow. And with the extortionate price of these fruits in the shops and the deliciousness of these rich red fruits, it’s no wonder that everyone wants to grow them. When a bowl of strawberries at Wimbledon contains a handful of fruit (usually […]
There are lots of different types of fruit you can grow in pots, says Jean Vernon I grow a lot of fruit in pots in my garden, even trees. The secret is to use BIG pots and make the very best of the planting area For example I’ve got an Apricot tree (from Thompson & […]
