Now that all that holiday fuss is over, it’s time to get down to serious business: gardening. In the middle of winter? Well, sure, if you have a conservatory. You can be as busy as June, patrolling for insects and diseases, monitoring temperature, humidity and air circulation, and preening and primping your plants. But even […]
Whether you’re looking for someone to build your new greenhouse foundation or planning an entire garden makeover, there comes a time when you need skilled help beyond DIY. So how do you go about choosing the right person for the job? Robert Kirtley is the man who knows. He’s an award-winning landscape contractor who now […]
Have you ever tried to use a full-length broom in your greenhouse? I have and almost broke a window. I also tried using a full-sized hoe in one of my greenhouse beds only to knock plant pots off the shelf behind me. After these experiences and a few more too embarrassing to mention, I decided […]
To have made six gardens in five climate zones looks very like extravagance, but to have possessed a greenhouse in only one may be regarded as a misfortune. Particularly, as I realized with some shock, that greenhouse was in the garden where I least needed it – Norfolk, England; aka Britain’s Sunshine Capitol, and with […]
Europeans discovered clivias in Cape Province, South Africa, in 1815, and soon after some of the plants were taken to England. The Duchess of Northumbria, Lady Charlotte Percy (nee Clive) first succeeded in getting them to flower there, so the genus was called Clivia in her honor. Although more than 1,000 clivia cultivars and hybrids […]
Do you overwinter plants in your greenhouse or sun porch? If it’s warm enough in there, I suggest you pull up a comfy chair near your pelargoniums or Meyer lemon and dream of spring with these terrific gardening reads. One is a beautiful coffee table book with an important message and the other’s a digital […]
I was digging over a garden bed last week and dug out several Oriental lily bulbs. When you dig out “oriental” or “Asian” lilies, be sure to use a garden fork, not a spade. A spade will slice into the bulbs. These had not been dug for five or six years so it was time […]
Open the vents in your greenhouse on sunny December days, shutting them before temperatures drop early in the afternoon to retain the heat. Good air circulation is essential but chilling draughts should be avoided, so don’t leave the door open or open the vents too far. It is a matter of getting it just right! […]
It’s late fall, and the outdoor flowers are parched with frost, the leaves have fallen, the tropicals are in the greenhouse and the lawn has had its last cut. Now is the time to put away your garden power tools for winter. But in the urge to store everything, a big mistake can be made […]
Recently, I was invited to hike in the Oregon woods with a group of fern enthusiasts—several from the UK. The group was on a three-week botanizing road trip throughout the Northwest. When I caught up with them, they were picnicking trailside in a park near my house and talking Latin. Every other word was a […]
If you’re lucky enough to have a big conservatory—and it isn’t too crowded with plants—you have a lovely setting for a holiday party. If it’s warm enough to overwinter houseplants, the glasshouse will be comfortable for people. And wouldn’t it be lovely for your guests to watch snowflakes fall from inside the glass? You’re probably […]
Dahlias, with their brilliant-colored flowers in a variety of sizes and styles, are relatively easy to grow, but there are important tips to dahlia care, starting with how the tubers are harvested in fall. Dahlia tubers, from which new plants grow, cannot survive the winter outdoors in cold climates. They must be taken out of […]
