These days we are constantly told that sugar is bad for us, and yet it exists in nature and sustains many creatures, especially insects. Now I’d be the first to admit I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth, so when the sun ripened fruit is ready to pick, a fair amount never makes it […]
Without a greenhouse this tropical climbing vegetable, Basella, is hardly worth attempting thus it’s little known in the UK though with a plethora of common names indicating worldwide popularity. Vine Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Ceylon Spinach, Gambian Spinach, Malabar Nightshade to name but a few. Originally growing wild in much of the East […]
If you’d like to eat new potatoes at Christmas (or earlier), it is time to plant them now, when late season, second early potatoes, stored in temperature-controlled conditions are sent out from late July to early August. They can easily be grown in pots. Stand two or three tubers on a 12.5cm layer of multipurpose […]
In the dog days of summer, entering the greenhouse is like entering a sauna. Working there, even with the door and windows open, is a form of masochism that even I balk at. But work in it I must. Although my 200+ plants have been moved outdoors, there are still summertime maintenance tasks to do […]
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It’s that time of year when flowers, all kinds of flowers, take center stage. This month, I’ve asked my garden colleagues—from Alaska to Puerto Rico—to nominate their longest bloomers. Consider adding these power-packed blossoms to your garden. Many may be started in the greenhouse for next year’s long-running displays. Alaska Pat Ryan, Education Specialist at […]
In a dangerously overheating world, it’s more important than ever to keep it cool in our gardens and greenhouses. Twenty years ago, my garden was on fire – or, more accurately, my garden-to-be was on fire. When I became keeper of this then bracken-riddled bank, I was on a new and exciting learning curve. I never imagined […]
Many greenhouse plants are poisonous so one always needs be vigilant if children visit. And particularly with seeds of the pretty Castor Oil plant, Ricinus communis, from the Euphorbia family. Though the foliage and flowers are poisonous these seeds are extremely toxic. Once known as Palma Christi the seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs, […]
We were thrilled to showcase a variety of structures from our prestigious Greenhouse and Glasshouse ranges on our Five Star and Best Tradestand double award-winning stand at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show this year. The ‘Feel Good’ themed installation featured four distinct handcrafted Greenhouses, each exhibiting an array of magnificent homegrown produce to underline […]
Delicate herbs – lemon verbena, bayleaf, rosemary, lavender, lemon balm to name few – benefit from greenhouse cultivation, because they are either not cold hardy, or the open garden is shady, so the herbs don’t receive the minimum six hours of direct sunlight they require to do their best. Given a seat in a sunny […]
You can’t have failed to notice the change in the weather due to climate change. Last summer a lot of my garden frazzled in the dry heat and I didn’t feel that I could water it due to the drought. It recovered again in September, once we had rain, and then we seemed to get […]
Imagine if we could bottle or preserve the spirit of summer and then return to it in the depths of winter, when we yearn for its presence. It’s not just about the taste and flavour of summer raised ingredients, though that in itself will lift your spirits. There is also the flavour of fragrance. A […]
