At last its here. After seven years of anticipation and anxiety, from the announcement in Singapore that London was to be the host to the quirky opening ceremony last Friday, the Olympic Games are now in full swing. So what has that got to do with gardening and why does it deserve a mention in [...]
I have been keeping a close eye on my small garden pond since the annual explosion of frogspawn appeared a few weeks ago. The eggs have hatched and the pond is full of tadpoles which seem to be even more prolific than usual this year. My two young grandchildren came to stay for a few [...]
“Mild Weather Tricks Plants To Thinking Spring Has Arrived” is a headline I saw recently and is certainly true for my garden. In December there were only a few frosty nights and January so far is mild and wet. The camellias have clearly decided that spring is here. The first flower appeared a few days [...]
For me August is the month when the garden is past its best and my thoughts turn to the autumn cleanup and plans for next year. But there are plenty of things to be done in August and I have found two articles, one covering lawns and the other irises. I have to confess that [...]
Conventional wisdom tells us that shade is the last thing that vegetables need, but Mark Hoffman from Kempton, Illinois disagrees. He will tell you from personal experience that some shade can have unexpected benefits. For instance potatoes which are grown partly in shade are more resistant to leaf hoppers. While crops grown in shade will [...]
Tags:gadgets·guerilla gardening·proactive gardening·shade·vegetables·veggies·weeds
While gardening is regarded as an enjoyable hobby we are all happy to use labour saving equipment to help with the heavy and boring tasks. Although a rotavator is not essential if you only have a small area to cultivate, no-one would think of maintaining a lawn without a mower. And you don’t even have [...]
After two months without any rain and unseasonal high temperatures the last three weeks have reversed the trend with heavy showers and longer periods of rain nearly every day. As a result my roses bloomed a month earlier than usual and so now have finished their first flush, but made a great show for a [...]
I know it’s rather late but I have just noticed an article on new plants for 2011 and this has prompted me to check a few sites to see what new varieties are on offer this year. Black and white seem to be common themes with the Black Velvet petunia and the Coconut Ice sunflower [...]
Tags:burlap·DIY·gadgets·herb·new plants·Queen Anne's Lace·wild carrot
If you want some indoor gardening activities while waiting for spring and a window farm does not appeal, why not grow some sprouts? Brussels sprouts are one of those vegetables that you either love or hate, but they are not what I am talking about. “How to grow sprouts” is the title of an article [...]
Tags:bindweed·couch grass·ground elder·horsetail·pruning·Roses·sprouts·weeds