16Feb
NOTE TO SELF: Think before you sow. Is it essential to sow indoors or would a later sowing or a later outdoor sowing be just as good? Starting seeds off indoors is more labour intensive...
Suburban Sue
27Oct
The end of October and the beginning of November in the UK host halloween and bonfire night in quick succession. While those of us with pets, especially ones of a nervous disposition, keep them inside,...
06Oct
Resilience: One definition is ‘the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness’ The first is in line with our current challenges. But how do we make a change and do so consistently? At home I...
15Sep
When I got my greenhouse a few years ago, my husband obtained from a local car valeter a large container which he turned into an additional water butt. This was full at the beginning...
08Sep
Whether you believe in climate change or not, at certain times we need, as gardeners, to deal with water shortages as well as water gluts. I have been trying to retrain myself in water saving...
14Jul
For the last few years I have tried growing a few brassicas - I was reluctant at first as they can take up a lot of room and I have only had four available raised...
30Jun
In writing the title I suddenly realised how broad this area has become! The salad crops such as tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber and cress have been extended by microgreens, sprouting seeds, baby vegetables and flower heads/petals. ...
25May
The taste of fresh homegrown runner or french beans lightly cooked is one of the highlights of my summer and my mother also appreciates a gift of tender freshly picked juicy french beans. I usually...
23Apr
Scarification describes the process of abrading or otherwise damaging a hard or tough seed coat in order for it to take up water and oxygen so that chemical changes can occur in the seed to...
28Mar
Catnip - seems to be the marmite of the cat world. Some cats seem to enjoy it and feel the full effects whilst other cats ignore it completely. Our current cat, Leo, is one of those...
25Feb
There are some seeds that may benefit from soaking such as some tree and aquatic plant seeds. For anything unusual check the germination instructions first!
28Jan
Problem of germination requiring Stratification: the use of cold, moist conditions to prime seeds into germinating. This process occurs naturally for plants where the seed is ‘self sown’ in the garden. It can be copied by the gardener for Varieties such as Nepeta Cataria (catmint), Primula and Echinacea