Ideally a tree is planted in the deep rich soil of a garden, but if your garden is on a roof or you want a tree but only have paving, a big plant pot is the only option. A silver birch is a good tree to choose for container planting, it has a nice light […]
Archives for May 2015
Pretty pelargoniums
The first thing to sort out is the name of these lovely plants, often called geraniums, they are in fact Pelargoniums, though they are all part of the same family. Geraniums are hardy perennial garden plants, whilst pelargoniums, mostly originating from South Africa, are more tender and won’t usually survive the winter outside in the […]
How to grow micro greens.
Fancy growing salads on your window-sill that are choc full of flavour and ready to eat in only about seven days? Me too, so I’ve been growing micro greens, those tiny leaves that you see in fancy restaurants. They’re not a full salad, but little, tasty leaves to scatter over whatever food you fancy for […]
Gorgeous gardens & plants at The Chelsea Flower Show.
These are just a few of the gorgeous gardens and plants that took my fancy at The Chelsea Flower Show 2015. A classic combination of clipped domes of Yew and brightly coloured flowers by Adam Frost in the Homebase garden. I love the combination of flowers and herbs. There were lovely sculptural shapes, like these […]
Planting ideas from the Chelsea Flower Show
Press Day at The Chelsea Flower Show is a very glamorous occasion, but beyond the layer of glitz, it comes down to fabulous gardens with wonderful plant combinations. It’s a chance to enjoy perfection and grab ideas to use at home, these are just a few of those planting ideas that, with a few tweaks, […]
Friday gardening favourites.
Wisteria growing over this oak pergola in my local park, 5 minutes walk from where I live, I’ve been admiring it almost daily. An early morning visit to Covent Garden Flower Market in London with my daughter and her fiancee, experimenting with wedding flower ideas. This little sunflower seedling, wearing its’ seed coating as a […]
Can you grow too much mint?
The all-year-round herbs are still doing their thing, this is basically sage and rosemary in my garden. But now that summer is almost here, it’s time to increase the range with some of the more tender herbs. Cooking is so much better with fresh herbs, they lift the most ordinary dish into something much more […]
What to do at the allotment in May
This month I’m coaxing the more tender plants, like chillies, basil and tomatoes, along on the window-sill at home, the slightly tougher or more advanced ones, like french beans, have been upgraded to the cold frame by the back door, whilst some vegetable seeds are already in place at the allotment. We’re well into May […]
Acid yellow plants to liven up the garden
Acid yellow is a wonderful colour in the garden at this time of year. It looks good planted with most colours, especially the deep plum of Sambucus, orange tulips, white or just about any shade of blue. Euphorbia palustris: An herbaceous perennial, it dies back in winter and emerges again in spring, its’ zingy yellow […]
What to do in the garden in May
May is a month of glorious anticipation in the garden, nice long days, a fair amount of sunshine and plants growing at a fast pace. Huge rewards are reaped from any garden tasks that are done this month, so lets press on. Hardy annuals: please sow some hardy annual seeds, they can be sown directly […]
Sweetly scented Rhododendron luteum
I’ve had my eye on this shrub waiting to see what colour the flowers would be, you have to be patient with a new garden, turns out it’s one of my all time favourites. Rhododendron Luteum is an elegant shrub with apple green leaves and custard coloured buds, opening into sweetly, scented pale yellow. It’s […]