Search - Articles

the fruits...one happy gardener!One thing this season has taught me is that prevention really is better than cure, and this is a prime example. Delay control until later in the year and the damage is done, but hang up those pheromone traps early and you can

freely along a metal wire strung out in a line through the middle of the strawberry beds. The feline was then able to patrol up and down chasing thrushes and blackbirds off of the fruit. If the weather was inclement, a short length of drainpipe at each

, and have been waiting to see what the autumn colour would be like after all the weird weather.I know the National Trust reported back in September that the leaves were turning already and a lot of the autumn fruit harvest was in the shops at the beginning

of year is known by country folk as 'the winter of the blackthorn'. A heavy crop of sloes, the dark blue round fruit, is said to foretell a harsh winter. This year, it foretold a harsh spring. I'm still hoping for a warm spell within the next 15 days

in Britain.Unlike the sawfly, which feeds on the leaves, the grubs of the picture-wing fly develop in the small berberry fruits. Having seen bushes weighed down with berries in autumn, I've often wondered why the fly has not been more widely seen. A very

're of the edible or poisonous variety.Following the wet weather we all experienced through August I've been mowing off mushrooms ever since. It does seem a waste at a time when we're all looking at ways to grow more fruit and veg at home to keep our food bills down

should grow this tree (sorry if I'm sounding a bit bossy): its leaves are finely shaped (like a sort of muscular maple leaf); its bark is pale and slightly corky; it produces rather charming fruits called gumballs but, more than anything, its autumn

; there was something strange about the perspective because it made the bird look much bigger than their normally neat and petite form.Today I harvested the remaining fruit. I don't know what variety the tree is, but the apples are not very tasty except in crumble

.Many of these garlands were cleverly constructed from woven stems of willow or dogwood, with the same supple wands being used to tie in sprigs of evergreens, conifer and festive favourites like holly and ivy. Berries and seasonal fruits added colour. Angels were created

, laying lawn edging and root pruning cordon fruit trees (while, apparently wearing a pair of white cricket trousers and a double-breasted blazer!). The best tip is for a slug trap: "take an old photographic negative and a piece of tin. Solidified