Search - Articles

the dog from The Magic Roundabout) tucking into a blackfly colony on my runner beans. Most recently I met a very special species indeed: an orange ladybird. It was hibernating in a pine tree in my local park. What a find.The orange ladybird is only special

I recently spent a few days in Barcelona. The orange trees growing there were laden with fruit and looked stunning in the February sunshine. I loved seeing them growing outside in the streets, though admit to having felt a pang of jealousy on behalf

Last week I found vine weevils on the rim of the pot my orange tree lives in. It stands next to my 'nursery' of seedlings, so potentially hundreds of plants could be affected. The adults cause little damage, save for a few nibbles on the edges

well received.The Gardeners’ World magazine office apple season starts in September, when Adam brings in 'Ellison’s Orange', a mid-season variety and offspring of late-mid season classic 'Cox’s Orange Pippin'. This is shortly followed by Cox's Orange

of apple trees, a greenhouse (that sadly got stolen), a wonderful bright yellow tub trug, an orange tree, and an incredibly sharp gardening knife. But I've also received some horrors, one of which was so bad I took it back to the shop and exchanged

different to the tits, and they flew with a gliding motion. Visibly smaller than wrens, with a yellow or orange crest, they were instantly recognisable. It was a beautiful moment.Once home and with access to the internet, I learned that seeing goldcrests

A few months ago I wrote about vine weevil, which I had inadvertently brought into my garden in a pot of hellebores. I was worried they'd kill my orange tree (which pretty much always has something wrong with it) and my 'nursery' of seedlings. I

overnight, leaving my poor orange tree to fend for itself in sub-zero temperatures (it survived, but hasn't flowered in the four years since). A cold frame, some lovely wooden seed trays and a hose pipe were also stolen, no doubt to be sold on for pennies

in association with Rothamstead Research, shows that some species have declined by up to 99 per cent. Three species – the orange upperwing, bordered gothic and Brighton wainscot – have become extinct.A number of reasons are suggested for the decline. One

Russian kale.Reading the list back, I think the garden would probably have to be in Italy, in which case, I’d have to make an extra entry for oranges. Now there’s an idea...Which edible crops would you grow if you had the space, the sunshine and the time?