Search - Articles

The weather has been remarkable lately. A fortnight ago we had frosts and chilly winds, then suddenly we had sunshine, showers and the odd thunderstorm.The recent sun and rain have been fantastic for the allotment; everything seems to have leapt

overnight those buds have burst into the prettiest lemon-coloured blooms. I've left them for the moment as I don't need that bed until I put my beans in, which aren't yet big enough to survive the attentions of slugs. After last year's rain there seem

We've been harvesting potatoes. After the dreaded potato blight hit the rows of potatoes I was quick to employ my son to cut off and rake up all the haulms.Although we couldn't lift the tubers immediately and we had a lot of rain, when we did lift

The weather has been great recently, perfect for doing some much-needed lawn care and maintenance. Earlier this year, amid heavy rain, we laid a shed base and erected a shed on it. We used a mini-digger and dumper, and, of course, wrecked the lawn

things warm up. Even the worms are hiding in the base of the heap, where it's slightly warmer. Right now it's raining buckets so I shall stay inside, but as soon as the weather starts to clear I'll be out there wrapping my compost heap with fleece

According to the papers it's been the coldest start to December for 30 years - an average of only 1.7° C.The cold weather has hopefully killed a lot of pests, but I've not been able to get on with many of my jobs on the plot. I've not been able

and I think half of them blew away. The second sowing was drowned in steady, unremitting rain and probably rotted. Still, the few that did grow came up well. Thank goodness you only need a couple to go with Christmas dinner!But what about red cabbage

.There's something really inspiring about setting yourself up with seed trays, pots, compost and a big box of seeds indoors, as the rain lashes against the window pane.I like to sow seed of a few plants indoors. Tender crops, such as courgettes and butternut squashes

What a lovely spring to be growing things. The weather has been pretty near perfect — lots of sunshine and some lovely soft, steady rain to get it all germinating and growing well. Perhaps we've had a bit too much wind, and the temperatures at night

proportions.However, the recent soggy, damp weather - which infuriatingly doesn't involve 'useful' rain, which actually penetrates to the plants' roots - has meant that all the later flowers on the courgettes and marrows have quickly rotted. The rot from