Search - Articles

, the occasional rose clings on, the Sedum has sprawled and the seed catalogues thud onto the doormat (postal strikes permitting).It is the most relaxed time in the garden not just because the plants are semi-comatose but also because there is not a lot to do

. Descriptions in seed catalogues often promise two or three cobs per plant, but I rarely get more than one. I wonder whether gardeners in other parts of the country do better?

they grow so well here, why are we importing them?If you look at the catalogues and garden centre displays, you'll see that most seed potatoes need planting from the end of March. Well, I'd recommend starting now. You can chit potatoes first but it

promising new varieties from a seed catalogue - I'll report back on those at cropping time next year.During a recent visit to a farmers' market I was delighted to notice a stand from The Garlic Farm on the Isle of Wight. As a vegetarian I find farmers

and tulips reappear.Grow bluebells from seedCarol's tips for buying bulbsOnly buy bulbs from a reputable bulb merchant, garden centre or nursery, to ensure they haven't been taken from the wild. When buying from bulb catalogues, place your order early. Plan

to keep up with my seed sowing, so a few seeds of different salads are sown in modular trays every couple of weeks. This raises nice young plants to use to fill gaps or replace older salads now past their best.And by salad leaves I don't just mean lettuce

Are you snowed under with seed catalogues? It seems that even before the summer stutters to an end we have to start thinking about next year.I don't usually grow much in the way of annuals in my garden (apart from dahlias and poppies, of course

in the kettle after making my first brew of the day to melt them. The bracing cold also helps to wake me up! (Note to self: add thermal pyjamas to my Christmas list).6. Complete seed order before ChristmasMy neat pile of 2013 seed catalogues is sitting next

Ask me to recommend just one vegetable crop to grow for great returns and it would have to be tomatoes. Which other crop can match it for variety? Whole catalogues are available, listing literally hundreds of different varieties of tomato seed

, but don't expect to like them all. Everyone’s taste is different.Seed companies are always introducing new varieties, and trying to tempt us to grow something different. Tomato 'Sweet Aperitif' is one such introduction this spring. The company are so keen