Search - Articles

see them most summers - I was devastated one year when we saw none, but the following year they were back.We go on regular family outings to a nearby plant-covered mound of soil, which seems to be a five-star glow-worm night spot. The thrill of seeing

-seeded readily. Once they've flowered, the seed heads ripen and split, scattering their contents onto the soil below. I've rested pots of compost around them to catch the seed in the past, or it can just be collected by hand.Freshly sown foxglove seeds germinate

The sun is shining, I can't believe it, and I'm pretty sure my plants can't believe it either! The warmer soil and increased light intensity have made a massive difference to my garden. Only now, towards the end of September has my vegetable plot

the best time to buy and plant trees for autumn colour. Not only are the leaves starting to change colour, giving you some indication of what the tree will look like in your garden, but the planting conditions are perfect, too. The soil is still warm from

.I planted them into a well-firmed bed, which is the key to growing good sprouts. A loose soil leads to 'blown' open sprouts rather than nice, tight little buttons.I've also earthed up the stems as they've grown, which keeps them firmly rooted in the ground

(oh dear, I think I'm now showing my age). Most gardeners will hopefully have come across the popular hardy Nerine bowdenii, which can be naturalised outside in a suitable free-draining soil, or simply grown in pots, but N. crispa has far more delicate

-it seeds and pots and the worn-out canes that would split as soon as I poked them into the first inch of soil. And no more ancient Jaffa cakes (sorry about sharing that with you but honesty is my policy).After a good sweep up, my tools are hung up

or grubs hiding below soil level to feed this hungry horde, and how do starlings know there's food there anyway?In the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch last January, starlings came in at number 2 in the top ten of most commonly seen garden birds - just behind

at all, so that the stems flex in the wind and strengthen naturally. But on my plot the wind would rock young trees loose in the soil and their roots wouldn't get a grip.I favour the minimalist method of staking trees: a single stake driven

sites and situations, from dry soils to deep shade. But while 'Sulphur Heart' provides the foil, it's Vitis coignetiae that adds the colour. Its bold green leaves open in spring, and rampant new shoots spread out in all directions. Then, as cold weather