Search - Articles

. Ripe seed should be shiny and black. If possible, sow the seed immediately as it doesn't store well. If you do need to save it, put it in an envelope or paper bag and store it in a cool, dry place.Sow the seed on the surface of compost in half

for this simple fact, and I was very quick to put them straight on it. [Technically, bumblebees do make an extremely small store (a few millilitres) of thin nectar regurgitation, but this is nothing like the huge stocks of thick, sterile, sweet gloop stored

available (especially with dwindling numbers of hedgerows), while shorter days and longer nights decrease foraging opportunities. On top of that, small birds use an enormous amount of energy just keeping warm during cold nights. They can't store fat like

, there will be someone there to advise you on pollination partners.Consider when you would like your apples: some varieties fruit in September, while others don’t mature until November. Generally the earlier the fruit, the less well it stores, so if you want fruit

, and appreciate the benefit of eating delicious, fresh home-grown produce. Helpful growing plants can be downloaded from this website, so check these out today.The 2011 campaign concludes with a Harvest Weekend in September, providing tips and advice on storing

bedding every year.It's not the plants themselves I object to (although some DIY-store favourites are downright horrible and wouldn't be seen dead in my garden thank-you-very-much). Many bedding plants are mass-produced, grown in peat, potted

and cram into a large container. Weigh the nettles down with bricks, and submerge with water (store away from the house, to avoid the smell). Leave for three or four weeks then dilute for direct use (one part concentrate to 10 parts water).Nettle liquid

Save your own seedRoll down the tops of the packets each time you use some, and store any left over at the end of the season. Keep packets in a glass jar with a sachet of silica gel in the salad drawer at the bottom of the fridge. Don’t bother saving parsnip

. Seeds are small, cheap and plentiful, so this is an ideal crop to share or swap with friends or family, or to store for a subsequent year.Four space-saving veg cropsSpring onionWhen grown on a small scale, this crop doesn’t need a chalk stream; just a