Search - Articles

I've been putting off serious work down on the plot due to the cold (I don't believe in suffering for my vegetables), but since these last few days have been warmer, I've been unstoppable. Apart from the corollary of a messy house, it's been a very

I can coppice some hazels. (iii) Order vegetable seeds - actually this bit has been done already by my very efficient wife. This year it is a relatively modest order as we rather pushed the boat out last year so have plenty of leftovers

, but the new site I'm on has suffered from it terribly.A blight warning - sometimes called the Smith Period - occurs when there have been two consecutive days with temperatures of at least 10? and relative humidity has been above 90%.I try to grow vegetables

It's time to say goodbye!  This is going to be my last blog for a while because I'm preparing for exams, so it's a case of 'something's got to give'.I came dangerously close to giving up the allotment as well since we have raised beds for vegetables

.An inspiring book I often turn to for ideas is a small paperback by Joy Larkcom called Vegetables from Small Gardens, first published in 1976 – I'm not even sure if it's still in print. Joy introduced me to a lovely concept – the Value for Space Rating (VSR

stems to keep plants compact. Pick all the evergreen herbs from the top, rather than the side, to promote new growth.May-Octoberall year round30 minutesBronze fennel, Foeniculum vulgare x2Common sorrel, Rumex acetosa x3Curly-leaf parsley, Petroselinum

after flowering to promote new growth, which you can use over winter.May-OctoberMay-October30 minutesBay, Laurus nobilis x1Flat-leaf parsley, Petroselinum crispum x1French tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus x1Greek sage, Salvia officinalis 'Greek' x2Lemon

ShowVegetables at the Chelsea Flower Show, with Alice Fowler's top 10 veg varieties to grow for beginners.

medalist, Jekka McVicar.Grass varieties from the Great Pavillion at the Chelsea Flower Show 2008.Vegetables at the Chelsea Flower Show 2008, with Alys Fowler's top 10 veg varieties to grow for beginners.

the distractions of computers and mobile phones, it seems that 11-year-old young ladies still imagine themselves frolicking in a flower garden with a trug across their arm.We've already got a bed of blood-red dahlias, which provide a lot of flowers for the house