Professional Gardening Tips
An ancient Latin plant name of doubtful origin, but possibly derived from the sound made in chewing the seed (Papaveraceae). Poppy. A widespread genus of 100 species of colorful hardy annual and perennial plants. Poppies like full sun, although some […]
A seed drill is drawn with the edge of a hoe along a garden line. These are the shallow trenches in which seeds of many garden plants are sown. Drills made in the open ground are generally made with the […]
TOMATOES All gardeners take pride in vine-ripened tomatoes. In addition to traditional red tomatoes, you can grow tomatoes that ripen to yellow, orange, and even purple. Small cherry tomatoes are ideal for salads and fleshy paste tomatoes cook into a […]
AubergineThe egg plant is another name for this vegetable which comes from tropical climates. It is grown in greenhouses in this country, or it may be grown in a frame from May onwards and even outside in a very sheltered […]
Parsley The point to remember about parsley is that it is certain to be needed by the cook at all times of the year. To allow for this, frequent (at least three) sowings should be made between March and September. […]
The name was first used by Pierandrea Mattioli, a sixteenth-century Italian botanist, and physician, and possibly means ‘shaking in the wind’ (Ranunculaceae). This genus of 30 species, distinguished from Anemone only by minor botanical differences, includes some of the most […]
This favorite American vegetable is a kind of Morning Glory, botanically Ipomoea Batatas, but in the United States, it rarely produces flowers. Its wild progenitor is a native of tropical America, which accounts for the fact that the Sweet Potato […]
The literal meaning of this term is a fruit wall, a framework upon which fruit trees are supported. A well-constructed espalier has an upright post every 3m (10ft) securely embedded in the ground and standing about 1.8m (6ft) out of […]
Probably from either Lysimachus, King of Thracia, or from the Greek luo to lose, and mache, strife, hence the common name of L. vulgaris (Primulaceae). This genus, of which most species in cultivation are hardy herbaceous perennials, has some species which have long been cultivated. […]
Zucchini A very rich bed is essential for a regular supply of marrows between late July and autumn. Soil which has received a generous dressing of well-rotted farmyard manure or garden compost is ideal. Planting distances depend on the type […]