Where are the fish? You walk outside to feed your fish one day and when you reach your pond you find all your beautiful fish gone. How can this be? You look for Fred, Lucy, TA, and all your other […]
Protect your Pond from Predators
Chelsea Flower Show
Most of us can’t afford ‘grand design’ in our gardens, bringing in professionals for TV-style makeover. But we are always looking for hints, tips and ideas that will give our gardens a distinctive look. It can be as simple as where […]
Pumpkins are Cool!
Don’t just chop them up at Halloween, used in soups, pies, and stuffed, pumpkins make a delicious addition to our autumn menus. Fiona Lawrenson spills the beans I’ve seen grown men cry over the sight of a giant pumpkin, and […]
How to grow spinach from seed
It has been estimated that a 10m (30ft) row of spinach supplies just about the right amount for a family of four during the summer months. But one sowing is not sufficient. Fresh young foliage is demanded and where spinach […]
LET’S PARTY: A 12-MONTH PARTY OF FLOWERS
Whether you are planning a birthday party or a formal dinner for business associates, flowers can play an important role in the decorations. But you don’t have to settle for run-of-the-mill, one-color arrangements of carnations and daisies. Why not key […]
How to Germinate any Seed – Growing Seed Requirements
A seed is an embryo plant and contains virtually all the materials and energy to start off a new plant. To get the most from one’s seeds it is needful to understand a little about their needs so that just […]
Is Crabgrass in your lawn?
I admire tenacity. It is a trait that I strive for myself and have tried to instill in my child. I am moved when I hear stories about people who overcome adversity or achieve great things by trying repeatedly until […]
Fabulous Fir Trees to Plant
Even if you’re not a gardener, you may know the fir tree from the popular balsam firs sold as cut trees over the holidays. This tree and other related fir trees make beautiful landscape plants, providing a habitat for birds as well. […]
John Innes Potting Soil Recipe
John Innes Potting Compost JI #1 Base 7 parts sterilized loam 3 parts peat 2 parts sand or grit Fertilizer: 4 oz / 8 gallons (3 grams / liter) Lime or chalk: 3/4 oz / 8 gallons ( 0.5 […]
Gone but not Forgotten
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN There is a beautiful, rather elegiac song by the American composer, Samuel Barber called “Sure On This Shining Night”. The piece has a particularly luscious phrase–“high summer holds the earth”. Right now in my garden, that […]