In Glasgow this month I think we have something to celebrate. It’s the blossom! It is a cruel fact that usually the minute the blossom is out on the Cherry trees along come the old westerly winds, accompanied by some stonking downpours, resulting in gutters and pavements full of soggy, sorry blossom flowers but enjoy…
Never cast a clout ‘til May is out! We all know how fickle the UK weather is and how careful you have to be at this time of year. There are some easy ways to protect your plants however and it’s worth it to get everything off to a good start. By now you should have…
March is our busy month. Hopefully you will have had enough good days to get out and do your winter tidy-up and pruning but if not, now is the time to do it early in the month. Sowing and Planting You can sow hardy annuals outside now in their allocated position. Shrubs and bare-roots can still…
February is mid-winter, but there is an air of expectancy as everyone anticipates the arrival of spring. As you become increasingly impatient to get started in the garden it may be the time to get out and start preparing for the year ahead. It pays off later to clean your pots, clean and sharpen your…
January is unpredictable and so work in the garden is generally opportunistic. If the ground is not frozen or waterlogged, then planting shrubs, trees and last-minute bulbs is possible but of course the weather conditions can change quickly, so be wise in your planting decisions. Sowing and Planting Plant Azaleas and Rhododendrons and Camellias. These…
If you think there is nothing to do in the garden in November apart from tidying up leaves – think again! Now is the time to think about next year. Where are the gaps you need to fill? What worked and didn’t work? What is doing well in the garden? Filling gaps with existing perennials…
This is the time of year to gather your leaves and make the best soil improver you can find – Leafmould. It is by far the most efficient way to deal with leaves and it means you can re-use them in the garden, saving your petrol on the dump-run or the cost of someone else…
I have been visiting Le Garden Champêtre in Caunes-Minervois over the last two years. It has been lovingly created by Imogen Checketts and Kate Dumbleton on a normally very dry site near to the river L’Argent Double and specialises in perennials, ornamental grasses, bulbs, ground covers and herbs. These drought-resistant plants form a demonstration garden and…
One of the most common questions I get is when to prune hedges, and how to control their size. I like to keep things straightforward , so start by establishing a few facts about your hedge. First of all – is your hedge evergreen, semi-evergreen or deciduous? Does it grow vigorously? Do you need it…
July and August are wonderful months when real harvesting starts from your allotment or your productive garden. I really look forward to my Blackcurrants and Redcurrants, which are the first of my fruits to be ready. I have an abundant quantity and each year I have to decide what to do with them. This year…