Growing and harvesting fruit is one of the great joys of gardening. Nothing quite matches the luxury of eating warm raspberries and blueberries straight from the garden, picking the first rosy Worcester Pearmain of the season in September, or finding the soft fuzz has rubbed off the quinces in mid-October, revealing shiny yellow pear-shaped fruits… Continue reading Heritage Fruit: History in the Garden
Bring on the blossom
Every year the anticipation mounts. I look out of my bedroom window at the ornamental plum tree on the street, scouring its deep claret branches for signs that the colour is changing, life stirring within. Subtly, from a solid winter opacity to something with just a hint of deepest rose. Sometimes I think I see… Continue reading Bring on the blossom
Falling for leaves
November is a month when I struggle with the shorter hours of daylight, and the prospect of those seemingly interminable months of bleakness to come. Don’t talk to me of hygge or cosying up by the fire. I want to be out there, inspired by the colours and new life of the garden. I start… Continue reading Falling for leaves
It is a BEAUTIFUL Lawn…
Lawns occupy a special place in the hearts of most UK gardeners. That stretch of closely cropped grass sets off herbaceous borders, is the site of vicious games of croquet and more considerate games of bowls. Apparently they have been playing lawn bowls in Southampton since 1299. In the meantime there are references to King… Continue reading It is a BEAUTIFUL Lawn…
All About Alliums…
Alliums start flowering in mid-May and, depending on your variety, continue to do so from to the end of July with their lovely, frozen firework flowers. Alliums have become very “de jour” because their colours range from steely metallic shades to the deepest, velvety purple and because their perfect circular shape defies belief, even probability.… Continue reading All About Alliums…
Hips and Haws
Rosa rugosa makes a truly decorative hedge on its own or mixed with other hedge plants, especially if the plants are in the sun so that they flower well. Choose vibrant pink or purest white flowers for your summer interest and then enjoy the enormous orange gobstoppers of hips that they produce in autumn that… Continue reading Hips and Haws
Trees for Clay Soils
This is a reasonably long list of the trees that like growing on heavy clay soil. We don’t grow all of them, this is intended to be a reference for garden projects big & small – don’t say we never treat you! But if any are of interest, please do look at our list of… Continue reading Trees for Clay Soils
Is it a Bulb? Is it a Corm?
And what is the difference anyway? Why do gardeners love flowering bulbs so much? If you think of some of our favourite flowers through the seasons—snowdrops in winter, daffodils in spring, lilies in summer, the Christmas amaryllis and the now so trendy alliums — then bulbs are an integral part of our gardening culture. But… Continue reading Is it a Bulb? Is it a Corm?
Apple and Almond Cake
Ingredients 150g Brown Self Raising Flour 50g Ground Almond 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder 225g Golden Caster Sugar 2 Eggs ½ teaspoon Almond Extract 150g Melted Butter 350g Cooking Apples, peeled, cored and diced into chunky pieces 25g Flaked Almonds Instructions Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 20cm deep loose-bottomed cake tin. Sift… Continue reading Apple and Almond Cake
Why Willows and Drains do not Mix…
A video on why willows and drains should not be too close together…