Receiving your Dahlia Tubers

Dahlia tubers are like people: they come in a wide range of sizes, from small, narrow, slightly wrinkled ones, to big, round, plump ones.It can be a shock for new Dahlia growers to compare two varieties: the smaller one looks like a reject compared to the bigger one!However, this range of sizes is completely normal, and in… Continue reading Receiving your Dahlia Tubers

How to Dig Up & Store Dahlia Tubers Overwinter

Once Dahlia leaves are blackened by the frost, it’s a common practice to dig them up and prepare for storage over the winter How to Lift Dahlia Tubers from the Soil To lift Dahlia tubers before storing them overwinter, you need a garden fork, some pots or crates for storage in a cool, dry place, and something to… Continue reading How to Dig Up & Store Dahlia Tubers Overwinter

How to Cut Back Lavender Hard In Late Summer / Early Autumn

August or September is the best time to hard prune Lavender for great flowers the following year Late August is the absolute best time to prune your Lavender plants, when the final flush of flowers has died down.September is also fine, but it’s best not to leave it later, or you will get sparser flowers… Continue reading How to Cut Back Lavender Hard In Late Summer / Early Autumn

Should I Cut Lavender In Spring Or Autumn?

Lavender should be pruned hard every year to keep it dense, bushy, and covered in flowers during Summer It’s not good to prune your Lavender plants in late Autumn / Winter when it’s not in growth, and if you prune it in Summer you will remove all the flowers, so that leaves either Spring, or late-Summer… Continue reading Should I Cut Lavender In Spring Or Autumn?

How to Grow Lavender

How to Grow Lavender Lavender loves sun and poor dry soils, ideal for the coast or beside warm South facing walls.   Which variety should I choose? In the sunnier South, all varieties will be fine outdoors, in suitably well drained soil and sunny aspect. In colder regions, the issue is longevity.  Which size should I buy? The… Continue reading How to Grow Lavender

Year Round Guide To Essential Garden Jobs

January Hedging Fruit Trees Garden Trees Roses Soft Fruit Climbers Bulbs Olive and Bay Nature Other February Hedging Fruit Trees Garden Trees Roses Soft Fruit Climbers Bulbs Olive and Bay Nature Other March Hedging Fruit Trees Garden Trees Roses Soft Fruit Climbers Lavender Bulbs Olive and Bay Herbs and Veg Borders and Flowers Other April… Continue reading Year Round Guide To Essential Garden Jobs

How To Make Leaf Mould

What is Leaf Mould? Raking up leaves is part of a gardener’s life. The best way to make use of all those leaves is to keep them as mulch, compost, or leaf mould: that crumbly, airy, free draining stuff that improves soil, and makes a superb potting medium for seeds and cuttings. Which Leaves Should… Continue reading How To Make Leaf Mould

How To Use Horticultural Fleece on Pots

Wrap up outdoor potted plants to protect them from frost for Winter When Winter frosts are on their way, sensitive plants that aren’t practical to move into shelter should be wrapped up to protect them from the freezing weather. This is most important for tender plants, but even relatively hardy bay leaf trees can still… Continue reading How To Use Horticultural Fleece on Pots

Best Plants for a Small Garden Wildlife Hedge

A good hedge is an invaluable addition to any garden. It delineates and disguises boundaries, providing privacy for humans and habitats for wildlife, with nest sites for birds and foliage, blossom, nuts, and fruits to eat. The leaf litter at the base of a mature hedge is perfect for hibernating creatures, especially reptiles and amphibians,… Continue reading Best Plants for a Small Garden Wildlife Hedge

Game of Thrones Trees Take Their Final Bow

Winter has come for four of the famous Dark Hedges beech trees, and there was no King’s Landing for them Game of Thrones was a TV show that ran between 2011–2019, famous for its strong starting season, the death of Ned Stark (played by Sean Bean, England’s greatest living Sheffield United supporter), an increasingly tiresome… Continue reading Game of Thrones Trees Take Their Final Bow

Darnley Sycamore Gets a Storm Eowyn Haircut

It’s been a wee bit of a trying day for Glasgow’s famous Darnley Sycamore, which got pollarded by 100mph winds The sycamore tree, thought to be at least 450 years old, is a historic landmark connected to Mary Queen of Scots and her ill-fated cousin-husband, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley. 450 plus years is a decent… Continue reading Darnley Sycamore Gets a Storm Eowyn Haircut

Alabama Snow Alert

Alabama, a county West of Cornwall, is experiencing freak snowstorms Despite the balmy weather in Cornwall right now, neighbouring Alabamians are having a rough “affliction of the stone-mackerel”, under a once-in-a-century-so-far blanket of snow. British gardeners are not well known for growing coffee or loquats, not ripe ones anyway, but we used to lead the… Continue reading Alabama Snow Alert

The Wilsford Community Orchard Group’s Applesolutely Apeeling Vision

Every day, I get to the office really early, sometimes before noon, pick up my online issue of Lincolnshire World from the letterbox, and settle down to read with a cuppa before the hurly-burly work day starts So it was that I was one of the first people this morning to read the article that… Continue reading The Wilsford Community Orchard Group’s Applesolutely Apeeling Vision

Plant Botanical / Scientific / Latin Names

“Latin” plant names aren’t really Latin, as in the language of the Roman Empire, they are a mix of words and names from Latin, Greek, and other languages “Latin names” is easier to say than Binomial Nomenclature, which means “two part naming system”; that’s lovely, but still doesn’t explain much. Why are these alien sounding… Continue reading Plant Botanical / Scientific / Latin Names

What Does “Bulbs in the Green” Mean?

There are two ways to buy and/or transplant flower bulbs: either when they dry and dormant, or when they are in growth, known as “in the green” Most bulbs are like bareroot trees in the sense that they are only transplanted when they are dormant. But a few species tend to transplant better when they… Continue reading What Does “Bulbs in the Green” Mean?

Hereford Times Orchard Lane Leylandii Song

Orleton locals got a laugh from the Hereford Times “AI Assisted” article that used a stock image of an Oak Tree for an article about cutting down a tall Leylandii hedge, inspiring a satirical folk song Church Lane residents in Orleton, Herefordshire, were treated to a masterpiece of robot writing in this Hereford Times article… Continue reading Hereford Times Orchard Lane Leylandii Song

Self-Fertile Apple Trees That Pollinate Themselves

Apple pollination is usually not a concern in the UK, because there are so many orchard and crab apple trees around However, self-fertile apple trees are still the most reliable choice for most growers, especially if you only have space for one tree in your garden. Self-pollinating apple trees are the most popular varieties we… Continue reading Self-Fertile Apple Trees That Pollinate Themselves

Best Plants for A Winter Garden

Tiny marvels dispel winter gloom: the uplifting power of nature! As I filled up the bird feeders yesterday, I noticed the intense dogwood stems contrasted against the fence, and the first winter clematis flowers emerging. I inhaled deeply, savouring the trace of witch hazel on the breeze. “Ah”, I said to myself, “I could feast… Continue reading Best Plants for A Winter Garden

The Best Tomato & Mascarpone Risotto Recipe: Creamy, Savoury Comfort Food

For a comforting dish that’s bursting with rich, creamy flavours, this Tomato & Mascarpone Risotto is exactly what you need. Ingredients: Method: Prepare the ingredients:Begin by heating your stock in a saucepan over low heat to keep it warm. In a large pan or wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the… Continue reading The Best Tomato & Mascarpone Risotto Recipe: Creamy, Savoury Comfort Food

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