3rd September 2020
Choosing and planting bulbs which will flower next spring and summer seems like ages away, and we haven't even put the garden to sleep. But planted now, you'll ensure you get some great colour in the garden, at a time when you'll really appreciate it.
3rd September 2018
I’d never used a long handled hand fork before, and thought them a little odd. But it wasn’t until I actually tried this tool that I discovered how much I like it. It’s easier to reach further into the border, and as it has a long handle, you can get a better leverage, making forking over the area easier. I was able to get in-between other plants easily and weed out the nettles which seem to have arrived with the horse manure!
14th October 2017
This week I've been dividing up herbaceous perennials, including the over crowded Astilbes, Hostas, Lupins, Delphiniums and some of the grasses. When divided in autumn herbaceous perennials (those which die down to ground level at the end of each year) should establish a new root system over the next few months while the soil is still warm.
10th August 2017
Now is the perfect time of year to begin the propagation of semi ripe cuttings. They sound complicated, but they are not really. They can be taken from any plant (normally a shrub) which has produced some growth this year which has started to harden at the base. Examples include Lavender, Box, Berberis, Potentilla and Fuchsia.
4th July 2017
This week I’m giving the Wisteria on the front of the house its summer prune. Removing the long whippy growths back to 5 buds will mean that in February when I reduce these same stems back to 2 buds, I should get plenty of flowers next May. As the plant is relatively newly planted, there are not that many to remove, and I have tied most of them in to the wires to establish a good framework.
16th May 2017
Before I go to Chelsea, there's just time to build up my propagation house, perfect for protecting and growing on seedlings and cuttings.
3rd September 2016
The bulb planter is one of those tools that many of us have, but only use twice per year. Mainly in September/ October when planting spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, tulips and alliums, or in may when planting summer bulbs such as gladioli. But have you ever used your bulb planter for planting bedding plants or small plants grown in 3 inch pots?
28th April 2016
This week I have been taking it easy for the double bank holiday period and doing some light pruning in between relaxing and a bit of light hoeing.