How to use your autumn leaves
You can’t escape the fall of leaves right now, but should you leave them or collect them? Here are my reasons for getting out your garden rake.
Where do bumblebees go during winter?
I unearthed a couple of red-tailed bumlebees from hibernation and it got me thinking, where do all the bumblebees go to at this time of year? Bee Happy!
When is the best time to tidy the spring garden?
It’s always tricky to know when to start tidying the garden in spring. The weather has a lot to do with it but, pragmatically, it also depends when you’ve got time to do it. Mid-March onwards works for me.
February 2022: end of month review
Despite leaving the borders to their own devices, there’s been plenty to see and do in the garden this month. And the promise of so much more to come!
How to prune autumn-fruiting raspberries
Autumn-fruiting raspberries are incredibly easy to look after. Now is the perfect time to chop them to the ground ready for another bumper harvest in late summer
Seed buying: a gardener’s addiction
How to resist buying too many seeds? Obviously, I don’t have the answer to that, as a few ‘top up’ seeds turned into a bit of a seed-buying spree.
February in the garden: prepare, plant and prune
It’s time to prepare my happy place for the gardening year ahead. There’s lots to do, but it’s achievable 15 minutes at a time. Take a look at my 15-minute February checklist. and see what you can tick off too.
How to divide and manage pheasant’s-tail ornamental grass
Ornamental grasses are great for adding colour, movement and structure to prairie-style borders, but it’s a good idea to know how to manage them. Here, I share lessons learned with one clump of evergreen pheasant’s-tail grass.
North-facing curbside makeover
Some tasks take longer than 15 minutes. Here’s one garden makeover project I tackled over a couple of hours at the weekend
Ready, steady sow!
I’ve finally got going with my March indoor sowings, starting as always with three varieties of tomato – Moneymaker, Red Cherry and Maskotka – but this year I’m trying to reduce the amount of pricking out I’ll have to do.
Looking up in Lockdown
A year ago today the UK went into its first Lockdown. None of us could have imagined then the impact Covid-19 would have, and is still having, on our lives. Here I reflect on the positives of a year close to home.
Time for a spring clean
It’s that time of year when the garden needs a make over, removing the vestiges of winter to make way for the glorious arrival of spring. And it’s oh so satisfying!