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Fabulous Florence Fennel!

June 8, 2018Advice for June, Edible Gardening, More Gardening, Saving Money, Urban Outdoors, Vantage Pointedible gardening, Florence fennel, Florence fennel 'Romanesco', Florence fennel 'Rondo', Florence fennel 'Zefa Fino', vegetablesPumpkin Beth

What a joyful month June is! June’s warm sunshine seems to infuse every fibre of our beings, imbuing our souls with a feeling of uplifting bliss that can only be found outdoors. June also brings us the gift of sweet summer rain to refresh our plants, and with it the excitement of a great many wonderful growing opportunities in the garden; it’s hard to beat this time of year!

Colourful, Scented Container Plants to Plant and Sow Now!

June 2, 2017Advice for June, Container Gardening, Easier Gardening, Flowers & Floristry, July, June, May, More Gardening, Sustainable Living, Urban Gardening, Urban Outdoors, Vantage Point, Wildlifebees, butterflies, compost, Compost Trial, container gardening, container plants, dalefoot composts, Fibrex Nurseries, Helianthus annuus 'Choco Sun', Helianthus annuus 'Irish Eyes', Heliotropes, Heliotropium arborescens 'Midnight Sky’, Lavandula angustifolia, Lavandula angustifolia 'Lavenite Petite', Lavandula angustifolia 'Little Lottie = Clarmo', Lavandula angustifolia 'Loddon Blue', Lavandula angustifolia 'Miss Muffet = Scholmis', Lavandula angustifolia 'Peter Pan', Lavandula angustifolia ’Purity’, lavender, Myosotis sylvatica 'Bluesylva', Myosotis sylvatica 'Rosylva', Myosotis sylvatica 'Snowsylva', peat free compost, Pelargoiniums, Pelargonium 'Attar of Roses', Pelargonium 'Islington Peppermint', Pelargonium 'Lavender Lindy', Pelargonium 'Prince of Orange', Pelargonium 'Sweet Mimosa', Pelargoniums, plants for bees, plants for butterflies, scent, scented flowers, Scented leaved Pelargoniums, scented leaves, scented plants, sunflowersPumpkin Beth

Containers filled with your favourite coloured flowering plants can bring so much joy to you, and to the bees and butterflies in your garden.

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Little Lottie’.

Beautifully scented plants are always top of my list. The dwarf, compact, lavender cultivars, known as Lavandula angustifolia, are such lovely options for containers in a sunny spot, where their calming, soothing fragrance can be welcomed and enjoyed by all.

Protecting your Plants from Slugs and Snails

March 1, 2017Advice for April, Advice for August, Advice for February, Advice for July, Advice for June, Advice for March, Advice for May, April, August, Container Gardening, Don't Miss, Easier Gardening, Edible Gardening, February, January, July, June, March, May, More Gardening, Outdoor Trials, Pests & Diseases, Saving Money, September, Sustainable Living, Trials, Urban Gardening, Urban Outdoors, Vantage Point, Wildlifeslugs and snails, TrialsPumpkin Beth

Protecting your plants from Slugs and Snails

For many gardeners, the slug and snail population seemed to explode in 2016, with many fraught and distressed gardeners asking for my advice on the best way to protect their plants from slugs and snails. I am strongly opposed to slug pellets. I wouldn’t wish to kill any of the slugs or snails in my garden, as I believe a healthy eco system is important.

Garden Advice for Mid-May to Mid-June

May 15, 2014Advice for June, Advice for May, Pests & Diseasesbeans, bees, beetroot, brassicas, broccoli, cabbage root fly, cabbages, carrots, chard, chelsea chop, chicory, cucumbers, daffodils, Dahlia 'Classic Rosamunde', Dahlia 'Pooh - Swan Island', dahlia clair de lune, dahlia fashion monger, Dahlia ‘Tahoma Moonshot’, Dahlia ‘Twyning’s Smartie’, dahlias, edible gardening, endive, fertiliser, French beans, fruit, irrigation, June, kale, kohlrabi, lawns, lettuce, May, monthly-advice, onions, peas, potatoes, propagation, pumpkins, Runner bean 'Firestorm', Runner bean 'Moonlight', Runner bean 'Stardust', runner beans, strawberries, sweetcorn, taking cuttings, tomatoes, tozer seeds, vegetablesPumpkin Beth

I just love this time of year when everywhere is developing a beautiful shade of green! Every year it’s like a revelation, as hedgerows, trees, lawns, everywhere, turn the most beautiful shade of fresh, new, positive, wonderful, green. There are many jobs you can do now to keep your garden or allotment looking beautiful, here are some ideas to get you started:

The Chelsea chop, so called as it’s carried out around the time of the Chelsea Flower Show, is simply a term to describe cutting back herbaceous, perennial plants, reducing the plants’ height by to up to a half, before flowering.

Gardening Advice for Mid-June to Mid-July

June 11, 2013Advice for July, Advice for June, Pests & Diseasesasparagus, bees, beetroot, biennials, birds, brassicas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bulbs, butterflies, cabbage root fly, cabbages, calendula, Calendula officinalis, Calendula officinalis nana ‘Fruit Twist’, Calendula officinalis ‘Sherbet Fizz’, carrots, Cheiranthus cheiri, companion planting, compost, containers, corms, Deutzia, Dianthus barbatus, Digitalis, Digitalis purpurea, Dipsacus fullonum, edible gardening, fennel, fertiliser, Florence fennel, fruit, gardening for hedgehogs, hedgehogs, hellebores, herbs, Hesperis matronalis, July, June, kohlrabi, lettuce, Lunaria biennis, mangetout, mangetout 'Oregon Sugar Pod', monthly-advice, Myosotis sylvatica, Oenothera biennis, Pea 'Serge', Pea 'Twinkle', pea shoots, peas, pollinating insects, potatoes, propagation, pumpkins, radishes, rhubarb, rocket, roses, salads, slugs and snails, sorrel, spinach, swede, taking cuttings, tubers, turnip, vegetables, Verbascum thapsus, WeigelaPumpkin Beth

The garden is fascinating at this time of year. I love the wonderful sound of the birds singing, and I just relish the scents of honeysuckle, roses and other flowers; even the scent of the grass is so relaxing.

If you get time to put your feet up it’s the ideal time to pre-order bulbs, corms, and tubers from specialist nurseries to plant this autumn.