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The other day I was looking for some information on organic gardening and was trawling through one of the large article directories when I came across an article by Dr John Yeoman PhD. In
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Saturday, 7 April 2012
Eco-Gardening Tricks, Helpful Devices and Ducks
I have been keeping a close eye on my small garden pond since the annual explosion of frogspawn appeared a few weeks ago. The eggs have hatched and the pond is full of tadpoles which seem to be even more prolific than usual this year. My two young grandchildren came to stay for a few days last week
Monday, 19 March 2012
Titan Arum Now In Bloom
This titan arum, Amorphophallus titanum, is growing in the Kenneth Post Lab Greenhouses at Cornell University. The plant is only found in Sumatra and flowers very infrquently so when it does you want to grab your chance to admire it. The flower lasts for just a couple of days. Take a look at
Friday, 24 February 2012
Moon, Clouds And The Color Purple
The weather in January was unusually mild this year and my garden woke up thinking that Spring had already arrived. A short burst of extra hard frosts earlier this month soon dispelled the illusion and many emerging blooms have been cut back. One that I am watching carefully is the rooted branch of
Monday, 30 January 2012
USDA Zone Map 2012 And Weird Trees
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map has recently been updated to take account of the change in the climate over the past few years. The revised map reflects the slight warming in the overall climate. Winters are not quite as cold as they used to be, so some plants might survive a little to the north
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Mild Weather, Compost And Grow Your Own Gnome
"Mild Weather Tricks Plants To Thinking Spring Has Arrived" is a headline I saw recently and is certainly true for my garden. In December there were only a few frosty nights and January so far is mild and wet. The camellias have clearly decided that spring is here. The first flower appeared a few
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Christmas Trees And An Excellent 2012
Garden Supplies News has been neglected of late because my wife and I took a two week vacation to India. After two weeks of warmth and sunshine we returned to a cold and dreary climate and promptly caught colds which we are desperately drying to shake off before we go to stay with our family for
Monday, 28 November 2011
Choosing A Christmas Tree
Choosing a Christmas tree can be quite an emotive matter. I found an interesting article the other day which set out to prove that buying a live tree was greener than an artificial alternative which can last for several years, but was distracted by other matters and now can no longer find it.
Friday, 11 November 2011
Heirloom Vegetables, AirDrop And Colorful Winterscapes
Everyone loves lists so I'm told. I've found this list of 20 Heirloom Vegetables complete with descriptions and full color pictures. But before setting out her list Christine Vrey, the author, reveals that half the vegetables she thought were vegetables are in fact classified as fruit. So such com
Friday, 28 October 2011
Earthworms, Ghosts And The Garden Rug
However enthusiastic a gardener you are, you will surely welcome ideas to make routine tasks easier. For instance who wants to engage in double digging when the same effect can be achieved without all that physical effort. Horticulturist Felder Rushing is firmly of this opinion and has, as he puts i
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Roses, Gadgets And A Novel Herb Bed
After two months without any rain and unseasonal high temperatures the last three weeks have reversed the trend with heavy showers and longer periods of rain nearly every day. As a result my roses bloomed a month earlier than usual and so now have finished their first flush, but made a great show fo
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
The Irish Sky Garden And Rooftop Growing
Last week I wrote about the preparations for the Chelsea Flower Show and included some links to pictures of some of the more unusual show gardwns. One of these was the Irish Sky Garden designed by Diarmuid Gavin which won a Gold medal and The RHS People's Choice Award. I found this video tour of the
Monday, 23 May 2011
Chelsea Flower Show And Peonies
In my last post I mentioned the preparations for the Chelsea Flower Show and this is the week that the show opens its doors to the public. Each year sees more and more ambitious designs to the extent that there is some adverse press comment that the structures are taking over from the flowers. For e
Monday, 18 April 2011
Growing Vegetables On A Balcony Or In A Jar
"No Excuses, Just Vegetables" is the title of an article by Mike Lieberman in which he shows how, with a little ingenuity, even apartment dwellers can grow their own veggies. "It’s worth the time and effort if you grow even one herb or vegetable. It will make a difference" he says. Of course he re
Monday, 28 March 2011
New Plants, DIY Gadgets And Queen Anne's Lace
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I know it's rather late but I have just noticed an article on new plants for 2011 and this has prompted me to check a few sites to see what new varieties are on offer this year.
Black and white seem to
I know it's rather late but I have just noticed an article on new plants for 2011 and this has prompted me to check a few sites to see what new varieties are on offer this year.
Black and white seem to
Monday, 14 March 2011
Invasive Plant Control And The Crabapple Branch
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As someone who tries to stick to organic principles and avoids the use of pesticides wherever possible, I am always interested to hear of ways to encourage natural predators. We all know that ladybugs eat
As someone who tries to stick to organic principles and avoids the use of pesticides wherever possible, I am always interested to hear of ways to encourage natural predators. We all know that ladybugs eat
Friday, 4 March 2011
Vertical Gardening, Garden Designers And Giant Veggies
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Vertical gardening is not a new idea. Garden writers have for many years suggested that people with small courtyard gardens should make the most of the space by growing climbing plants up the walls and fe
Vertical gardening is not a new idea. Garden writers have for many years suggested that people with small courtyard gardens should make the most of the space by growing climbing plants up the walls and fe
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Organic Loses Out On Vitamins And Antioxidants
I've just come across a recent study that claims that vegetables grown using chemical fertilizers contain more vitamins and so may be better for you than organic produce. This is a report by the British consumer magazine Which? and has caused some consternation among organic gardeners. The claims fo
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