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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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