May is the time that the garden slows down ready for the colder winter months. Many of the month’s tasks involve preparing the plants for frosts and wet weather. Spring bulbs should now be planted and once the harder frosts have started, summer flowering bulbs and tubers should be lifted and dried off to be … Read More
Thyme Thyme, which has for many, many years been valued for its smell, flavour, and medicinal value, also happens to attract bees to the garden. Thyme is a versatile herb in the kitchen. It can be used fresh, or can be added to stocks, stuffing, and sauces. Thyme’s aroma works wonderfully in most savoury dishes: … Read More
Congratulations Gardeners The 2022 Edible and Sustainable Garden Awards attracted a wonderfully diverse array of gardens and gardeners. Our assessors were awed by the efforts of all the entrants and very much enjoyed meeting everyone. A special congratulations to the Special Award Winners and a big thank-you to all our assessors who give up their … Read More
Soil: The incredible story of what keeps the earth, and us, healthy By Matthew Evans 9781922351418 $36.99 Review by Charlotte Nicholl from Scorpio Books What we do to the soil, we do to ourselves. Soil is a joyful, magical book by farmer, cook and environmental warrior Matthew Evans. It tells the unlikely story of our … Read More
Sage Common sage (Salvia officinalis) is a popular culinary, medicinal and ornamental herb with a multitude of uses It have silver-greyish leaves and bears attractive flowers which are purple-blue in colour. It is also a versatile drought-tolerant grey foliage plant and is very hardy as it often bounces back in the spring even after a … Read More
Sweet Basil Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) When we think of basil, chances are that we have Italian Genovese basil in mind, which is often used in pesto and tomato-based dishes. It has shiny dark leaves, and is very aromatic with a sharp, strong taste that compliments the sweet-tangy taste of vine-ripened tomatoes. Other species and hybrids of … Read More
February has been a month of record rain fall and below average sunshine hours but the plants have grown and so have the weeds. March is the end of summer and what I call the harvest month as much of the fruit is ready for picking along with the summer vegetables such as the tomatoes … Read More
Lemon Verbena (Lippia citrodoro or Aloysia citrodora) When brushing past the foliage of a Lemon Verbena shrub, you are surrounded by a most refreshing perfumed fragrance, redolent of lemons. The leaves are light green, thin and pointed with a slightly sticky feel and a wonderful citrus aroma. This versatile plant which originates from Chile, could … Read More
This is one of the busy times in the garden when many of the fruit trees will start to ripen their fruit. Berry fruits are well through their season so a tidy up of any branches that have finished fruiting will give room for new growth in preparation for next year’s fruit. Strawberry plants can look … Read More
Elder (Sambucus nigra) Elders are large, bushy shrubs or trees, and can grow up to six metres. They grow in both the city and countryside, favouring hedges, footpaths, motorway banks, railway lines, derelict land and domestic gardens. Elderflower blooms are flat-headed sprays with the most wonderful flavour, that start to bloom in late spring. From … Read More