Strulch organic garden mulch
Ideal for mulching fruit and vegetables, Strulch is a light and easy to use garden mulch made from wheat straw for organic...
GOES WELL WITH
Coping with holidays
For most gardeners, the main drawback of taking holidays away from home is the adverse affect it has on the garden. The dread of returning home to find knee-high grass, pest- and disease-ridden fruit and vegetables and container plants burned to a crisp.
Read full articleWhat is organic gardening?
I am an organic gardening enthusiast because it’s a system that works with nature rather than against her. Without using chemicals you can create the best possible environment for plants to grow. The garden is treated as an interrelated and interdependen
Read full articleHow to feed your plants
If you garden organically the aim is to increase soil fertility to a level that provides all the nutrients and moisture your plants need. There are organic fertilisers you can use (see below), but the best way to increase a soil's fertility in the long t
Read full articleHow to control weeds
‘One year's seed is seven year's weed’, or so the saying goes, so the most important thing an organic gardener (and non-organic gardener for that matter) can do is prevent weeds from flowering and setting seed. A horrifying example of this is chickweed,
Read full articleBuying vegetable plants
If you just want to grow a few vegetables or have suffered losses with early sowings, buying plants is a great way to play catch-up. Buying plants also allows you to grow vegetables if you do not have the facilities to raise them from seed yourself or whe
Read full articleDealing with common pests and diseases
One of the first things you learn when you start gardening is that plants are not alone in the garden. There is a whole host of bugs that set up home in your beds and borders as well as an alarming range of microscopic bacteria, fungi and viruses that are
Read full articleHow to deal with slugs and snails
Slugs and snails seem to lie in wait for the unwary gardener. No sooner have the first tender young shoots emerged in spring or new bedding been planted, than the tell-tale signs of feasting slugs and snails are noticed: irregularly shaped holes in leaves
Read full articleJune Week 1
If you do nothing else...water new plants. Make sure new additions do not suffer during dry spells. Plant up summer containers bedding once the threat of frosts has passed. Feed container plants about six weeks after planting. If it’s a nice day...trim he
Read full articleHardy geraniums
Hardy geraniums, commonly called cranesbills, are the stalwarts of a garden – they grow without fuss and bother, they flower reliably and without the gaudy excess of other garden prima donnas. For this reason, they are often overlooked as things of intere
Read full articleHostas
The hosta, commonly called plantain lily, has become established as a garden favourite. They are best known for their sumptuous, sculptural leaves ranging in colour from the cool silver blues to the vibrant yellows and greens.
Read full articleJapanese maples
Japanese maples make elegant focal points in a garden and seen in their full glory of autumn colour are absolutely breathtaking. They mix well with brilliant autumn-berries, picking up reds and oranges all around the garden. Although many species of maple
Read full articlePlanting climbers
The secret of success when planting a climber is to make sure that the soil is in good heart and the roots are set away from the dry conditions found at the base of a wall. After planting, I also suggest that you cover the surface of the soil with a mulch
Read full articlePlanting a tree
The secret to success when planting a tree is to make sure that it is well anchored; with shorter trees careful firming may be sufficient, but for trees over 1.5m a short stake and tree tie will help to keep the root ball in place. After planting, it's a
Read full articlePlanting a shrub
Shrubs are vital ingredients in a garden. They provide height, structure and year-round interest - as well as creating a backdrop for many of the showier plants. When it comes to planting a shrub, there are a couple of important points to remember. You wi
Read full articlePlanting a hedge
Hedges by their very nature are often planted in exposed positions, so the secret of successful establishment is to make sure that they are well protected from prevailing winds for the first few years. Carefully planting and covering the surface of the so
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