greenfingersguides

SUPER BROCCOLI IN FIGHT AGAINST CANCER

2011-10-04T02:38:00.000-07:00

I was reading today that M&S (they don't miss a trick do they?) are the first to start marketing a new super-broccoli called Beneforte. It apparently contains a high quantity of glucoraphine ( found in other broccoli varieties but at lower levels) which helps reduce the risks of bowel and prostrate cancer as well as preventing heart attacks and strokes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4502404.stm

It's interesting to see that a large number of the big supermarkets are taking a huge interest in these superfoods as well as kick-starting a trend for marketing some of the older 'Heritage' fruit and vegetables. Tesco I believe are selling Heritage cultivars of amber and yellow carrots. (Daucus carota) so look out for more of our old Heritage varieties coming onto the marketplace. This seems to be a growing trend and one that gives us as consumers, more choice. Which can't be a bad thing can it?

ASTER-LA-VISTA-BABY

2011-09-27T02:53:00.000-07:00

Oh it's been a lovely afternoon, with a bit of late summer sun and to the garden-I-will-go. Those asters have been bugging me. Don't ask me how (they weren't there last year) but they came up in the very front of a raised border so look very awkward towering above the otherwise rather lovely foliage plants in that bed. Such a shame too. It's a gorgeous violet thrumming with bees, but it's a wrong ' un where it is.Plants can do that you know. It might be you just inadvertently moved a plant and took a handful of roots with another one as you did so and then eh viola! A lovely plant in the wrong place.

I know I tell everybody not to move plants that are in full flower because they are at their weakest, so unable to take my own advice I dug the whole plant up, all 3ft tall and wide of it and moved it. There hypocrite that I am, but it bugged the life out of me that it was looming in the wrong company.

Lashings of water and a bit or organic compost and it will be fine by morning.

Britains's Gardens Swoon in Mini Heatwave!

2011-06-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

These beautiful hot sunny days are absolute bliss aren't they? If only England could have a summer that was reliable like this five months a year. Still, summers very decidedly here, so let's enjoy while we can.

But whilst our spirits soar and our level of optimism improves when the sun warms our cheeks, your garden plants don't feel the same way. They get hot, dry and wilt. Many of you will have wished that you knew how to help your garden cope with these hot spells as you dash about with the hose morn till night to quench the inexhaustible demands for water.

First off you could buy my book, 'Drought Tolerant Plants which goes all the way in detailing how you can sit back with a glass of wine on a summer's evening instead of running about like a trainee fireman to satisfy your plants' demands for water.

Available on Amazon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drought-tolerant-Plants-Greenfingers-Guides-Summers/dp/0755317599

However, if you don't have it yet, damage limitation is the key.

1. Water early in the morning and late at night when the soil will hold on to water more effectively.

2. Add some swell gel to extra compost and top dress your pots with it; better that you mix the compost and granules together to fill the pot at the start of the year, but we are where we are, so a top-dressing is better than none. This will reduce your watering time to a couple of times a week instead of every day.

3.Replace some of your traditional plants with some gorgeous drought tolerant plants that can withstand arid conditions. Or aim for a drought proof border entirely, so at least that is one bed you won't have to fret about.

Wild Primroses

2011-03-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

I am reminded today ( by an enquiry from a gentleman in Norfolk) of the sweet simplicity of our native Wild Primroses.

I know I have written them up in my book 'Fragrant Plant's (now in book shops March 2011) and the low-maintenance, easy-going nature of this semi-evergreen perennial with clusters of sweetly scented pale yellow faces make this an endearing and enduring favourite.

Wild primrose (Primula vulgaris)

Another fond favourite is 'ye olde' cowslip, (Primula vernis) which as a child I remember growing alongside cowpats along the riverbanks in Sussex.

Primula vernis

Both are easy to grow from seed too; though you can buy many wild flower plantlets online or at specialist nurseries. Plant in sun or partial shade in rich, moist soil.They are excellent beneath trees, shrubs or hedges or littering grassy banks with their sunny disposition. Divide every three years after flowering. Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering.

Spring has Sprung at last. Hurrah!

Lucy x

Garlic

2011-01-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

I want to talk to you about garlic.

It's all very well growing herbs and veg, which as a gardener I am supposed to do with consummate ease. But as well as being a gardener, I love to cook. If the produce I use is rubbish, then the end result is likely to be pretty poor too. (Move over Gordon - I know the process minutely from seed to gob and I can tell you what works and what doesn't.)

There is no doubt that the fat, succulent elephant and French garlic is a far superior animal than say, the small rounded hard garlic heads we are flogged by British supermarkets. The reason they flog us this nonsense is that it stores longer than larger cloved garlic so is economically more viable.

Elephant garlic has huge cloves, the size of a wrestler's knuckle and is milder, sweeter, more flavoursome (and in my not-so- humble opinion) far superior herb than the 'hard-necked' stuff.

You are going to have to go further than Sainsbury's, 'Tesco metro' or 'Happy Shopper' to find it. The local deli, farmer's markets etc will provide sublime hedonism where the large food 'sheds' stumble; you will pay more, but boy is it worth it.

One of our favourite dishes we cook in our family is whole roasted chicken liberally studded with garlic. Use the hard-necked English varieties you will find the flavour is sharp, peppery and a bit astringent. Use large cloved garlic and OH WHAT BLISS. Sticky, caramel, soft sweet cloves that slip gently from the skin.

Take my word for it.

And whilst I'm on a rant, is anybody else fed up with supermarket fruit and veg that is tasteless, under-ripe and hard as bullets? I bought three avocados that took at least a week to ripen even though I prodded them overnight to test their ripeness. EVERY night they remained a hard as marble. Suddenly I woke up one morning and the buggers were soft enough to use. Yippee. EXCEPT. When I cut them open the flesh was brown. Right up there with pears. There is only a nano-second in a pear's life when it is honeyed perfection.

INSIST when you next go to the supermarket that you will not put up with this cold-stored, tasteless, invariably overpriced garbage. You vote with your pennies. Old haddocky though it may be, even the busiest of us can report inferior merchanise to a store manager. Five minutes complaint from one in thirty of us and we shall see the quality of our fresh produce elevated to something approaching edible.

There. I'm done.

BORDER FLOWERS SHORTLISTED FOR REFERENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR

2011-01-06T04:11:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to learn that my latest book BORDER FLOWERS waas shortlisted for reference book of the year 2010.

All that hard work recognised at last .....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Border-Flowers-Greenfingers-Guides-Summers/dp/0755317602/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294315829&sr=1-7

Sowing sweetpeas

2011-01-06T03:07:00.000-08:00

Hi and Happy New Year to all budding gardeners.

I just wanted to let you know I have some new gardening tips for you on Youtube.

Check them out: they're to the point, jargon-free and by watching them (they are only short so it won't take you much time) you'll exactly how to get the job done quickly and easily. There are tips on sowing sweet peas, pruning wisteria, clipping box, cuttings and division etc. I'll add more as the year goes on.

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Stock Photo: Robin and Snow

2010-12-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

Stock Photo: Robin and Snow

LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!

2010-12-03T05:02:00.000-08:00

Oh mercy me. It seems only months ago we hung up our snow shovels, yet here we are again entombed in the chilly white stuff. But since we've got no place to go, let it snow ....

The box balls look like outsized Christmas puddings and everywhere is overlaid with a crisp thick layer of royal icing. Very seasonal. Plump, chatty robins, ever the opportunists seem to be almost pleading for me to step out with a few vittels and as I write this, one has just perched rather atmospherically atop a box ball. Excuse me whilst I dash a quick pic off on my phone..... Xmas card material ... Bugger. He made off before I got there.

Now you are probably a tad nervous about the outcome once the snow melts. If your garden if packed with hardy plants, you really don't even have to furrow your brow. Your plants will come through. A bit chilled and browning in spots, but come spring they will surprise you with their endurance and be as good as ever. But what about the less hardy plants you've been growing?

If you didn't manage to protect vulnerable plants with either thick layers of fleece or bought them inside to a frost-free zone, the chances are they may well have turned their toes up.

Nothing you can do now.If they are goners so be it.

Wait for the thaw and inspect the damage. If the tops of the plants are soggy, mushy and brown, just remove the slimy growth. Now pack the crown of the plant with bracken, straw or fleece. I am not saying they will survive, but if the rootstock has remained unharmed you are in with a slim chance (roughly translates as wafer-thin) that they may revive come warmer weather. Otherwise you are just going to have to grin and bear the fact, you did too little too late and the garden is going to have to be re-stocked to compensate for those fatalities. Never mind, we learn through experience.

However, all is not doom and gloom. As one plant dies, another is born and to this end, don't forget it is Tulip planting time. I am the worst offender for planting tulip bulbs late, as I normally manage it around Christmas Eve. But this year the snow has served as a timely reminder; as I searched around for the snow shovel, I came across the stache of tulip bulbs I bought in Amsterdam earlier in the year. So now they are all lined up in a kitchen cupboard, waiting for the big thaw and I shall for once be on time with my bulb planting. Hurrah! Don't plant straight away. Let the snow and water run off for a few days (and pray there isn't any more white stuff on the way) before you go a-digging.

I was also reminded of how magical snow was when we were young. Forget our 'bah-humbug' adult view of snow. Remember the fun we had speeding down hill on old tea trays and soaking wet socks steaming on the radiators when we finally made it home, cheeks as red as Rudolph's nose and eyes shining with excitement? Instead of seeing it as a grave inconvenience, embrace it in childlike manner. When was the last time you made a snowman? Well, snowman- making tops today's To-Do' list. Maybe even a castle igloo or perhaps I shall be a snow angel for a few minutes.
(No snickering those who know me well and will immediately refute the word 'Angel' and 'Lucy' would ever be found in the same sentence.

I've just passed the sweetest little boy reclining on dad's sledge, his head propped up on a bag of groceries, cocooned in a blanket, his little eye round with wonder. That's the way to travel.

Oh and most importantly of all:

HAPPY YULETIDE

Planting Asiatic Lily Bulbs

2010-10-25T08:26:00.001-07:00

Pruning Wisteria

2010-10-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

Division by Lucy Summers author of Greenfingers Guides

2010-10-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

Lucy's Top Ten Plants for autumn - Love Lucy

2010-10-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

OK. So I know it's been raining for ages and everything is keeling over from being sodden for days. However, if your garden looks dull and colourless after the razzmattazz of summer, it's time you pulled your finger out and jazzed up the autumn flower beds, because we could all do with a bit livening up in this dull weather.

For more ideas on how to keep a steady stream of colour and interesting foliage in your borders throughout the year, try my Border flowers book

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0755317602

Here's my top gorgeous perennials for adding zing to your autumn borders.

Anemone hupehensis 'September Charm'
Has pale pink single flowers and golden centres held on tall upright stems above the deep bushy green leaves

Chocolate cosmos (Cosmos astrosanguineas) Ht. 90cm x 45cm
Luxurious, deep chocolate, maroon-brown velvet flowers

Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca 'Citrina' Ht. 1m x 1m

Pale green pea-like leaves with pale lemon yellow flowers almost non-stop throughout the year, but its particularly unusual colouring in the autumn and winter months, plus it's frenetic flowering make it an all-round winner

Dahlia 'Bishop of LLandaff' Ht. 90cm x 90cm
Opulent deep red flowers with claret-stained foliage

Gaura lindheimerii Ht. 1.2m x 1m

Arching stems with trembling
delicate winged white flowers all the way
to the first frosts

Gentiana x stevenagensis Ht. 10cm x 15cm

Charming, flared trumpets of zure blue with white and dark striped throats sit against deep green narrow leaves; sulks in overcast weather only opening its blooms with the sun. But boy what vivid autumn colour

Heuchera 'Obsidian' Ht. 45cm x 30cm

Dark, almost ebony black-purple rounded polished leaves with claret stems of small airy, creamy white flowers from June to July; but it's the outstanding jet foliage that makes this a must for spring, summer and autumn borders

Phlox paniculata 'David' Ht. 1.2m x 1m
Gorgeous, gloriously scented pure white flowers on upright stems from July to November

Verbena 'Homestead Purple' Ht. 30cm x 60cm
Mine's been in violet-blue flower since late May and will continue to flower generously well into November

Verbena bonariensis Ht. Up to 2m
Self-supporting wiry, sparse stems topped with open sprays of rich purple flowers

2010-08-20T03:26:00.000-07:00

I stole this delicious recipe from a friend who bakes like an angel.

You will need:

Finely chopped rose petals OR rose sugar

English lavender

300g plain flour

100g caster sugar

200g butter

(Make sure you ONLY use English lavender petals; Lavandula augustifolia is ideal as other species can prove quite astringent.)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C

2. Cream together the butter and caster sugar.

3. Add the petals or rose sugar and blend well into the creamed mixture

4. Now sieve flour into the creamed mixture until you get a soft dough. Chill the mixture in the fridge for about an hour.

5. Roll out your dough to the required thickness (about 0.5cm is ideal) Cut out into desired shapes, round and hearts look pretty.

Place them on a pre-greased baking tray and dust lightly with caster sugar.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes until pale golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack and eat them up. One batch lasts about 3 minutes in our house!

Horseguard Heaven

2010-08-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

In the main, I abhor pub gardens. Nasty ill-mown grass, ghastly childrens' play areas where no self-respecting child would be tempted to play, banned dogs and nasty, splintery wooden tables arrayed with lonely ashtrays.

HOWEVER

If you ever happen to be winding by Petworth in West Sussex on a day when the sky is blue above, birds are on the wing, the snail's on the thorn and all's right with the world - then a small diversion to the village of Tillington to the Horse Guards Inn will complete your happiness. It is rare a thing to sit in a pub garden endowed with unpretentious cottage garden charm, careless whimsy and so obviously tended by a loving hand.

The garden at the Horse Guards Inn is the nearest thing you'll get to a hug.

Delightful touches abound; small upturned terracotta flower pots remove the peril of any sharp snags on the hurdle fencing; sunflowers past their best still sway gaily amongst a profusion of cottage plants providing food for scavenging birds and whirling butterflies alight on the budlejas as you sip your bitter shandy. Scattered hay bales make suprisingly comfy seating amongst more traditional wooden tables and benches whilst courgettes, fennel, white cosmos and herbs all thrive side by side in cheerful harmony. Plants and trees are potted higgeldy-piggedly in old lead planters and old stone flagons decorate the paths.

There are too many seductive touches to this garden than I care to mention. It has no grand planting plan or clever plants and certainly the snottier garden critics amongst you won't see what all the fuss is about. This garden isn't in the style of anything, doesn't try to be something it isn't and therein lies it charm. It's there because a pub needs a garden for the punters but the wise Misha, the garden's creator and publican, understands that a public space and a private garden needn't be mutually exclusive.

Her husband Sam wryly commented, "You know what they say, a well-tended garden - a neglected husband..."

(Oh I doubt that very much Sam.)

Play it again Misha.

P.s. Sunday lunch was good too and the offered cream teas could not have a more apt backdrop.

Even the log pile was architectural and stylish, whilst no doubt providing a luxury apartment for over-wintering lace wings, so the ecological slant was accommodated too.

Damage limitation in drought

2010-07-31T05:34:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update. I am repeatedly being asked how to rescue plants that are already scorched, swooning or have fried in the the heat. So how or indeed, can you rescue a plant that already has been torched? Is it dead or not?

Yes and No.

For perennials; If there is still a fair amount of healthy green growth, cut the plant back to the the low basal growth give it a feed and just water it regularly and you should be able to nurse it back to reasonable health. If the plant is brown from top to toe but when you tug it, it still clings solidly to the soil the chances are the roots are still hanging in there. Cut back all growth completely and ruthlessly, water regularly and it may well put out new growth between now and October.

Shrubs; Much the same as above. Cut out all browned growth (where practicable) and reduce the overall height of the shrub by say a third, so that the plant doesn't have to work so hard keeping all that foliage going. Put a thick ring of organic matter around the base of the plant. Water it well three times a week- a few gallons please not just a tiddly splash from the watering can! Crispy-looking trees too can benefit from organic matter and perhaps a leaking hose at night to sustain them.

Let me know how you get on ...

Tulips from Amsterdam

2010-07-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

I am in love.

I have just spent three days in Amsterdam.

The canals, the relaxed pace of life, the pretty streets and bijou shops. And the flower markets of course. A veritable Aladdin's flotilla of greenhouses chock full of every bulb you can think of, with small packets of cannabis stuffed in the gaps to tempt the tourist into a novel souvenir. Large recently dug agapanthus tubers coud be bought by the kilo but I fell for the scrambling charms of Gloriosa Rothschildiana (Glory lily) a North African native which is elegant as it is beautiful. Deep green polished leaves show off the large spidery, crimped petalled magenta-pink petals in July making this a climber of distinction.

It's a tender tuberous rooted perennial climber related to the Lilium family and will require cold and frost protection in all but the mildest areas in the UK. It gets to about 6ft so I intend to start it off in a pot pot and transfer it into the border around May when all frost risk has passed. Perhaps I shall also grow one on the patio against a sunny wall for exotic colour and shape. But they are adaptable and you can grow them against a trellis, sunny wall, up an obelisk or against a short pillar.

Why not have a go at growing this lovely exotic climber next spring as it really is easy?

The roots come pre-packed in chippings. So just plant them on their sides in pots, say, about 3-4" deep and cover with compost. Water them well, thoroughly soaking the compost and then allow any residue to drain away. If kept in a warm room new shoots will appear in two to three weeks. Keep them watered regularly as they grow, but don't drown them - they won't appreciate waterlogged soil. If you want to save the tubers for next year, simply stop watering around October and let the foliage die back and the compost dry out completely. Store the pot housing its tubers in a warm dry spot over winter and then its back to the green house for them the following spring so they can show off all over again next summer.

Plants Swoon in Mini Heat-wave!

2010-07-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

However, if you don't have it yet, damage limitation is the key.

1. Water early in the morning and late at night when the soil will hold on to water more effectively.

"Summer afternoons - the most beautiful words in the English language.

2010-06-17T02:15:00.000-07:00

Nobody does a summer's day like England; but when we get it right (alas those days are so few) an English summer's afternoon takes some whacking.

I had the pleasure of taking off for the afternoon to visit a beautifully sited wall garden on the Surrey/Sussex borders. It is only in it's seventh year and there is some promising activity going on. Lovely long pathways flocked with lavender; not entirely innovative but it's a proven formula and works effectively. Good old blousy roses were doing a great job; I espied the lively brash 'American Pillar' flowering its heart out as it always does. A lovely raised narrow rill flanked the south side of the garden, planted with water lilies that now the heat of the sun had gone, had closed their flowers and were dozing in the early evening shadows. Water features are rarely executed well, but this was the right size and scale for the garden and added a calm serenity as evening fell. One of the things that was noticeable that there might well be a dearth of colour or interest from summer into autumn.

If you know that your garden falls into a sort of dullness in summer, try the old trick of growing some annuals in pots that you can plunge into the gaps that inevitably occur in once the spring borders have done their thing. Should your garden lacks any 'oompah' in autumn, go out and buy some great autumn flowering plants now to jazz it up a bit. How about the deep burgundy Penstemon 'Blackbird' the grass skirted golden yellow flowers of inula hookeri or those very effective brown drumstick flowers of Helenium 'Autumn Lollipop?" My new book 'BORDER FLOWERS' ( available from WH Smith, Amazon and all the usual suspects) wil give you some great ideas and the plants are arranged by season, so it's easy-peasy to choose something fab.

Keep an eye on the watering front; these hot spells take their toll and the winds too make soil dry out that much quicker. By the way keep dead nettles (lamium) well watered in this weather as they are the first to fall prone to powdery mildew.

But most of all enjoy your garden this summer. As Henry James was so fond of saying:

"Summer afternoons - the most beautiful words in the English language. "

Hear hear, Henry.

Chelsea Garden Sponosrhsip

2010-06-10T01:56:00.000-07:00

We are attempting the difficult task of finding a sponsor for the Chelsea Flower Show. If anyone can recommend any companies with large budgets that have gardening synchronicity please let us know. Thanks

DROUGHT-PROOF YOUR GARDEN

2010-06-10T01:40:00.000-07:00

For years I gardened on heavy clay in East Anglia, which has one of the lowest rainfalls in the UK, and a long period of drought meant potential ruin for many areas of my garden. Large cracks opened up in the dry soil and plants keeled over from heat exhaustion.

It was more through necessity than choice that I began employing drought-combating measures in the garden, having witnessed far too many plant fatalities over a long, hot summer. There was insufficient water to cope with all the plants crying out for a drink, let alone time to water in the first place.

Mulching was my first course of action, what a difference it made! My water regime was cut in half leaving more time for other gardening tasks.

Then I started reading up on plants that were naturally drought tolerant and visited well-known ‘dry’ gardens to beg, steal and borrow any ideas, from drought-cultivation techniques to plant choices I could implement in my own garden. This meant choosing plants that were capable of withstanding prolonged dry weather, instead of being seduced by the more showy, leafy herbaceous plants that were so typically in my borders. Roses, lavenders and red hot pokers are drought tolerant so you can have fragrance and fantastic flowers in dry weather.

WISTERIA IN BLOOM

2010-05-11T01:09:00.001-07:00

Home \ Garden Blog

Wisteria planting, pruning and after care

7th May 2010, by Lucy Summers

Wisteria is the king of climbers. It is the stateliest of climbing plants, with an imperial elegance, enchanting fragrance and the most spectacular flowers.

The wisterias are vigorous twining deciduous climbers with light green pinnate leaves, but it is the fragrant chandeliered flowers that you can see at this time of year that make them so admired.

There are a great many varieties to choose from, some with larger flower pendants than others, and each with its own individual appeal. All, without exception, are highly perfumed, widely esteemed and ornamental.

If you want to grow wisteria take time to plant it in an ideal spot, where it has plenty of room to grow – it can potentially grow into a large climber

Some are tempted to grow wisteria over a large garden structure, but, because of the relatively brief flower period, it is best teamed up with later flowering clematis or roses to extend the period of interest.

Which ever wisteria you plump for, they all need:

Full sun
Fertile, well-drained soil
Strong supports from the outset – these are potentially very large heavy plants
Careful formative pruning – this will prevent them from being all leaf and no flower

Lucy's Easter plant pick

2010-03-31T08:08:00.000-07:00

The wild primrose (Primula vulgaris) is a delightful semi-evergreen native perennial forming low leafy mounds, each topped with sweetly fragrant, single, pale yellow flowers with marked, darker yellow eyes.

Flowering from March to May, it’s a real Easter baby. The wild primrose is a charming plant for pots and containers in north-facing gardens, ideal for the small cottage garden, wild flower or woodland garden. Personally I just leave them to naturalise in wild grassy areas or along banks.

Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternata)

2010-03-19T00:37:00.000-07:00

I have just discovered this fabulous, fast-growing climbing plant from the pea family. We are probably going to have to grow it as an annual in the UK as it just doesn't do cold winters and you can buy seed easily enough. It will grow quickly and flower in the first year. It has oval mid-green leaves and large large, slightly funneled purple-blue flowers with white throats followed by long ornamental pea-pods. I have just planted it here in the garden in Turkey, so I will report on how it fares, as in our mountain top village, winters can be cold, ferociously windy, although thankfully frost free. I've put it against a sheltered wall so, expect it to behave as a perennial - fingers crossed.

Still have the worst lemon tree on the planet. Something is ailing it - as nearly a year on I have one lousy, shrivelled lemon and feeble foliage. Maybe a root problem? Or may be something boring into the bark? The orange next door is positively blooming, so I really am at a bit of a loss why the old lemon is so dire and there is nothing more deeply unattractive than a meagre fruit tree. Any suggestions welcome.

Summer flowering bulbs

2010-03-13T03:09:00.000-08:00

Ah - spring has sprung and that's official. I try to keep visits to garden centres to a minimum - all full of ghastly Easter eggs and useless bits of frippery, that you could almost forget that they really should be all about plants. Nurseries are my thing. However, I had need of some seeds ASAP for an overseas friend and as I was wandering around the garden centre the other day I was surprised to see what a good selection of summer, autumn flowering bulbs they had. If you want to add more intricate layers to your garden planting, shoot out or go online and get some choice plants to enjoy later.

The huge Crinum powelli bulbs, available in both pale pink and white flowered varieties should set you back £2.00 -3.00 each, but will bulk up into a robust colony in three years or so provided they're planted a sun-baked hot spot, giving you lavish, exotic blooms for late summer to autumn. An old favourite Acidanthera 'Muriele' (Gladiolus callianthus) will give height (about 90cm/36in) to your borders with their graceful arching stems topped with exotic white, fragrant flowers with sooty-maroon centres.

Off you go then, spend, spend, spend!

THIEVING GOATS & GARDENERS

2010-02-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

Just returned from a landscaping project in Turkey and my belief that Euphorbias are repellent to goats is irrevocably proven. The little blighters will graze on anything lush and green in the garden but all the euphorbia now in full florescent flower studded down the hillsides remain pristine and unmunched.

Leading us neatly to the small problem with the orange/lemon trees, recently planted in (what I consider to be) elegant avenues in a client's garden. In this case it is not the goats doing the pilfering, but the gardeners.

You may patiently explain to them, with multiple hand signals and full-blown interpreters that whilst it is perfectly OK to supplement their three squares a day with whatever fruit happens to be ripening that month, ultimately they are they are there to look after the garden whilst an owner is absent.

So they take two or three oranges a day each to eat with their meals ... then at the end of the day they fill buckets with nine kilos or more of any ripe fruit to take home for the family, leaving me to account for the disappearing fruit phenomena to the owners. The garden owners (quite understandably are deeply suspicious) and believe that since they have never seen a fruit ripen in their garden, let alone ever tasted any of them, I must have somehow planted non-fruiting trees!

It is almost impossible to try to convey to the Turkish gardeners that we in Northern Europe like to grow plants for ornamental purposes. They seem amazed and staggered by this ethos. Why on earth would you grow something that ultimately won't bear fruit or supplement the daily diet in some way? Well, if you are a poor family working the land, understandably ornamental gardens just aren't that high up on the agenda. So when I stand there getting all arty-farty, trying to convey I would like the heads of the trees pruned to make large round lollipops, all they see is that I am removing potential fruit bearing limbs.

So you can see what we are up against. Still, I shall keep repeating my mantra in the hope that one day soon, they will understand our position.

In the meantime, a kilo of apples, oranges, lemons, pomegranates etc a day, keep the owners at bay.

Gifts for Gardeners on Valentine Day

2010-02-04T04:24:00.000-08:00

MY TOP SIX GIFTS FOR VALENTINE' S DAY

1. The biggest bunch of flowers your budget can afford - I never tire of being bought flowers

2. Subscription to their favourite gardening magazine

3. Any of the PG Wodehouse novels; the Everyman series has wonderful cover illustrations too; not about gardening at all, but guaranteed to bring an easy smile

4. A fragrant shrub; How about Lonicera fragrantisimma for winter perfume; Daphnes for winter/spring perfume and Philadelphus 'Virginal' for light orange scent in summer?

5. If money is no object - buy your beloved a hot tub to help soothe those gardening aches and pains
6. Sign them up to my blog- informative, FREE and fun.

SNOWBOUND - ESCAPE TO THE VILLAGE

2010-01-25T05:26:00.000-08:00

Ah at last - the snow has gone. It took me two days to shovel my way to freedom and boy was I glad to see another human face. As I walked up to the village, after three days of increasing cabin fever I felt like I was on the set of one of those disaster films where you awake to find you are the only person left on the planet. Drama Queen - me? Surely not.

Anyway up. Now the snow has melted you can see what has become of your garden plants. Survived better than you expected? See, plants are tougher than they look. They certainly fare better than most of us. I forgot to strap up two cabbage palms, (Cordyline australis) - they hate snow sitting in their crevices look sorely sorry (sound like anyone you know?). Their leave are flattened, pasted to their stems forlornly hang-dog. One of them is a definite goner, with a mushy stem from freezing and thawing. The other will take a few months to brighten up but will be fine. See - it pays to dash around with the fleece. However, I was saving my energy for my snow escape and I knew this would be the likely consequence of my neglect. If I am to be honest, I really did not like the bronze one anyway, it's a sort of lack-lustre-dull-neither-here-no-there colour. I prefer the red and green cordylines so divine intervention has killed it off for me. Anyway, planted out a few new Hellebores, which I squeezed like sponges as I took them out of their pots, before planting. Very very wet. Still they will be happy in their new home. I always have a little chat with my plants, just to see how they like things and to reassure them how much they are going to like it in my garden. It's soothing. Whether they reciprocate I cannot tell, but they grow happily for me so they must appreciate my efforts.

Roll on spring.

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T10:04:00.000-08:00

It occurs to me as we look back over the triumphs and disappointing debris of the old year, that it is just as well none of us really knows what lies ahead in this fresh, pristine new year - a snowfall yet unblemished by our trials and tribulations.

We have every reason to remain optimistic at the beginning of 2010. For some of us it will be a better year and others of us it may prove to be even more difficult. But as none of us know what 2010 will bring let's try to embrace the new year with optimism and cheerfulness and see if we can't keep that going as a mantra for the months to come. Yes we are going to have a few pitfalls, but some unexpected good fortune may equally be on the cards. Nature, being what it is, is really rather more dependable than the economic climate or the weather, and as it is comforting to know that our gardens will rarely disappoint us.

So wishing all of us, gardeners and non-greenfingers folk alike, a bright and hopeful year, I hope too that we shall see a growing number of followers this year and look forward to some lively chats as the gardening year gets underway.

BORDER FLOWERS COMING IN MARCH 2010 in all high street and online bookstores

2009-12-11T08:50:00.000-08:00

IN March 2010 we launch Border Flowers, the fourth in the Greenfingers Series designed to help gardeners the world over get the best from their gardens. This one's a cracker (even though I say so myself) and will elevate your garden beds and borders to something quite magical. Remember stunning plant combinations don't just happen - you need to experiment and put some creative thought into it. Winter is as good a time as any to make that plant wish-list and plan a planting scheme that will have your neighbours sighing with admiration.

All the birds have stripped the berries

2009-12-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

It was a cheerful festive sight, heavy clusters of red berries dripping like beads of wax from the deep green of the cotoneaster.

Not that I haven't noticed the covert birdy birdy num-num operation going on right under my nose. Now all the berries are gone - not -one left - into the warm little feathered tummies of our local bird life. This cold snap has underpinned their more relaxed habitual foraging with a more urgent need. Frost is frost and birds get hungry. So throw out stale breadcrumbs or a bit of bird seed if you can to help them out this winter. Just place a handful on a branch if you don't have a bird table. ( Not on the floor or the foxes will have it.) Be nice to wildlife now and they will hang around and eat all those nasties for you next spring and summer.

Image courtesy of http://www.freefoto.com

Crisp frosty morning today - lovely

2009-12-09T03:52:00.000-08:00

Rainstorm by clapping -Winter solstice

2009-12-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.mixx.com/videos/6502829/rain_sound_storm_by_clapping

It's raining it's pouring ....

I can't say another thing about blooming rain- we are all browned off with it.
Instead here is a great clip from Perpetual Jazzile all about wet and stormy weather.

Around December 21/22nd we have the shortest day - from then on the days will start getting longer. Slowly but surely, we shall see the sun again. Put it in your diary, even dull, dreadful days like this can't last forever. Yippee.

http://www.freefoto.com/

Stil raining

2009-11-29T05:06:00.000-08:00

My friend in Co.Fermanagh says they have had 37 days of rain continuously - and we think we're suffering.

Even we have almost given up on outdoor works, trying to find a break in the weather for the guys to point paving. I'm amazed we even got it laid. So is the client frankly. But a bit of paving makes everything look nearly finished and makes us all happy.

What a good lansdcaping team are we.

I really can't bear a rented garden too much longer and am champing at the bit to get my own plot again. New Year fingers X.

Oh when is this rain going to stop?

2009-11-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

What do you do in the garden when we have so much rain? Are your borders under water and your lawn now masquerading as a small lake?

We are landscaping a client's garden during these downpours and to be honest, there is little you can do when the weather gets this unreliable and wet. Even the best of planning and shedules goes out of the window slightly, but we make up for lost time by catching the breaks when the weather allows. We even managed to get a lawn down recently, bit late in the year, and I admit I was more worried about catching an early frost. Then the torrential rain came. Never mind, nobody will be walking on it for a few weeks and it will be fine. Franky, you will do more damage to your soil structure and lawn condition by venturing out and trampling all over them in excessively wet weather. Don't fret that your plants will drown; most of them can cope with it. Okay, lavenders and silverleafed Mediterranean plants will look sodden and sorry, but once this weather lets up and the water gets away from their root, they should be fine next year.

Still, the upside is that unless you have acquired a snorkel recently, perhaps confine your gardening activity to hunting through enticing seed catalogues or making a wish list of desirous plants for next year? Or why not grab a pen and paper and re-design a flower bed that desperately needs an overhaul for next year?

Like I said before, it's Tulip time, so track down some of the gorgeous varieties out there from the warmth of your fireside.

BUY AND PLANT TULIP BULBS NOW!

2009-11-21T02:03:00.000-08:00

If you have never ventured into the wonderful world of tulips, now is the time to do so. Your garden will be a more intriguing space if you start 'layering' your plants. In other words, adding to what is already there by making sure you have things that flower together or plants that bridge one flowering season to another. Tulips are great for helping to unify your borders with a bit of vertical planting from April to June

Here's some cracking varieties to try:

'Aria Card' Creamy white with the palest yellow flush which fades with age and lilac mauve petal edges.

Height: 40cm/16in

'Honeymoon' Pure white-as-snow with fringed petals

Height: 45cm /18in

For those who love peonies -the peony-style tulips are gorgeous. Try

'Black Hero' A double form of the equally lovely 'Queen of Night.' Fully double flowers of brooding deep maroon black. Height : 60cm /24in

'Mount Tacoma' Ivory white with green shading on the outside petals Height : 45cm /18in

'Angelique' (AGM) Pink and white blooms becoming apple blossom pink at petal edges as the age. Height : 45cm/18in

Expect to pay around £7-10.00 per ten bulbs depending on variety.

How and when to plant tulips

Think about planting your tulip bulbs now. I do mine on Christmas Eve. It's gives me a little oasis of calm before the 'big' day and being in the garden in the quiet of winter is a great way to get some thinking done. Sometimes I think of everything...or nothing and just enjoy the damp smells of the garden humming Christmas carols all the while,
Anyway, back to tulips. Plant at least twice the depth of the bulb from November to Xmas as long as the soil is frost-free.

The secret to success is to let the temperatures drop as warmer weather leave tulips prone to a fungal disease called tulip blight or tulip fire (Botrytis tulipae). The symptoms include bulb rot to grey-green lesions on the leaves. If this happens to your tulips, simply dig them up and destroy them, but don't add to a compost heap.

This won't happen to your tulips, because I am helping you.

You can also discourage the disease by removing tulips after flowering, if practical, if not leave well alone. Planting them in different places each year helps avoid problems too. Never buy any bulbs that are mouldy or are soft; they should be firm like an onion. By the way, commercial bulbs are treated with a fungicide so wash your hands after handling them.

Now just wait till flowering time next spring. You'll be so pleased with yourself and it really does give that 'WOW' factor to your borders.

WINTER DIGGING

2009-11-21T01:33:00.000-08:00

In most places across the UK, the soil is still diggable, so give yourself a half hour work out by digging over your beds, borders or part of your allotment. If you have clay soil this really pays off. Turn it over now and leave the forthcoming frosts to break it down for you over the winter. Nothing like harnessing nature to do the work for you.

Listen to your IPOD or tune into your favorite radio station whilst setting about cleaning up all the garden tools, put the mower in for a service and tidy up the greenhouse or potting shed.

Then .... relax.

2009-11-19T11:19:00.000-08:00

Plant of the Month

Hardenbergia violacea (AGM) False sasparilla

Gorgeous evergreen twining climber getting up to about 2m/6ft. Handsome leathery leaves and a profusion of dangling pea-like damson coloured flowers from January to March. Why not plant one now so you have something to look forward to after Christmas?

Likes: Sheltered spot in full sun or part shade in any well drained fertile soil

Frost hardy down to -5°/23F; so needs winter protection
Care: Prune lightly after flowering

2009-11-19T10:02:00.000-08:00

A well-placed large pot, an old milk churn or watering can or garden statue can make all the difference in creating a visual impact. Use anything that appeals to you.

Ceanothus growing with roses and clematis

2009-11-19T09:58:00.001-08:00

Never underestimate the effect of mixing climbers, shrubs and perennials together. If you are just relying on perennials in the garden there are going to be months when there is very little to look at. In small spaces it's essential to make good use of all your growing space; so climbers are a brilliant way of jazzing up ugly or dull walls and fences; creating a vertical garden stuffed full of interesting leaves, scents and flowers.