A greenhouse is positioned in the garden to make the most of natural sunlight. In winter especially when the light is low, the glass panels accentuate the rays providing protected plants with precious sunlight. As the season progresses and the daylight hours extend, temperatures in the greenhouse can reach sky-high levels. Greenhouse gardeners employ several [...]
Early spring sees many buds and shoots bursting into life and it is these wonderful green sprigs, again full of life and vitality that transform an early salad. You just have to know what is edible. My favourite is wild garlic, it makes a wonderful addition to spring salads, soups, stir-fries, but there are other [...]
Anyone that has ever grown a few plants from seed knows the scenario. You buy a packet of seed. It’s got lots of little seeds inside, so you sow a few onto the surface of a top quality seed compost, cover over with a fine layer of more compost, water gently and watch as a [...]
Garden centres are full of plants for containers and hanging baskets, but most of them are far too tender to put out into the garden until late May or even early June. That’s where a greenhouse really comes into its own. A greenhouse gardener can sow seeds, take cuttings or even buy tender basket plants [...]
Just because your garden plants are growing doesn’t mean that they don’t need feeding. One of the simplest ways to get more from your garden is to feed your plants. The healthiest way to do this is to utilise organic feeding methods that can be used to feed both the plants and the soil. This [...]
May can be a bit of a dilemma in the greenhouse. It’s a fabulous month for the gardener because everything is growing vigorously, but for the greenhouse gardener it is often the month that they realise they should have bought a bigger greenhouse. That’s because by May every available space on the benches, staging, shelving [...]
Just a bunch of fresh herbs is enough to transform a basic meal into a culinary delight. But buying them fresh can be an expensive affair. Instead why not grow your own? you don’t even need a garden as a windowsill or balcony will do fine. Either plant up a small tub on the terrace [...]
The internal temperature of the greenhouse can become an obsession for the greenhouse gardener. Through the winter and early spring the glasshouse owner becomes fixated on keeping the temperature above freezing to protect their precious plants. A whole army of devices are employed for the purpose, from frost sensors and thermometers to alarms and heaters. [...]
If you only have room to grow one vegetable this season make it runner beans. They are very easy to grow from seed. You can grow them in tubs, planters or even sow them direct in the ground and the best bit is that you’ll get masses of pods from just a handful of plants. [...]
With the arrival of summer, the greenhouse enters a new phase of productivity. It’s role as nursery for countless seedlings and tender plants is now drawing to an end as the majority of juvenile plants are planted out into the borders and vegetable patches. There is now room to sow a late batch of seeds [...]
