Every fortnight Elaine provides seasonal tips and advice about gardening jobs that we could be getting on with as we go through the year.
The earliest flowers are up, the frogs are starting to croak in our pond, and spring is almost sprung! It’s time to don a cosy jumper and scarf, and tidy up or move some shrubs, sow some beans and sweetpeas, and generally get everything shipshape for the big push next month. During our recent trip […]
Here we are, right at the start of a super new gardening year! So let’s get some early seed-sowing done, as well as some tree-pruning and a bit of veg planning, to satisfy our urge to be ‘up and doing’ after the excesses of Christmas: CHILLIES IN THE CHILLY SEASON You have to give chillies a […]
Do you have flowering plants in the house this Christmas? They add a bit of glamour at this time of year, don’t you think? But how do you get poinsettias and amaryllis to stay alive, so they do the same next year? I’m well-known for not having much patience with houseplants, preferring to do my gardening out of […]
How to plant lily bulbs and how to crown-lift evergreen trees, as well as get some soul-improving tool maintenance done – these are the tasks I’m covering this week. So take a break from the hectic Christmas shopping and menu-planning, and escape into the garden for a bit…. LOVELY LILIES FOR YOU If the ground isn’t […]
There are some easy and calming garden tasks such as taking hardwood cuttings, tidying hellebores and pruning apple-trees that will provide a short escape from the mad and panicky festive fray that is now upon us, and this is how to do them: HARDWOOD CUTTINGS Here is a very satisfying and simple way to make more of […]
Let’s be honest – once we’re deep into November, there is less temptation to get down and dirty in the garden. But if you wrap up warm and step out there, I can assure you that you will find satisfying jobs that will give you more of a cosy glow than tidying the crockery cupboard or […]
November brings a real winter chill, and you may catch the scent of bonfires in the air as mistletoe and holly berries ripen in the trees. Here are some gardening tasks to keep you warm before you dive indoors for a heartening bowl of soup……….. TOO TOO TULIPS! November is the best time to plant […]
The lovely autumn leaves are starting to flutter and fall, and it’s no longer possible to ignore the shortening of the days now – our wonderful summer has come to an end at last, and we gardeners must think about winter-protection, as well as planning for next year, even while we are savouring the gorgeous […]
Oh dear! Summer’s definitely over now and we must bravely face the oncoming winter weather. The urgency has seeped out of the garden tasks, but there are still some jobs that can be done now, while we plan how to make our gardens EVEN better next year!… LOVE ME TENDER Those tender perennials that have […]
September! Often the loveliest month of them all, when all the angst of wet July and August BBQs etc. is behind us, and we can enjoy the soft early autumn days calmly and gratefully. Let’s get on with a few tasks including dividing perennials, creating green manures, and feeding container bedding plants……………. STUDYING DIVISION AND […]
What an interesting summer of gardening it’s been! I feel the effect of this year’s strange weather – one of the hottest on record – might be seen for several years to come on insect and bird populations as well as our garden-plants. Round here, the August rain has gone a long way to making […]
I do hope this holiday season is going spiffingly well for you. There is a more easeful air about the garden in August. In Scotland, the children are already back at school and in our gardens almost everything that was going to happen, has now happened, apart from the late flowerers and the harvesting of […]
So how’s it all going for you?! In this year of peculiar weather, many of us will have been in unknown territory – how have our plants fared through a bitter late winter, a sopping spring, and now a roasting summer? Strange botanical goings-on, worthy of The X-Files (cue the spooky music) but regardless, a gardener’s […]
The summer rolls on, and what a scorcher we’ve had so far! Water-preservation has been the order of the day round here and the drought-tolerant plants have had a field day while much else has struggled. To take your mind off miserable mimulus and such like, here are a few tasks to be getting on with: […]
It’s high summer and time to sit back in a shady nook and admire all your fabulous gardening efforts so far this year. Certainly much of the urgency has gone out of the tasks but for those who don’t like to sit around for long, here are a few ideas to get you up out […]
Here we are, deep into another glorious British summer, and our gardens hold the real promise of bright days and long evenings among the flowers, produce and greenery. This season is not as frantic as spring when it comes to gardening jobs, but there are still bits and pieces to be getting on with: […]
What a wonderful time of year this is! The longest day is around the corner and summer is beckoning us on. It’s no hardship to be out in the garden pottering and here are some of the jobs you could be doing: YOU AND EUPHORBIASEuphorbias have been delighting us through the spring with their zingy […]
It’s roses, roses all the way, now that June is here! You can stay in the garden till late on warm evenings, admiring your efforts with a pleasant glass of something. But do not think your work is done, Dear Reader, oh dear me, no. There are all sorts of tasks you could be getting […]
What a fantastic weekend and our fabulous May-time gardens are keeping that feelgood vibe in top gear. Here are a few things to attend to when you’ve got a minute…. TYING UP THE LOOSE ENDS Summer clematis are putting on a mass of growth just now, and you need to be vigilant about tying them in. […]
Help! There’s suddenly so much to do in the garden and not enough hours in the day to do them all! The trick is just to get started on something somewhere – one job at a time, that’s the secret. Here are a few to consider: PLANTING OUT THE SWEETPEASIf you have germinated sweetpea seeds […]
Ooh, things in the garden are really starting to put a wiggle on, aren’t they! The soil is starting to warm up properly, and the jobs can pile up quickly unless you keep on top of them. Here are some suggestions for the next couple of weeks: DIVIDE AND RULE It might seem a little late, […]
Hurray! It’s April and the clocks have gone forward, giving us a realistic expectation of evenings light enough to get out into the garden after a day at work. It’s a busy month with lots to get stuck into, now that the soil is (at last!) warming up. Here are a few ideas…. DEALING WITH THE […]
So, we have struggled through The Beast II: ‘Fright From the Right’ and are now hopefully on the sunny uplands of early spring when we can realistically be getting some proper work and planning done in the garden. It’s Elaine here with a few ideas for you: BEING BOLD WITH BUDDLEIA One of the loveliest […]
It’s time to dandy up the dogwoods OK, you’ve enjoyed those lovely bright stems of Salix (Willow) and Cornus (Dogwood) cultivars all winter, cheering up the garden through the dull months, but if you want the same again next year, you must be very stern with them (being a schoolteacher, I’m quite good at that). Sharpen your secateurs and cut […]
Spring is knocking at the door! These are some of the things that Growbag Elaine is up to currently in her garden: SPLITTING SNOWDROPS It’s time to ensure that your carpet of snowdrops is an even better carpet next year! Snowdrop bulbs can sometimes be a pain to get going if they are allowed to dry […]
Thank you everyone who gave us feedback on the future of our blog. It was so useful and encouraged us to have a go at a ‘How To’ column – some ideas on things to be done in the garden at the appropriate season. And here it is! Here are some jobs that Elaine will […]