Firstly, I just wanted to mention the blight that hit most of our tomatoes and potatoes grown outdoors this year. It is a disease caused by a fungus-like organism that spreads rapidly on the air, into the foliage and tubers or fruit of potatoes and tomatoes in wet weather, causing collapse and decay and there seems ...
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I continue to be amazed at garden plants’ ability to cope with the changing weather patterns and this year everything possible has been thrown at them, especially the torrential rain and high winds of the last few weeks of ‘summer’! Astonishingly, some hollyhocks grew to 8’, rudbeckia 6’ and even the annual cosmos ...
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Pink Lavatera and White Lychnis There aren’t many jobs to do in August, except keeping the weeds under control, mowing the lawn and picking veggies, if you are lucky enough to have the space to grow them. You can also still pop in a few annuals for extra colour but I would not advise planting perennials, as plants ...
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A Hedgehog making a visit in my garden As the weather was so glorious in June, I spent many hours wandering around my garden barefoot on the lawn, which is very peaceful and, as I am keeping the grass much longer these days some wonderful flowers have appeared, such as yellow vetch. I also noticed that the daisies ...
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We will all have to get used to the effects of Global Warming with extremely wet winters and dry summers. So, as weather extremes become the new norm, sustainable water use is ever more important. It pays to understand your soil and plants, to use more natural water and to design your garden with water in mind. Most ...
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The bitter cold spell last month did lots of damage to a number of shrubs, especially Camellias and Magnolias, turning all the flowers to brown soggy messes, which is such a shame. I had also planted out my brassicas and corn, so I am mindful of the following old saying ‘Ne’re cast a clout ‘til May is out.’ This is ...
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President of EGRGA Michael Clarke unveiling the plaque A small gathering (due to restrictions) saw the President of Rudgwick's gardening association unveiling a commemorative plaque on the morning of Thursday 1st April. The plaque celebrates the villagers who responded to a call last autumn to plant thousands ...
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We had some really lovely, sunny days in March, when we could prepare the garden for the next season and enjoy the wonderful brightly coloured yellow, white and orange daffodils. These colours are dominant and so really shine in the garden. Red is also a dominant colour and these bright colours will continue in April ...
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Bush of Crocus Sativus March is the first month in the Roman calendar, and it is named after Mars, the God of War. This month tends to start off windy but in the end, when spring is in sight, the weather should start to warm up – which is great news after the cold blasts and snow of February. Also, welcome news ...
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As I was walking this morning, the sun was shining and I could definitely feel the gentle warmth of its rays, which was fantastic. We have had a very mild winter so far, with a few sharp frosts and snow further north, but here we have the treats of winter flowering Jasmine and the first display of daffodils February ...
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