You already know that the soil in your garden is key to growing great plants. But exactly what soil is made of, why this matters and what is meant by soil improvement might warrant a bit more explanation to turn the frustration of plants that struggle into the success of blooming borders. Soil Type There are two main characteristics of soil which...
Grow Your Own rotating vegetables If you grow vegetables, whether in a small veg plot at home or on a larger scale on an allotment, you will have come across the term ‘crop rotation’. There are good reasons for moving your veggies around each year and it need not be complicated once you understand the principles. The key point is that...
Fruit and veg never go out of fashion and whether you have a few plants at home or are nearly self-sufficient on an allotment, nothing beats the experience of picking and eating your own produce. There is an increasing range of varieties and exotic introductions to tempt us in the seed catalogues and garden centres but if this is your...
Growing your own fruit and especially annual vegetables seems to have taken the UK by storm in the last couple of years. For those who only have a small garden or even a patio, the good news is that you do not need a huge vegetable patch nor an unnatural commitment to digging to grow the archetypal vegetable: potatoes. You...
To be honest there is nothing particularly magical about runner beans but they do make a great subject for watching the rather magical process of a seed germinating. The main advantage of beans is that the seeds are large enough for you to see the root and shoot emerging with the aid of a clear plastic cup and two sheets...
After such a wet winter it may seem perverse to talk about irrigation systems but if you are planning or replanting an area of your garden, it is worth thinking about watering now. Unless you are using drought tolerant plants then at some point int eh summer watering will be needed especially in the vegetable garden. A traditional hose and/or sprinkler...
February is the month when we start to think about what to grow in a vegetable garden or allotment for summer harvesting. Whether you are new to GYO or an old hand looking to grow something new, here are some planning considerations. What to grow: firstly understand why you want to GYO. Is it for the fresh picked flavour? No point in...
An advantage of winter planting is that you can buy young trees ‘bare-root’ more cheaply and with a greater range of varieties than pot-grown trees. Bare-root simply refers to the fact that they are grown on in open fields and lifted (dug up) just before delivery to you. The roots are protected but often just with a hessian or...
Compost bin Autumn is a time when gardeners start to cut back and clear away and we should not lose the chance to recycle some of nature’s bounty. Composting often attracts a ‘muck & magic’ mystique but a few scientific facts explain & simplify the process. The value of composting your own garden waste and uncooked vegetables is in returning nutrients...
The final set of tips from #WoolliesAskAlison for anyone planning to grow vegetables for the first time next season: So now you have a veg plot ready: here are some hints on what to grow & crucially how much to plant 1st question to ask is not “what do I want to grow?” but “What do I want to eat?” &...
Call: 07803 045327 | Email: alison.marsden@gardeningbydesign.co.uk
