Suspiciously similar seedlings In hindsight, I should have known that putting two types of tomato seedling (the tumbling “Losetto”and the climbing “Magic Mountain” in case you’re interested) together in a large pot separated only by a seedling tray was a mistake. It was perhaps inevitable that a cat would jolt the pot onto the floor […]
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By far, the biggest lesson I’ve learned this year whilst starting to grow as much edible food as possible, is that growing from seed is best. It’s cheaper, more reliable and more satisfying than growing from plugs. I know I keep on banging on about this but I’ve been so very disappointed by the quality […]
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So far this year I’ve had a couple of horticultural failures, one of which was a cucumber plug. I’d already decided not to use plugs again but rather to grow from seed. I’ve been so disappointed with the quality of the seedlings. I’ve bought them from three of the biggest suppliers in the UK yet […]
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Some time ago I planted up some vertical garden planting bags with mint and strawberries with the intention of fastening the bags to the only empty wall space in the garden. However it turns out that the bags, once planted, are far too heavy to hang on the wall properly, and the bags rip when […]
Read MorePlanting out seedlings, as long as they’re relatively robust, is something that even young children can get involved in. At two years old GarlicBoy already loves raking the soil smooth and watering it with his little watering can before using a dibbler to make holes and gently lower the seedlings inside and coving them with […]
Read MoreI wonder if I’m being a bit too ambitious with all of the unusual plants that I’m taking on this year? First the hanging raspberry (which has admittedly keeled over as promised but has yet to produce any fruiting fronds), and now this, a climbing strawberry. I’m trying the perennial “Mount Everest” climbing strawberry plant. […]
Read MoreOne of the problems with plugs (rather than growing herbs and plants from seed) is that even once transplanted, they are sometimes quite sparse and patchy in their new home. In my herbal vertical garden planters some of the plants, parsley and thyme for example, have really taken off and have spread wonderfully to fill […]
Read MoreI sometimes wonder if people with an allotment or vegetable beds in their garden face the same complications that I do when it comes to deciding what to plant where. Even if I’d been growing my own plants from seed rather than cheating and didn’t have to wait for the plug plants to be shipped […]
Read MoreTear, crunch, rend…the poor mint! Filling the planters takes an age There is no mistaking the slightly sickening feeling of roots being ripped apart or severed under your trowel. It feels (and sounds) like lots of tiny wires snapping under high tension and the lurch of the tummy that goes with it when you hear […]
Read MoreWhen trying to decide what we should plant in our tiny garden, I strove to get as wide a variety of edible produce as possible. I did, however, want to ensure we have a herb garden as well as I use herbs in a large amount of my cooking. The problem with herbs is the […]
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London to Land Girl 