Well, that’s not entirely true. If you’d visited my garden last summer you’d have noticed the air had taken on a blue hue, thanks to me getting rather upset about…
Grow
Blight on the landscape
As an organic gardener I like to grow my own food and, as I once had a lowly post at the National Vegetable Research Station in Wellesbourne, Warwick, I feel…
How to grow: Streptocarpus
Once you’ve grown one Cape primrose successfully you’ll be hooked forever, says Anne Swithinbank. There are literally hundreds of varieties of streptocarpus and they are very collectable. As the common…
How to grow an avocado
Here the team at Amateur Gardening show you how to grow an avocado house plant in our simple and easy steps; 1) Holding the stone (often referred to as…
Sowing and growing sweet peas
The steps you need to follow for growing sweet peas success! 1. Buy quality seeds from a sweet pea specialist because seed quality varies. 2. Sow in late…
How to grow: Japanese maples
How many times have you heard a member of the Gardeners’ Question Time audience complain that their lovely acer has gone ‘all crinkly’ and died? Just what is…
How to Grow – Callistemon (Bottlebrush)
How to Grow: Callistemon (alternative name: Bottlebrush) With their vibrant, fuzzy-looking flowerheads in summer, Callistemon (Bottlebrush) are instantly recognisable. As you might suspect Callistemon (Bottlebrush) are not hardy outdoors in all…
Growing climbers through shrubs
Usually we grow climbers up a wall or trellis, but how about trying to thread them through shrubs? It can make for a stunning partnership, says Graham Rice Many shrubs…
How to grow: Japanese anemones
Japanese anemones make a beautiful addition to autumn borders but they can be invasive. Follow our top tips and grow them with confidence Plant in late spring when the soil…
How to grow: Acacia (mimosa)
While visiting milder parts of the country or passing a sheltered inner city garden during February and March, you’ll occasionally come across a filigree-leaved tree covered in a haze of…