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Daffodils (Pexels)

Things to do in March

Spring has sprung – well sort of. March is the early spring month and whilst there is still more cold and wet weather to come, the daffodils are up and about and telling everyone else to wake up and that includes you – there is plenty to do!

Stumped when it comes to removing a small stump?

I have lost count of the number of times I have encountered the remains of a small tree/shrub where the top is long gone, but the stump remains. Why? Well, usually the answer is that removing even a small stump can appear to be difficult job so why not let it just rot away. Unfortunately, that may not work as quite a few stumps can regrow.  So, removal is the way to go here I will show you how I remove a small stump without too much effort.

Sprouts and spaghetti is a match made in heaven that sprout haters should give a go

Sprouts are the marmite of vegetables with people either liking or passionately hating them. However I always take the view no matter how much you dislike a particular food thing, there is always a recipe out there that could change your mind. So if you run a mile when sprouts are mentioned then stop and give this Waitrose recipe a go as I think you will be pleasantly surprised – it is really a doddle to make, cheap and very very tasty and without that bitter taste are often associated with Sprouts.

The easy way to cut back an overgrown Pampas Grass

Left to its own devices a Pampas Grass can soon get out of control and dominate smaller gardens.  There are various ways of cutting it down (best done in late winter) however having done this a few times with various large grasses now I have a quick and easy way to cut them back without creating a massive cleaning up headache.  In this post I will show you step by step how to cut back an overgrown Pampas Grass the easy way.

Dividing Perennials – an easier way

When a perennial is starting to outgrow its spot and is muscling others out of the way it is time to divide it.  The most common approach requires two garden forks to prize the lifted plant apart but what if you don’t happen to have enough forks to hand? Well there is a simple way to split your these plants as I will show you.

How to use an eraser to keep your secateurs clean

Yes, you did read that correctly – I use an eraser to help keep my secateurs clean. OK, this isn’t something I fished out from the bottom of my school pencil case – this eraser, by garden tools specialist Niwaki, has been created specifically to clean garden tools and it works a treat as I will quickly demonstrate.

Postcard from the fading Manor House garden

Not every Manor house garden is a picture of perfection. In fact, most of the Manor House gardens we don’t get to see are being looked after as best people can but there are those gardens where a tipping point has been reached and they are slowly being lost.  You have to admire these owners for their previous efforts and more importantly opening up their garden which we recently visited.  This is my postcard from a fading Manor house garden.

Postcard from the Green & Gorgeous Open Day

The arrival of the puppy means visits are fewer this year, but the Green & Gorgeous Flower Farm Open Day was one that we didn’t want to miss (so the puppy had a lazy Sunday afternoon napping). Behind the scenes, where the magic happens, this is ultimately a business but my oh my, so many lovely flowers to see and share so, here is my postcard from the Green & Gorgeous Flower Farm Open Day.

Gardeners' World 2 for 1 Entry Guide 2023

Gardeners’ World 2 for 1 Entry

It is always a pleasure to wander around others well tended gardens on a warm sunny day and if you are regular visitor it may well be worth buying the May 2023 edition of Gardeners’ World Magazine which includes a 2 for 1 pass for adult entrance fees at almost 400 gardens until April 2024.

Confusion reigns when it comes to winter washing and pruning apple and pear trees

If you want productive apple and pear trees then winter is a key time in the gardening calendar – what you do now will be heavily reflected in the fruits you harvest later in the year. One topic that has come up recently is winter washing and in particular should “wash”, when to do it and whether that is before or after pruning. Estate and Orchard Gardeners rarely offer up their expertise on these kind of topics so I needed to come up with my own view.

My Year of 2022 Gardening In Numbers

Another year hurtles by and so, this year, I am 4 and a bit and I thought it would be interesting to look back over one year of my work and some of the numbers that have been totted up. Obviously, this being Christmas, it is going to be a bit light-hearted because hey people we survived another rock and roll year (drought, downpours, freezing etc.).  However, what follow are, as accurate as I can get them, and for those that are “estimated”, they are done so with… well stories in mind. 

Twas the night before Christmas, not a creature was stirring … apart from me booking training courses

I come across this often – the assumption that once the clocks go back or the winter weather is in full flow that your gardener will shut up shop until they emerge once more from the cocoon of winter into the warmth of spring.  The reality is rather different, for a gardener, whilst it is not quite as manic as the May’s and September’s of the year, winter is a seriously busy time. So with my Santa hat on I have booked myself on a disability in garden design course as well as an emergency first aid course.  No rest for this mouse.

It’s beginning to look a lot like a greenhouse again

It is that time of year when any thoughts of putting my feet up can be put to one side for a while yet because it is an ideal time to get some of those on the back burner jobs sorted and one which has been there for a while is getting an old greenhouse back into service again and it is already looking really good.

The Sceptical Gardener - Ken Thompson

The Sceptical Gardener is an essential book for any gardener’s library

Should you be looking for a Christmas gift for a garden loving person or ideas for others who might be stuck then I would thoroughly recommend “The Sceptical Gardener” by Ken Thompson. It is a no-nonsense approach to gardening and various associated topics. The articles are short and thoroughly researched, well written and with the quite a lot off-beat facts and figures (5,000 people each year are injured by flowerpots apparently) as well as debunking many gardening myths. Definitely one to have to hand.

Leaf mould from last year

Get your leafmould cage ready

It is that time of year when the trickle of falling leaves will soon become an avalanche and so now is the time to get your leafmould cage ready.  All you need is four posts lightly knocked into the ground and some chicken wire and a few nail staples to hold the wire on and then you are in ready for action.

What I have learned about trimming hedges

I came across a draft of a post I had obviously put together after a particularly traumatic hedge trimming session but hadn’t posted (always wait). Anyway, after a bit of tweaking on reflection and with Autumn fast approaching, here are some of the things I have learnt about hedge trimming.

Postcard from the Kingston Bagpuize House

Whilst there are many “for the nation houses and gardens” open to us folk, there are also a multitude of private homes and gardens also available to visit. Whilst they may not be open every moment of the year they are nonetheless worth hunting out because they often are a personal endeavour and for that reason always very special. Kingston Bagpuize House, near Abingdon, is just such a place and to be honest though the gardens are very modest to say the least they are well done and the walks in the area around just enough for a lovely afternoon. Here is my postcard from the Kingston Bagpuize House.

Dead-heading a rose

My A-Z for deadheading common garden flowers

I looked high and low but couldn’t find a anything short and simple on deadheading for common garden flowers and if I am doing something for my clients I want to be doing it in the best possible way.  So having consulted various sources, including professional growers on how to deadhead common garden flowers I have compiled this short and simple guide – I hope you find it useful.

Postcard from the Hare Hill

Hare Hill in Cheshire is a wonderfully tranquil wooded garden, surrounded by historic parkland and that has a delightful walled garden at its heart. Unlike many National Trust properties, you can only visit the garden and I think that makes it all the better. Should you ever be passing by I thoroughly recommend a visit – especially during the summer when the white perennial borders are in full swing. Here is my postcard from the Hare Hill.

Faded daffodil in need of deadheading

The quick and easy way to dead-head daffodils

One of the heralds that spring is on its way are the daffodils and their cheerful chatter but once they have done their bit they do look a sorry lot and so it is time to get dead-heading. It may seem a bit daunting if you have hundreds of the little mites to deal with but there is a quick and easy way to dead-head daffodils and in no time at all you are helping them concentrate on the show for next year.

A Bluebird Tends