Broad beans are one of the year’s easiest crops, not least because the seeds are large and easy to handle. There is no fiddling about with miniscule seeds and trying to sow them thinly, they can be handled individually. They are also delicious and crop at a time when there is little else to harvest.[…]
How to Grow Broad Beans
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Fruit and veg gardening, Gardening for beginners Feb 11, 2020
Forcing Rhubarb
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Fruit and veg gardening, Winter Dec 24, 2019
Traditionally most of the world’s forced rhubarb was grown in West Yorkshire in forcing sheds in an area called the rhubarb triangle. It can however be successfully forced in our home gardens or allotments. Two to three year old crowns (roots) should be used. In December or January the crowns should be covered with a[…]
Mini Fruit Trees – An Orchard On Your Patio
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Container gardening, Fruit and veg gardening, Gardening for beginners Oct 09, 2019
It is a great treat for us gardeners and allotment holders to have fresh, healthy and delicious fruit at our finger tips, but increasingly the majority of us do not have an acre or two to turn over to an orchard! Most of us however do have room on our patios for growing dwarf trees[…]
Plantaholic’s Choice – Rhubarb Apple Delight
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Fruit and veg gardening, New plants, Plantaholics choice Sep 11, 2019
Some of you who are beginners in gardening may have thought that any rhubarb you buy is just the same old variety. This could not be further from the truth. The breeders have been hard at work creating this brand new, superior variety for us to grow in our gardens and allotments. The features of[…]
Cutting Edge Gardening With Smart Technology
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Container gardening, Fruit and veg gardening, Gardening for beginners, Houseplants, Ornamental gardening, Technology in the garden Aug 12, 2019
Gardening has always been a traditional pastime with methods handed down through generations. However maybe for some it is time to break the mould and step into the 21st century with the latest smart technology available to us. The smart technology we talk about here is not going against the important knowledge that our predecessors[…]
Citrus Plants – 10 Top Tips For Success
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Container gardening, Exotic Plants, Fragrant plants, Fruit and veg gardening, Houseplants Jul 30, 2019
If you have been lucky enough to holiday in warmer climes you can bring a touch of the Mediterranean home to your conservatory, house, greenhouse or summer patio with citrus plants . Their scented blooms will evoke memories of happy, relaxed times. They are evergreen and also have the benefit of flowering and fruiting, giving[…]
Windowsill Vegetable Gardening
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Container gardening, Fruit and veg gardening, Gardening for beginners Apr 24, 2019
Windowsill gardening holds a certain attraction to some. Perhaps you live in a flat or other property without a garden. Perhaps you have no vegetable patch in your garden. Maybe you have a disability that prevents traditional gardening methods, or your age means you are unable. Maybe you just don’t want the exertion and the[…]
Controlling Slugs With Natural Nematodes
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Fruit and veg gardening, Gardening for beginners, Ornamental gardening, Pest and disease control Apr 02, 2019
The dreaded slugs can be the bane of the gardener’s or allotment holder’s life, munching away at our prized flowers and crops while we are in our beds. The vile creatures can also carry lungworm parasite that can be extremely harmful to our dogs. Controlling them can be difficult as many of our garden chemicals[…]
Plant profile – Kiwi Plant Issai
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Fruit and veg gardening, Plant Profiles Mar 27, 2019
Actinidia Arguta Issai (Kiwi Issai) is an extremely hardy kiwi plant, and so ideal for our variable U.K weather. It is native to Siberia and so hardy with slow temperature drops to -34 degrees C. We all know the kiwis that are sold in our local supermarkets. These whilst delicious, are harder to ripen in[…]
Grafted vegetable plants – The advantages
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Fruit and veg gardening Mar 18, 2019
In recent years vegetable plant suppliers have been offering the gardener grafted vegetable plants. This simply means that the best vegetable varieties have been taken and grafted on to a very vigorous rootstock. This method has been used for many years with fruit trees for example to change the vigour of an apple tree[…]