Many people do not have the knowledge or confidence to be able to carry out planting design for their own borders. They may not know which plants grow well in the site available, for instance do they grow well in sun, shade, clay soils, seaside locations etc. They may not know when each of their[…]
Product Profile – Ready-made Border Designs
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Garden design, Garden styles, Gardening for beginners, Ornamental gardening, Plants for problem places, Product Profile Mar 22, 2022
How To Grow Asparagus From Crowns
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Fruit and veg gardening, Gardening for beginners, Spring Feb 15, 2022
Fresh asparagus is almost a delicacy in the U.K. The delicious spears in spring and summer can be pricey in the shops and are well worth growing in our gardens and allotments. Unfortunately it is a waiting game as spears should not be harvested for the first two years. Growing in containers is not often[…]
How To Grow Peas
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Fruit and veg gardening, Gardening for beginners Feb 09, 2022
Frozen peas pale into insignificance in comparison to your own, freshly harvested peas from the garden or allotment. They are also a crop that takes up relatively little space and are an excellent crop for the cooler U.K climate. Choosing Varieties Mangetout and Sugarsnap varieties are easiser to grow than shelling peas. Round peas are[…]
How To Lift And Overwinter Dahlias
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Autumn, Bulbs, Gardening for beginners, Ornamental gardening Nov 02, 2021
Dahlias, planted from tubers or cuttings in spring, are prized for their continuous blooms well into late summer and autumn. Those of you who live in Southern areas of the U.K may wish to risk leaving your Dahlia tubers planted in the ground throughout the winter and simply put a thick mulch over the soil[…]
Why You Should Sow A Green Manure This Autumn
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Autumn, Fruit and veg gardening, Gardening for beginners, Seeds, Winter Sep 07, 2021
What is a Green Manure? Green manures are seeds sown into vacant areas of soil where no crop is required at that time. They can then later be strimmed and dug into the soil to improve fertility and soil structure. They are usually used in vegetable plots, but can also be used in areas where[…]
The Importance Of Spring Bulbs To Bees
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Bulbs, Container gardening, Gardening for beginners, Ornamental gardening, Spring, Wildlife Gardening Aug 17, 2021
You may have heard many people talk of how important it is to preserve our population of bees, but why? Well, nearly 85% of food crops for humans are pollinated by bees. Many cattle fodder crops are also pollinated by bees. The plants they pollinate also create food and shelter for other wildlife. It is[…]
How To Propagate Strawberries By Runners
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Fruit and veg gardening, Gardening for beginners, Propagation, Summer Aug 10, 2021
Most people love strawberries, and what a treat to have a delicacy that is part of your five a day. Plants can be propagated from seed, but this usually leads to inferior plants. Propagating from runners is more certain to produce plants that are identical to the mother plant. Most strawberry plants, apart from perpetual[…]
When And At What Length Should I Mow My Lawn?
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Gardening for beginners, Lawns Jun 01, 2021
When? As a general rule of thumb lawns should be mowed beginning in March and ending in October. This can vary slightly depending on weather conditions. Mild weather in early winter may mean you need to lightly trim your grass a little later. How Often? As a rough guide lawns should be cut twice a[…]
How To Grow Blueberries
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Container gardening, Fruit and veg gardening, Gardening for beginners Apr 13, 2021
Blueberries are one of the easier crops to grow in your garden or allotment and can reward you with a delicious crop. The cost of blueberries in the supermarkets makes the crop all the more welcome in our gardens. They are also a plant for all seasons, providing flowers, then fruit and then stunning autumn[…]
Plantaholic’s Choice – Geranium Mosquitaway Series
By Mark - Garden for Pleasure Container gardening, Fragrant plants, Gardening for beginners, Ornamental gardening, Summer Feb 09, 2021
Here I would like to introduce you to some of the best Geraniums (strictly called Pelargoniums) that have been bred in recent years. They are a little bit special and differ from our traditional Zonal Geraniums. Below are some of the fantastic qualities I see in them:- Delightful bicoloured blooms repeatedly throughout summer when[…]