What is Apple Scab and Pear Scab? Apple Scab and Pear Scab are functionally the same, although the specific fungus is different: Can I eat apples and pears with Scab? Yes, apples and pears with scab are perfectly safe to eat. They only look ugly, underneath the skin they should taste the same, unless they… Continue reading Apple Scab & Pear Scab Disease
Quince Leaf Blight Disease
What are these brown spots on my quince tree’s leaves and fruit? Leaf Blight causes lots of brown splotches on leaves with dark dots in the middle. These start off reddish-brown then turn darker brown or black, typically joining up to make larger, irregular shaped patches on the leaves. Once they spread enough, the rest… Continue reading Quince Leaf Blight Disease
Plum Fruit Split
Plum Fruit split is a condition, not a disease, where the fruit is damaged by splits in the skin. Although they tend to be on the surface, by breaking the skin they allow diseases and pests to attack otherwise healthy plums and gages. Why are my plums splitting on the tree? Erratic watering causes plum… Continue reading Plum Fruit Split
Coral Spot Fungus Disease
Coral Spot Identification Coral spot’s small orange-pink pustules are very distinctive. The fungus is active and producing spores almost year round, but you mainly see it in Winter. What is Coral Spot, and How Bad is It? Coral Spot fungus, Nectria cinnabarina, is mainly saprophytic, meaning it eats dead wood. But it can become a serious parasite… Continue reading Coral Spot Fungus Disease
Rose Black Spot Disease
What are these black spots and yellow patches on my rose’s leaves? Black spots on rose leaves, usually surrounded by yellowing areas, are caused by the fungus Diplocarpon rosae, the most widespread and serious fungal disease affecting members of the rose family. Black Spot spores lie dormant in the soil over Winter, then rise up and… Continue reading Rose Black Spot Disease
How to Plant and Grow Allium Bulbs
Allium bulbs produce spectacular starburst flowers in late Spring and Summer, after the main flush of spring flowering bulbs. Planting Allium Bulbs When to Plant Alliums Autumn & early winter is peak dry bulb planting time. The ideal months for planting Alliums are from September to mid-November, but as late as the middle of December is… Continue reading How to Plant and Grow Allium Bulbs
How to Plant and Grow Daffodil Bulbs
Daffodils and narcissi are the most popular flower bulbs grown in Britain: good value, very tough, and coming in a wide range of colours, sizes, and shapes. When to Plant Daffodils Plant dry daffodil bulbs in early autumn, ideally September, and potted bulbs or bulbs in the green in early spring. How to Plant Daffodils… Continue reading How to Plant and Grow Daffodil Bulbs
Growing & Planting Tulip Bulbs Guide
Tulip bulbs bring some of the most stunning Spring colours of any plant grown in Britain. They come with a guarantee to make you smile on a sad day, or your blues back! Planting Tulips When is the Best Time to Plant Tulips? The best time for Tulip planting is when the soil has cooled, usually by late October… Continue reading Growing & Planting Tulip Bulbs Guide
How to Make a Bulb Lasagne
A bulb lasagne is a pot of flower bulbs planted in layers for successive flowering all Spring. A 30cm (12”) deep pot is best, but just remove layers if it is shallower: TRANSCRIPT Right, today we’re going to plant a bulb lasagne. So, got a tall, deep pot, and we’re going to plant the bulbs in… Continue reading How to Make a Bulb Lasagne
How to Plant Flower Bulbs at the Correct Depths
This video shows the right depths in pots or in the soil, and planting using a bulb planter tool.Read our how to plant flower bulbs article for more details. This demonstration covers daffodils, tulips, fritillarias, and Iris reticulatas, but the principles apply to all garden bulbs. Transcript: One quick video about bulb sizes and bulb depths. So, the largest bulbs, which… Continue reading How to Plant Flower Bulbs at the Correct Depths
Lifting and Storing Garden Bulbs Over Summer
Traditionally, many spring flowering bulbs, especially Tulips, were lifted (dug up) after flowering every year, stored over Summer when they are dormant, and replanted in Autumn to encourage better flowering the following year, and to protect them from pests. But that received wisdom is not always worth applying to all your bulbs: it depends what you are growing, and… Continue reading Lifting and Storing Garden Bulbs Over Summer
When do Different Bulbs Flower?
Flower bulbs give you waves of vivid blooms for almost no maintenance. With a good collection, you can have something in flower pretty much every month of the year. Bulb Flowering Times Chart We deliver 15 species of garden flower bulbs, corms, and tubers. There are many more to be found in British gardens, but these might… Continue reading When do Different Bulbs Flower?
How to Plant Flower Bulbs
Flower Bulbs are essential garden elements, providing vibrant colour through the year. With a little planning and planting, bulbs give you waves of vivid blooms for almost no maintenance. Winter has Snowdrops, Cyclamens, and Crocuses; Spring delivers Daffodils and Tulips; Summer is alive with Alliums, Lilies, and Dahlias; and Nerines and Colchicums in Autumn.Have a look at… Continue reading How to Plant Flower Bulbs
Best Flower Bulbs
Best Flower Bulbs for Sunny Locations, Dry or Drought-Prone Areas, and Rock Gardens Rockery Varieties Best Flower Bulbs for Containers Rockery Varieties Best Flower Bulbs for Cold North Scotland All Spring bulbs are hardy throughout the UK.Dahlia Tubers can be left outdoors under mulch in most areas of the UK, but may not perform as… Continue reading Best Flower Bulbs
When to Plant Flower Bulbs
Most flower bulbs are planted dry in Autumn, and some species also “in the green” in early Spring. Plant in Autumn Plant in Early Spring Plant in Summer Always try to plant bulbs as soon as possible after purchase for best results
Winter Planting Snowdrops In The Green
Snowdrops in the green are lifted while they are growing: in leaf and quite possibly in flower. This is done because, providing they are transplanted quickly, they tend to establish more readily than stored snowdrop bulbs, with some other pros and cons. How many Snowdrop bulbs do I need? Allow about 75 per square metre… Continue reading Winter Planting Snowdrops In The Green
Planting Bulbs In The Green Guide
When, How & Where to Plant ‘Bulbs in the Green’ Bluebells, Wild Daffodils, Snowdrops, and Aconites are among the few bulbs that transplant well while they are in leaf and growing: before, during or just after flowering.They are treated differently from most dry flower bulbs. which are planted while dormant in the autumn. With bulbs in the green, the active, flowering bulbs are… Continue reading Planting Bulbs In The Green Guide
Dividing Herbaceous Perennials
Digging up and dividing most summer-flowering herbaceous perennials is an excellent way to perk them up when they’re looking tired, giving you free plants in the bargain. Some perennials are either not suitable for division, or else seed so readily that there is no point, so research each plant first. You will need a fork, spade, maybe… Continue reading Dividing Herbaceous Perennials
Sweet Pea Cultivation Guide
Sweet peas, Lathyrus odoratus, are one of the most popular annuals thanks to their strong scent and how easy they are to grow. Unlike most bedding plants, they are climbers and so need support to grow on. They are a staple of beds of flowers for cutting, and informal cottage garden designs. Growing Sweet Peas… Continue reading Sweet Pea Cultivation Guide
How to Plant Sweet Pea Plugs
Planting sweet pea plugs is easy, all you need is some nice rich soil, a sunny spot, something for them to grow up. Plant them a centimetre or two deep, so that the soil just covers the base of the stem, which will set root and give you a stronger, more stable plant. You will… Continue reading How to Plant Sweet Pea Plugs
Receiving your Dahlia Tubers
Dahlia tubers are like people: they come in a wide range of sizes, from small, narrow, slightly wrinkled ones, to big, round, plump ones.It can be a shock for new Dahlia growers to compare two varieties: the smaller one looks like a reject compared to the bigger one!However, this range of sizes is completely normal, and in… Continue reading Receiving your Dahlia Tubers
How to Dig Up & Store Dahlia Tubers Overwinter
Once Dahlia leaves are blackened by the frost, it’s a common practice to dig them up and prepare for storage over the winter How to Lift Dahlia Tubers from the Soil To lift Dahlia tubers before storing them overwinter, you need a garden fork, some pots or crates for storage in a cool, dry place, and something to… Continue reading How to Dig Up & Store Dahlia Tubers Overwinter
How To Start Dahlia Tubers In Spring
We deliver Dahlia Tubers from late February, which is much too early to plant them outside. So, you can start them off in pots in a frost free place while you wait for the weather to warm up. Dahlia tubers are tender, and planting them out into cold soil at best sets them back (makes… Continue reading How To Start Dahlia Tubers In Spring
How to Cut Back Lavender Hard In Late Summer / Early Autumn
August or September is the best time to hard prune Lavender for great flowers the following year Late August is the absolute best time to prune your Lavender plants, when the final flush of flowers has died down.September is also fine, but it’s best not to leave it later, or you will get sparser flowers… Continue reading How to Cut Back Lavender Hard In Late Summer / Early Autumn
Should I Cut Lavender In Spring Or Autumn?
Lavender should be pruned hard every year to keep it dense, bushy, and covered in flowers during Summer It’s not good to prune your Lavender plants in late Autumn / Winter when it’s not in growth, and if you prune it in Summer you will remove all the flowers, so that leaves either Spring, or late-Summer… Continue reading Should I Cut Lavender In Spring Or Autumn?
How to Grow Lavender
How to Grow Lavender Lavender loves sun and poor dry soils, ideal for the coast or beside warm South facing walls. Which variety should I choose? In the sunnier South, all varieties will be fine outdoors, in suitably well drained soil and sunny aspect. In colder regions, the issue is longevity. Which size should I buy? The… Continue reading How to Grow Lavender
Year Round Guide To Essential Garden Jobs
January Hedging Fruit Trees Garden Trees Roses Soft Fruit Climbers Bulbs Olive and Bay Nature Other February Hedging Fruit Trees Garden Trees Roses Soft Fruit Climbers Bulbs Olive and Bay Nature Other March Hedging Fruit Trees Garden Trees Roses Soft Fruit Climbers Lavender Bulbs Olive and Bay Herbs and Veg Borders and Flowers Other April… Continue reading Year Round Guide To Essential Garden Jobs
How to Scarify Your Lawn
Scarifying Your Lawn is Easy With a Springy Garden Rake Lawn scarification in the UK is done in Autumn or Spring, every two to three years, to get rid of thatch, which is a build up of living roots, the woodiest parts of dead grass, and living moss piled up on top of the soil.… Continue reading How to Scarify Your Lawn
How To Make Leaf Mould
What is Leaf Mould? Raking up leaves is part of a gardener’s life. The best way to make use of all those leaves is to keep them as mulch, compost, or leaf mould: that crumbly, airy, free draining stuff that improves soil, and makes a superb potting medium for seeds and cuttings. Which Leaves Should… Continue reading How To Make Leaf Mould
How To Use Horticultural Fleece on Pots
Wrap up outdoor potted plants to protect them from frost for Winter When Winter frosts are on their way, sensitive plants that aren’t practical to move into shelter should be wrapped up to protect them from the freezing weather. This is most important for tender plants, but even relatively hardy bay leaf trees can still… Continue reading How To Use Horticultural Fleece on Pots