The ultimate seasonal guide to caring for your winter garden **Tidying up **Digging is great exercise and a good way to keep warm outdoors. The problem is that digging wet soil destroys its structure and walking on wet ground compacts soil making it difficult to dig later on. Can’t win really! However there are plenty […]

Greenhouse gas emissions”, “reduce, reuse, recycle”, “lessen carbon footprint”, “sustainable cropping”, “food miles” – these recently coined catch-phrases have come about for one reason only, our planet is suffering. Fighting this mammoth issue requires a concerted global response. Each and every one of us can make a small difference, starting in our own backyards. **oaking […]

Discover the magic of a conservatory in mid-winter There’s nothing quite as warming as relaxing in a conservatory, soaking up the sun on a cool winter’s day. Add some plants and you can take a virtual trip to the tropics. Who needs Fiji! The trick is not to crowd your plants and remember that things […]

Huguette oichel-Fleurie’s gorgeous Blenheim garden was inspired by French impressionist paintings It’s almost a decade since Huguette oichel-Fleurié and her husband Georges fell in love with their property situated on the outskirts of Blenheim. Huguette exclaims, “We were stunned by the spring-fed stream flowing just in front of the house. Its clarity was amazing and […]

A brightly coloured garden will await you in the warmer months with these old-fashioned floral gems old-fashioned dahlias and tuberous begonias are considered the ultimate in garishness by some people. In fact, both can be used effectively in highly contemporary settings. Whatever your style preference, dahlias and begonias should be top of your list to […]

Who needs a trip to the tropics when you can forget the chill of winter in your own lush, exotic garden? Subtropical gardens are renowned for lush greenery and dramatic textural effects. Summer and autumn bring an abundance of rich, exotic colour including hibiscus, bougainvillea, heliconia, gingers and exquisitely scented frangipani. But with the right […]

Times may be tight but this should be looked upon as an opportunity to become a creative thinker. Use your garden to help stretch the weekly budget, learn a few new tricks, plus get a breath of fresh air and some exercise at the same time! **Fill the gaps **Taking cuttings (or separating clumpforming plants) […]

Take a “no gumboots required” approach and fill those pots on your decks and pathways Late winter usually brings a soggy experience when working in the garden. Working wet soil is not only unpleasant but damages the soil structure in the process. Instead, turn your energy to container gardening – no gumboots required but plenty […]

Cottage gardens provide a festival of colours and shapes with fabulous flowers for picking Isn’t it exciting now the days are lengthening and an end to winter is in sight? Although there’s plenty to do in the garden, it’s often too wet to dig over the ground. It is, however, a good time to stroll […]

Ever since I can remember, my dad has planted spuds in late winter. So this year, I’m giving him a potato-planting pack for Father’s Day. Some dads prefer practical gifts, even things like sacks of fertiliser, and I’m sure most men would appreciate a grunty boy’s toy! **Spuds for Christmas **Seed potatoes planted out now […]