A bean feast is more than a sumptuous spread of leguminous vegetables, it is a celebration of self sufficiency and the ‘raison d’etre’ to which most gardeners will cite for their ‘grow their own’ activities. Those in possession of a greenhouse will already have a variety of beans sown and growing in anticipation of a crop like no other. But it’s not too late to sow more and it’s the perfect time to start sowing beans even if you haven’t yet invested in the greenhouse of your dreams.

Plant Frankensteins?

February 13, 2012

Things have changed a lot since I did my degree in botany many, many moons ago. In those (prehistoric) days research into plant genetic engineering wasn’t really funded by big business, it was championed by small university science labs around … [ Read More ]

Pick ‘n’ Mix – When seed catalogues start diving through the door

January 20, 2012

When the seed catalogues start diving through the letterbox you know spring is nearly here. For the avid gardener and plantaholic there is nothing nicer than settling into a comfy chair surrounded by seed catalogues, botanical reference books and a … [ Read More ]

Micro Leaves

December 6, 2011

First it was baby veg; tiny immature carrots, embryonic courgettes, baby beets, weeny turnips and other developing fruits and roots, just barely recognisable. Top class chefs and star studded restaurants lightly steamed these kindergarten crops for the delectation of their … [ Read More ]

Tree Seeds

November 1, 2011

The magic of seeds never fails to inspire me. You start with a (usually) brown, wizened hard capsule of some sort and within days, weeks, months or years, an almost exact replica of the parent plant reaches maturity and makes … [ Read More ]

Winter Salads

October 5, 2011

Following on from my late sowing theme last month, I’m not sure whether sowing winter salads constitutes late sowing for this year or early sowing for next, but since it is a ploy to provide winter salads all year round … [ Read More ]

Better late and early

September 1, 2011

Greenhouse gardeners can be guilty of wishing the year away. No sooner than it’s autumn and we are wishing it was spring with barely a second thought to poor winter. And when it’s spring, well there’s so much to do, … [ Read More ]

Ventilation, Ventilation, Ventilation

August 9, 2011

Keeping a good airflow through the greenhouse is essential for healthy plant growth. It is especially important at the height of summer when temperatures outdoors can reach into the seventies and eighties (if we are lucky). To keep the air … [ Read More ]

Fast Food

July 27, 2011

The July Greenhouse is a hungry beast and to get the very best from your greenhouse and your plants it’s essential to keep up with feeding to ensure a prolific and healthy harvest. For precious plants and specialist plants, choose … [ Read More ]

Hartley Bean Feast June 2011

June 3, 2011

Cucumber Feast If ever there was a good reason to grow your own, this has to be it. An outbreak of E coli that has affected dozens of people has been blamed on cucumbers. The jury is still out as … [ Read More ]

Greenhouse Technology

May 17, 2011

For the first time for years we have an early summer, it’s so early that plants that would normally be flowering in June are in blossom in April and May. That’s the one thing that makes gardening exciting and unpredictable, … [ Read More ]