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.

Label Amnesty – Bean Feast May 2013

May 9, 2013

Is it just me or do plant labels exist in a parallel universe? When you need some they are no where to be found, and yet they appear around the garden, like fallen tombstones seasoning the compost bin, the flower … [ Read More ]

Bee Aware

April 11, 2013

It’s been a really really tough time for all insects, good and bad. This long cold winter has bee especially bad for the bees, not just honeybees and bumble bees but the solitary bees too. Imagine enduring the long cold … [ Read More ]

Incredible Edibles

March 13, 2013

I’ve always been a bit of a fan of weird and wonderful food plants. I love to forage in the woodland and hedgerows for ingredients to transform our diet and am fascinated by the food plants still used by native … [ Read More ]

Peaches and Cream

February 13, 2013

Most greenhouses are used to grow fruit, but usually it’s tomatoes. I can’t think of many greenhouse growers that don’t have a few tomato plants growing and fruiting over the summer months, but that’s not really the fruit that I … [ Read More ]

Another year in the greenhouse calendar

January 21, 2013

Another year in the greenhouse calendar and the greenhouse owner, me included, starts to plan, plot and plant for the year ahead. If not in practice just yet, then in the mind’s eye at least. Despite the greenhouse being a … [ Read More ]

Greenhouse Evolution – Hartley Bean feast

December 6, 2012

Which came first: The grower then the greenhouse, or the greenhouse then the grower? The vast architectural wonders on show at our national botanic gardens are a beauty to behold, a statement of wealth and abundance and a result of … [ Read More ]

Worms

November 6, 2012

It might seem an odd topic for my greenhouse feature, but worms really are a gardener’s best friend. If you have a greenhouse border then the chances are that you’ve got worms in it and all around the garden worms … [ Read More ]

Greenhouse Overhaul

October 1, 2012

That’s it now, it’s been pending for a while, but the greenhouse is in for a shock, hopefully a pleasant shock, but nevertheless a surprise. It’s time, I think for a tidy up. After a summer like no other, I’m … [ Read More ]

Plant Zoo

August 13, 2012

It’s the summer holidays and a great time to get the kids interested in plants. You can’t force-feed anyone to love gardening like you do, but you can introduce children to a few of the joys to inspire them. Plants … [ Read More ]

Greenhouse Irrigation

June 26, 2012

It might seem an odd topic for this month’s Bean Feast, but unless there’s a problem rain doesn’t actually fall inside a greenhouse. This means that despite the recent deluge, your greenhouse plants (and mine) still need some of the … [ Read More ]