It is possible to purchase potted strawberries and strawberry plugs in the spring and summer, but of course you will have to pay for the pot, compost and the nurseryman’s time to grow them on. It is often much cheaper to buy bare root plants that have been growing in the field and have[...]
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It gives me great pleasure to be able to market the latest and most extraordinary breeding from some of the world’s greatest experts, and these varieties are no exception. Growing plants for cut flowers has become all the rage in recent years with perfect examples in gardens such as Sarah Raven’s Perch Hill. Roses of[...]
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Frosty nights and dark cloudy days mean that at this time of year even the most avid gardener likes to bring their hobby indoors. This makes houseplants the ideal gift for the gardeners amongst your friends and family. Below we have chosen just a few of our favourite indoor plant gifts from Thompson & Morgan.[...]
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It has long been said that “we eat with our eyes”, and how true. A visually appealing plate of food is far more appetising than one that is not. Also different colours of food contain different vitamins and minerals. For instance green fruit and vegetables contain vitamin C, iron and potassium, red ones contain Lycopene[...]
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Igloo Hedgehog House Make your garden a welcoming spot for hedgehogs, with this beautiful Igloo Hedgehog House. Designed to blend in with the colours of your garden, this hedgehog house provides hedgehogs and other small mammals with a safe haven. With a small tunnel entrance and designed for shelter, it has plenty of space inside[...]
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A home filled with the fresh pine fragrance of a real Christmas tree is a treat not to be missed. It is something that an artificial Christmas tree can never replace. With the deals we have chosen for you below the trees will be delivered directly to you, saving time and effort without forsaking the[...]
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November has crept around which means Guy Fawkes Night will soon be upon us. So, when planning your celebrations for 5th November, don’t just think about keeping indoor animals safe, bear in mind your garden wildlife when celebrating Bonfire Night. With the current restrictions in place due to COVID-19, many people are planning to use[...]
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Many of us will be familiar with Helleborus Niger, the Christmas Rose. It’s English name however is a bit of a myth as it is rarely in flower before late winter in our gardens. Helleborus Niger Christmas Carol however can be in flower from Christmas through to mid spring. This evergreen, hardy perennial will provide[...]
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A long standing favourite winter flowering plant and an important one for early pollinators, the Hellebores produce their cheery blooms when the skies are at their greyest. There are single and double flowered varieties, some early flowering and some late flowering. The series I want to draw your attention to here are the wonderful Rodney[...]
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Dobies have been supplying flower and vegetable seeds direct to gardeners since 1894, starting in the Chester area, and for over fifty years now, to customers throughout the UK. Dobies are proud to have been awarded the coveted “Best Buy” Seed Supplier by Which? Gardening with “an impressive 91% of seed producing healthy seedlings”. Dobies[...]
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Our modern, energy efficient buildings such as our homes and offices can often have little air flow. Because of this, toxins such as formaldehyde and benzenes can build up in the air caused by our furnishings, ovens, carpets and cleaning materials. Some houseplants, as well as adding beauty to our surroundings, help to remove the[...]
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Broadcaster and Chartered Horticulturist David Domoney says, ‘Don’t stop gardening!’ now summer is over. With the recently announced increased restrictions in Britain, David Domoney says the garden is essential in helping us with our physical and mental wellbeing. Gardening helped many to live through the social isolation that impacted many people through lockdown, and David[...]
The post Gardening News – Don’t Stop Gardening in Autumn and Winter says David Domoney appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Hedgehogs are delightful creatures and are of benefit to our gardens as they eat slugs, snails and insects. Read the tips below to find out how best to care for and encourage them in your garden. Leaving wild areas in the garden with piles of logs and leaves will help to provide a home for[...]
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I have written about many unusual plants during my time as a blogger, but this has got to be a real novelty. You can amaze your friends and family by serving them up a delicious pineapple that you have grown yourself here in the U.K! Some of you may have grown various Bromeliad plants as[...]
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Many of the new season’s seed ranges are available online now or in the coming weeks. If you are anything like me you will derive great pleasure from trawling through the new seed selections and, with baited breath, you will be eager to discover the latest breeding in flowers for your summer displays and fruit[...]
The post Gardening News – New Flower And Veg Seeds From Suttons For 2021 appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Introduced by the world renowned Danish breeder Poulsen, these stunning varieties have all the benefits of modern breeding alongside the delightful appearance of the romantic, traditional flower forms of times gone by. Below are some of the reasons why this astonishing range of plants undoubtedly deserve a place in our gardens. Large, colourful old rose[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – Renaissance Roses appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Many among us are delighted by the appearance of the first daffodils, more correctly known as Narcissi, heralding that spring is well and truly on the way. Some of us will always love the quintessential yellow trumpet varieties that perhaps remind us of halcyon days. There are of course many other types these days in[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – Desirable Daffodil Collections appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
The tulip has long been a beloved favourite of mine. Their innate beauty comes at a time of year when many of our garden plants are still dormant. Apart from a true blue, one would be hard pushed to imagine a colour of the rainbow in which their alluring blooms are not available. Their flowers are[...]
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Many of us produce stunning garden displays in the summer months, but autumn through to spring can be equally if not more important to brighten up the cooler, darker months of the year when we all need cheering up. Wallflower Sugar Rush are one of the fairly newly bred varieties that are perfect for this[...]
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We may be still enjoying the summer sunshine, but whether we like it or not, it is time to start to plan our autumn through to spring garden displays before all the best plants are sold out. These plants can be grown to order for us so we receive the cream of the crop. There[...]
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I recommend you be one of the first to grow this unique Japanese breeding breakthrough. Many of us are familiar with the stunning spring-flowering Camellias with their stunning, exotic blooms, whether we’ve seen them in the gardens of stately homes or grow them in our own gardens. This however is something even more special. This[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – NEW Camellia ‘1001 Summer Nights’ Jasmine appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice, so why not try your hand at growing your own. It comes from the Saffron Crocus (Crocus Sativus) and is prized for adding flavour, colour and aroma to dishes such as Paella. It is also used as a dye and over the centuries it has been reputed to[...]
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With our increasingly small gardens some of us are running out of space for more plants, no matter how much we love them. Our beds and borders are often bursting at the seams and all available ground space is taken up by containers. So where can we plant now? The wonderwall vertical planting kit may[...]
The post Product Profile – Wonderwall Vertical Planting Starter Kit appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Bred by French breeder Delbard, ‘Belle de Jour’ is a stunning new rose variety that has become the fortieth winner of the competition held by Roses U.K. One of many entrants, it beat all others to the prestigious accolade after being tested in various conditions all around the U.K for two years. This gorgeous variety[...]
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It has been possible to grow figs in the U.K. for many years if you have a large enough garden and a south facing wall. Fig ‘Little Miss Figgy’ is new breeding that is particularly suitable for our often smaller gardens and allotments. Below are some of the reasons to grow this lovely plant:- This[...]
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This delightful climbing plant requires a warm conservatory in the winter months, but in summer it provides its exquisite display as a patio specimen. Best grown in pots to move inside in the winter, Mandevilla sanderi ‘Bloom Bells® have dark, glossy, evergreen leaves to provide year-round interest. But it is the gorgeous, trumpet shaped blooms[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – Mandevilla sanderi ‘Bloom Bells’®Series appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
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In our Gardenforpleasure.co.uk shop we sell various irrigation kits, both to attach to mains water and to your water butts. But what are the benefits that make it worth the investment in thes kits? Here I want to explain. Escape the drudgery of constant watering throughout the summer months. You can simply turn on the[...]
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Many people have wonderful late spring and early summer displays in their gardens, followed by a rather drab time when all the earlier blooms have faded. The amazing Echibeckia ‘Summerina’ Series plug this gap by continually blooming through to the first frosts. Many of us will be familiar with Echinaceas (Coneflowers) in our gardens. You[...]
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Call me lazy, but I just love products that make our gardening easier so we can spend more of our time simply enjoying our gardens, whether they be of vast acreage or the size of a postage stamp. Here I would like to show you the Vegtrug raised planter range that can do just that.[...]
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It is possible to have an absolute riot of colour in our gardens throughout May and June and then suddenly to have nothing but green. We all need to think about the blooms that are to come to provide late summer and autumn colour and create a continuously beautiful space to enjoy. Asters, better known[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – Aster dumosus ‘Autumn Jewels’ appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
When I first saw this delightful new breeding in Pot Carnations I just new I had to recommend them to my readers. They are absolutely invaluable in our gardens. Below I list 10 of the reasons why. Deliciously scented blooms just like carnations of times gone by. Larger double blooms than other Pot Carnations Slow[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – Fragrant Pot Carnation Adorables Collection appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Many of us take great inspiration from the RHS Flower Shows, and perhaps from Chelsea more than any. Unfortunately like many events the RHS Chelsea Flower Show had to be cancelled in 2020 due to lockdown. However all is not lost. The RHS website is hosting a virtual flower show and we are able to[...]
The post Your Chance To View And Buy Some Of The Great Plants That Would Have Featured In The RHS Chelsea Plant Of The Year 2020 appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) announces some of the daily highlights planned for the first ever RHS Virtual Chelsea Flower Show, 18 – 23 May, supported by M&G. Throughout the week the RHS website will host a packed schedule of fresh and inspirational content from some of the nation’s favourite gardening experts. Each day[...]
The post Gardening News – Highlights for the first RHS Virtual Chelsea Flower Show Announced appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Penstemons have long been a favourite in our gardens with their stunning bell shaped flowers, particularly for those of us that garden in the cottage style. They could however be a little temperamental. The Pensham series of Penstemons were originally bred by the late renowned plant breeder Edward Wilson in Pensham in Worcestershire. He bred[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – Penstemon Pensham Series appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Prestigious competitions to be incorporated into virtual show (18-23 May) RHS Chelsea Garden Product of the Year finalists announced with sustainability and small-space growing among this year’s key themes People’s Choice vote to find RHS Chelsea’s Plant of the Decade The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the UK’s leading gardening charity, has announced it will host[...]
The post Virtual RHS Chelsea Flower Show to champion innovation in garden products and plants appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and BBC 1 The One Show are joining forces to launch My Chelsea Garden, a competition encouraging amateur gardeners across the nation to share images of their green spaces and growing efforts at home in search of the very best. The charity and broadcaster are asking people to enter pictures[...]
The post RHS and BBC One Show announce My Chelsea Garden, a competition to get the nation to ‘grow and show’ and celebrate Virtual RHS Chelsea Flower Show (18 – 23 May 2020) appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
The Buddleia Buzz series are a breakthrough in breeding. We all know the giant Buddleias that were beautiful but thuggish in our gardens. They had to be hacked to the ground every spring to stop them getting out of control, and generously seeded themselves around as you may have seen alongside the tracks if you[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – Buddleia Buzz Butterfly Bush appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Any among you that have visited the Mediterranean regions on your holidays will surely remember seeing these beautiful plants lapping up the sunshine. Oleanders (sometimes called Nerium Oleander) are a delightful shrub with willow-like leaves and single or double white, cream, pink or red flowers with fragrance. If you dream of bringing the Mediterranean look[...]
The post Plant Profile – Oleander – a touch of the Mediterranean appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Many of us have visited the wonderful gardens that are open under the National Garden Scheme (NGS) in the U.K. Unfortunately due to the current circumstances with Covid 19 we are unable to do so. But fear not, many of the gardens can be visited online with the NGS Virtual Garden Visits. The NGS say:-[...]
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If you struggle with planting up your own hanging baskets, then struggle no more as there is a quick and easy way to do it thanks to Easy Fill Hanging Baskets. There is no need to line the Easy Fill baskets and they come with a built in reservoir for less watering. The baskets can[...]
The post Product Profile – Make Planting Your Hanging Baskets A Doddle With Easy Fill Baskets appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Edible flowers give a milder flavour to salads than some of the leaves. As well as taste they add interest with bright, attractive colours. Their use can be longer lasting by adding to oil’s, butters and cordials and, if you’re not too worried about your waistline, scrumptious ice cream. There are many varieties to[...]
The post Edible Flowers – Three Summer Favourites appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
The top London florists charge a small fortune for a designer bouquet for gifts or for the home. Luckily gardener, cook, writer and television presenter Sarah Raven has used her astonishing talent to put together collections of seedlings that you can grow on in your prized plots to create your very own designer bouquets[...]
The post Cut Flower Seedling Collections – Create Your Own Designer Bouquets appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
If you think you’ve grown most vegetables and experienced most tastes, maybe we have found something a little different. Try these gourmet root vegetables to tantilize your taste buds. They are varieties I have not grown before due to their rarity in the UK so it will be a new experience for us all.[...]
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It is one thing to know how to grow a plant, but it is another to have an expert eye for amazing plant combinations. This is a skill that gardener, cook, writer and television presenter Sarah Raven posesses in bucket loads. A visit to her stunning garden ‘Perch Hill’ in Sussex is proof of[...]
The post Colourful Combinations – Rhodochiton Purple Bells and Thunbergia African Sunset appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Many of us have grown the tuberous Begonias in our garden and they are lovely plants to grow, but have you ever visited one of the flower shows such as RHS Chelsea and wondered why the exhibition quality blooms they grow there are so amazing and so huge. That is because of the wonderful varieties[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – Begonia ‘Majestic Series’ appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
It is possible to design your basket and container displays by grabbing a basket full of plants you like the look of at the garden centre and shoving them in your chosen container, but don’t expect to achieve stunning results! It is often far more successful to purchase a collection of plants that have[...]
The post Colour Themed Collections For Your Hanging Baskets And Containers 2020 appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Dahlias are so popular in our summer gardens. This wonderful new variety really caught my eye as soon as I saw it. Dahlia Tropical Breeze is not one of the tall varieties that need staking, but rather a bedding variety that is ideal for our containers and front of border. Rather than having to wait[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – NEW Dahlia ‘Tropical Breeze’ (Dahlinova Hypnotica Series) appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Some of the older readers may remember the Calceolaria from past times, but these wonderful Calynopsis varieties with their exotic, jewel-like blooms are a real breakthrough. The Calceolarias have been named things such as Slipper Flower, Pocketbook Plant, Pouch Flower and Slipperwort. Below I want to list some reasons why I think these new varieties[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – NEW Calceolaria Calynopsis Collection appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Lilies are a long standing favourite in our summer gardens, but what is so special about the Roselilies? Well there are some important advantages that I attempt to list below:- Stunning, double blooms which unfurl like roses. A light and pleasant perfume which is not overpowering like the spicy scent of some traditional Oriental hybrids.[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – Six reasons to grow the magnificent Roselilies appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Some people like mild food, some of us like spicy food but if you are one of the folk who like BLOW YOUR HEAD OFF food then Carolina Reaper is the chilli to grow! This is the world’s hottest chilli. Don’t take my word for it, this has been confirmed by the Guiness Book of[...]
The post Carolina Reaper – The world’s Hottest Chilli!!! appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Gardeners have been using peat in the garden for decades with great results, so why should we stop now? Well, there are some absolutely vital reasons for us to be doing so. Firstly peat is not a renewable resource as it forms at such a slow rate. The peat bogs are also a very important[...]
The post Product Profile – Westland New Horizon Peat Free Composts appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
Broad beans are one of the year’s easiest crops, not least because the seeds are large and easy to handle. There is no fiddling about with miniscule seeds and trying to sow them thinly, they can be handled individually. They are also delicious and crop at a time when there is little else to harvest.[...]
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Iris Germanica, better known as Bearded Iris because of soft hairs growing in the centre of the flowers, have long been a staple of our cottage gardens and herbaceous borders. They come in such a wide variety of colours and colour combinations that you might think that the breeders have just about achieved all they[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – Reblooming Irises appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
There are a great many varieties of Alstroemeria, some short, some tall, some bright and some in delicate pastel shades. The brand new Alstroemeria ‘Valley’ Collection (Summer Paradise Series) however have an attribute seldom held by other varieties. That is that they are exceptionally winter hardy. Many other Alstroemeria series have had the gorgeous exotic[...]
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Whether you are an avid seasoned gardener or a novice there is always new things to be learnt and events to be enjoyed. Here we bring you a range of courses and events arranged by the renowned TV presenter and garden and food writer Sarah Raven. From cut flower gardening to vegetable gardening, and natural[...]
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The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has revealed what plants, designs and activities it expects to prove popular with the UK’s 27 million gardeners in 2020. Drawing on the expertise of horticultural experts from its gardens, retail centres, science and communities teams, the charity has shortlisted what it thinks the new year has in store for[...]
The post Gardening News – Supersized plants and soil science: RHS reveals gardening trends for 2020 appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
The flower shows throughout the year display horticulture at it’s finest. Whether you are a gardening novice or much more experienced, we can all do with the inspiration that these shows provide. You may take ideas from the many show gardens, or simply discover a new or unusual plant that would be perfect for that[...]
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Peonies have long been a great favourite of mine, and I am familiar with many varieties. However I was quite taken aback to see this stunning new form which I believe may be one of the best herbaceous varieties. Below I have listed some of it’s many endearing attributes:- A very long lived, perennial garden[...]
The post Plantaholic’s Choice – NEW – Peony Coral Sunset appeared first on Garden for Pleasure.
