Most of the gardeners I know in the British Isles avoid using peat. We don't doubt that it's a useful material in the garden and it's still available in garden centres. But many of us believe it to be environmentally damaging. The thing is, it's a non-renewable resource and its mining has driven our peat bogs and their associated plants and insects ( Read more... )

Since ladyapple27 very cleverly started a post about mail order company recommendations in the US, I was hoping gardeners in the UK would be willing to make some recommendations about quality mail order companies either in the UK or legally shipping to the UK. There is of course the ubiquitous Thompson & Morgan, but there has to be so much more than that ( Read more... )

My buddleia plants have gone a bit crazy this year. The worst of them are new plants that I just planted from cuttings last year. They've got really really leggy (as they tend to) and are actually leaning on our fence a little. I really need to cut them back quite heavily. I know that spring is the best time for brutally pruning these plants, ( Read more... )

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience growing tea plants. I'd heard you can grow Roobios/redbush or Chinese tea plant (Camellia sinansis) at home, drying leaves for tea, though they take 3 years to establish before leaves suitable for tea can be picked.

Has anyone tried growing them in the UK or knows of any places that stock the seeds

My chilli seedlings have been coming along well and I now have 15 different varieties growing, including rocoto orange and naga jolokia. I have seeds waiting to be sown of another 15 varieties as well. The seedling I am most proud of is still the venezuelan purple though :) pics below the cut


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Does anyone here have a Cinnamon tree? I'm sure it has another name as I know Cinnamon is made from its bark but you know what I mean ( Read more... )

Pictures below the cut of my garden :) and also of my first little chilli seedling and a couple of the highlights of this garden/ gardening in general

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We're moving to Herefordshire in the UK about halfway through November, and we'll be living there for at least a couple of years ( Read more... )

Hello ( Read more... )

I'm always surprised when people tell me they find Autumn a sad time. I love it. The marigolds and dahlias are still in full flower, likewise begonias. To me it is the "beginning” of the gardening season, too, because it means - bulb planting ( Read more... )