Bags of salad leaves ready-to-use are some of the first things you see in the supermarket fruit and veg sections when you stroll in – all year round they are there. GYO salad But now is the perfect time to sow and grow your own salad leaves, cut and come again Lettuce or Wild Rocket.…
Prune Roses and fruit trees should be trimmed back Perennial shrubs and ornamental trees will need pruning for shape Clip heathers and lavenders too Cut back loose hanging ivy branches and remove any that have attached themselves to guttering and wooden window frames Also cut late flowering clematis back to the ground Cut back buddleia…
If you only manage to get eight things done this month in your outdoor space, depending on its size and what you use it for, then these are the ones to go for: Sow under cloches beetroot, broad beans, Brussels sprouts, early carrots, lettuce, radish, spring onions, spinach, turnips, parsnips, early peas and salad leaves.…
With plants gradually coming to life, March is a busy month for the gardener. The warmer weather and lighter evenings mark the start of greater activity in the garden. Now is the time to get back outdoors and do the jobs that couldn’t be tackled during the winter months. Fertilise Build up the nutrients in…
Use our handy herb guide to help you select the ones you need when shopping at your nearest GCA member garden centre. English Mace Hardy perennial. Height 30-45cm when in flower. Spread 30cm. Clusters of small cream flowers in summer. Leaves are bright green, narrow and very deeply serrated. The chopped leaves can be used…
It’s time to have some fun with your loppers and secateurs. Some plants really benefit from being pruned now but for others its bad news. So, there is pruning fun to be had but make sure it’s with the right plants! If shrubs are in good order, then most pruning will be designed to promote…
It can be very tempting during the potentially cooler days of February to stay in the comfort and warmth of your own home; however, nothing blows away the cobwebs better than some time in the garden. There’s plenty to keep you busy and your mind off the unpredictable weather, even if you’re just outside to…
On a fine day it’s easy to get carried away with your pruning but by following our handy hints you can get the best from your efforts and have some fun too. Some plants are not grown for flowers but for their foliage, or their stem colour. A number of these can be pruned in…
To help prevent weed growth and reduce water loss during warm weather, spread mulch on the ground before plants get too large, says our CEO Peter Burks, who is a trained horticulturalist. Use a thick layer of compost, bark or similar material over borders and between trees, shrubs, roses and fruit. Newly emerging perennials should…
Good news, it’s time to start getting excited about spuds! Instead of them being only for the allotmenteer or the gardener with the large veg patch, everyone can grow them these days, even if you only have a small urban balcony or patio, says our CEO and trained horticulturalist, Peter Burks. The waxy first earlies…