Town & Country Gardener

Last year one of our neighbours stopped in the lane, on her ATV, for a quick chat. “Do you want some holly? I’m just going across the fields to cut some.”

“No thanks very much, but we prefer to pick it a bit nearer to Christmas.”

“So do I normally but the birds are stripping the berries so fast now that I don’t expect they’ll be any left by Christmas.”

As she drove off I remember thinking that we would be fine as the big tree at the top of our field was laden with big fat shiny red berries.

How wrong I was. Within a week we’ve had snow and the heavily laden tree was bare and empty – not a berry to be had anywhere. Read more »

Gosh I’m so cross with myself. I had three huge pots of gorgeous aromatic basil in the greenhouse and I kept meaning to pick bunches of it to dry or to chop and freeze ready for soups and spaghetti dishes. Of course like an idiot I kept leaving that particular task because there were always more important jobs to do.

Now after a sudden cold night the poor old basil plants completely succumbed and are  just pathetic wilted stalks. How stupid am I? The supermarket basil isn’t a patch on mine and I shouldn’t need to buy it.

I find basil so easy to grow. Once the heavy frosts are past I fill three large pots with gravel, then well rotted horse manure (got plenty of that) and top dress with about three inches of seed and potting compost. Read more »

Finally I have to face it – no more excuses. It is time to do an autumn clear up in the garden. Now normally I really enjoy doing this; there is something very satisfying about burning all the old runner beans stems, fallen leaves and hedge cuttings.

But not this year, everything is so wet, soggy and heavy and, because of constant rain or thick mist, my normal inspiring view of the moor is hidden by low cloud or driving rain. I can only a view of damp cattle look fed up and bored, gazing over the  brick wall from next door’s farm. I tell them to push off as I start a sluggish reluctant bonfire with some old hay. “Go away!” I splutter through the spiralling acrid smoke. Read more »

Garden workshops can create valuable extra working space if you have room in your garden or indeed any outside area. The additional workspace that comes with a workshop means you can pursue a hobby, indulge in lots of do-it-yourself projects or even run a home business. 

Whether you want to follow projects for home use or for cash generating skills you are always going to need a safe, weatherproof and comfortable place to work. So where better than a purpose chosen workshop, strategically placed?

Most workshops are made from timber which is either treated or painted, although you can purchase a metal workshop but somehow these don’t seem so cosy or appropriate in a pretty garden. When planning to buy a wooden workshop always buy the best quality timber you can afford as it will then last for years and bear in mind that insulation and double glazing is sometimes needed in timber workshops for extra warmth during the winter months. Read more »