Handy Hints and Top Tips

Various fruit trees can be grown in containers and look good when in flower and when bearing their crops. They deserve to be grown in attractive containers — what better than classical square, wooden, white-painted tubs? Alternatively, consider terracotta pots or tubs in classical styles. The diameter Read more ...

Culinary herbs are attractive plants and look good on the balcony, roof garden or patio. They deserve to be grown in interesting containers, such as low terracotta pots, bowls or troughs, in modern or classical styles. Parsley can be grown in special parsley pots with holes in the sides, usually made Read more ...

One does not have to own a traditional garden in order to grow vegetables and fruits. Owners of balconies and roof gardens should be pleased to learn that many fruits and vegetables can be grown in containers, such as tubs, pots and growing-bags. Furthermore, garden owners who do not have sufficient Read more ...

As with some vegetables, certain fruits, although hardy, perform better in warm sheltered conditions. The site needs to be wind-free to encourage pollinating insects to do their job of transferring pollen from flower to flower, to ensure bumper crops of fruits. Avoid growing fruits in frost-pockets (low-lying Read more ...

Some vegetables can be grown in quite open, exposed conditions and still perform and crop well. However, there are others which are best grown in sheltered conditions, perhaps to ensure they are not blown over or loosened in the soil, or because they are tender or delicate and therefore need a warm, Read more ...

Most books or websites on fruit and vegetable growing will tell you that the majority of these crops give best results when grown in a warm sheltered site. This is borne out by gardeners of old who often grew fruits and vegetables in walled gardens, especially in large gardens and estates. Some people Read more ...

Conservatory plants, with very few exceptions, must be shaded from the strongest sun to prevent leaf and flower scorch. This is best achieved by fitting the conservatory with a set of external roller blinds. Good ventilation, consistent with maintaining the minimum temperatures, is necessary all the Read more ...

With a slightly higher minimum winter temperature of 10°C (50°F) a different range of plants can be ‘grown. Conditions will be more comfortable for you, too, although 10°C is still a bit on the chilly side. Again you must keep the atmosphere dry in winter when conditions are cool, but humidity can Read more ...

Most people will want to heat their conservatories so that they can grow a wider range of plants. Heating, of course, is expensive, so if you want to keep the costs down consider maintaining a cool conservatory — that is, with a minimum winter temperature of 4.5-7°C (40-45°F). This will enable you Read more ...