Danielcarruthers

LATEST ARTICLES ( 843 )

• Sweet Peas

  

  October sown Sweet Peas The early October sowing of sweet peas is coming along nicely. I’ve followed Sarah Ravens advice and sown 2 plants to a pot so that... Read more

  Posted on 27 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• November Nasturtiums

  

  Nibble-free nasturtiums One of the very enjoyable results of this frost-free autumn is that the nasturtiums are still in perfect condition – better actually tha... Read more

  Posted on 25 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• Lemon from a Leaf

  

  Among the many plants benefiting from this extended autumn is the lemon verbena bush. I’ve been pushing my luck not harvesting it earlier, but so far it is stil... Read more

  Posted on 23 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• Cyclamen Seedlings

  

  Rather than leave a clump of cyclamen seedlings at the mercy of the builders boots, I transplanted them into gritty soil-based compost in cells. Read more

  Posted on 21 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• Sowing Home-Saved Seed

  

  Hardy annual seedlings It doesn’t seem like a year since my last seed harvesting. I’ve saved quite a lot of seed this year too and in late September I did an... Read more

  Posted on 19 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• A New Home for the Hellebores

  

  Transplanted Hellebores Hellebores don’t generally like being moved, but a combination of builders scaffolding and their border getting too shady convinced me... Read more

  Posted on 17 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• Fruity Goings-On

  

  The raspberries aren’t that unusual for early November, although they are in particularly fine condition, but the 2lbs of ripe figs that my sister picked in... Read more

  Posted on 15 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• A Lemon Bonanza

  

  My lemon tree has moved inside for the winter and I was amazed to count seventeen lemons on it (fifteen now as I’ve picked the two ripest). Now it is indoors I’... Read more

  Posted on 13 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• Blooming Amazing

  

  November Zinnias On Sunday I went into the garden to pick some flowers for the table. Usually pickings are pretty thin at this time of year, but the zinnias... Read more

  Posted on 11 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• Better Than Bathsalts

  

  Keen gardeners (aren’t you all?) will understand how thrilled I was when my winning raffle ticket resulted in a promise of a trailer load of manure. Read more

  Posted on 09 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• Great Dixter Plant Fair

  

  Derry at Dixter For the second year running this fair snuck up on me, but at least this time I knew before rather than after the event. Read more

  Posted on 06 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• RHS Autumn Harvest Show

  

  Autumn Harvest Show at Vincent Square This is always my favorite of the shows at Vincent Square – it is full of late autumn color and magnificent displays of... Read more

  Posted on 04 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• Alfresco Living

  

  Things can only get better! I’ve decided that having the builders replacing the roof requires a certain degree of fatalism and detachment on two counts. Read more

  Posted on 02 November 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• We Had a Whale of a Time

  

  Walker Bay Whale Standing on the rocky shore and watching whales just 30m away was one of the highlights of the trip to South Africa. It also taught me that I... Read more

  Posted on 31 October 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• Green Futures

  

  , Grootbos It is impossible to visit South Africa without being aware of the vast chasm between the richest and the poorest and to feel fearful for the future. Read more

  Posted on 29 October 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• Protea Perfection

  

  Grootbos Nature Reserve, about an hour’s drive east of Cape Town is a wonderful combination of the wild and unspoilt, and the immensely civilised. Read more

  Posted on 27 October 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• A Fan of the Fan Aloe

  

  Fan aloe We saw this magnificent fan aloe at the Harold Porter Botanic Garden just east of Cape Town. With Kirstenbosch being such a 5 star attraction it can... Read more

  Posted on 25 October 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• Babylonstoren

  

  Panoramic view of garden of the Babylonstoren garden The most impressive garden that we visited in the Western Cape was Babylonstoren near Franschoek. Read more

  Posted on 23 October 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• A Darling Experience

  

  The Darling Wildflower Show On our way up the West Coast in South Africa we passed through a small town called Darling where the annual wildflower show was... Read more

  Posted on 19 October 2011 GARDENING, HOME

• Monkey Business

  

  Cape Gazania Ever admired the patterning on a gazania flower? It is very striking, but it’s also functional. The central brown patterning with white dots at... Read more

  Posted on 17 October 2011 GARDENING, HOME