Mwillis

LATEST ARTICLES ( 1426 )

• Chanterelles

  

  The Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), aka the Girolle, is one of the best and most sought-after wild mushrooms. A couple of days ago I was lucky enough to... Read more

  Posted on 19 June 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• After the Rain

  

  We have had wet weather here for the last ten days or so, including some very heavy and prolonged rain for a change. Most of the rainfall we have had in the pas... Read more

  Posted on 17 June 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Potting up Sage Cuttings

  

  Back in April I wrote about taking some cuttings of Sage in order to try "re-stocking" with that herb, which we use a lot more than we used to, now that Jane an... Read more

  Posted on 15 June 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Broad Beans: Battling the Blackfly

  

  Probably the most common pest that attacks the Broad Bean is the Blackfly, a type of aphid. They usually appear in late Spring and early Summer. Read more

  Posted on 13 June 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Harvesting New Potatoes

  

  Yesterday I lifted the first of my new potatoes - always one of the highlights of the gardening year!As I mentioned a few days ago, if I had wanted a big... Read more

  Posted on 11 June 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Rain at Last!

  

  In our part of the world it has been unusually dry for months. We didn't get the "normal" Winter rains, and since Christmas we seem to have had only the... Read more

  Posted on 09 June 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Summertime Crop Protection

  

  Just about everything in my garden is covered with some sort of netting just now. In the colder months some of my plants get protected from the elements by... Read more

  Posted on 07 June 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Starting to Harvest

  

  This past week I feel I have crossed a boundary. The time of sowing and planting is drawing to a close (I've been squeezing in as many as possible of my spare... Read more

  Posted on 05 June 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Planting Cucumbers

  

  I'm growing cucumbers is my usual way again this year. In the absence of a greenhouse, I grow outdoor varieties, choosing the ones that produce small fruits.... Read more

  Posted on 03 June 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• That Weedkiller Problem Again!

  

  One of the most annoying problems I have to cope with in my garden is the repeated occurence of weedkiller contamination in commercial compost. Read more

  Posted on 01 June 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Making Comfrey Tea

  

  I have a little patch (let's be honest, 2 plants!) of Comfrey in my garden. Over the last few years it has languished in the dry shade of my neighbour's... Read more

  Posted on 30 May 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Casualty Replacement

  

  I short while ago I wrote about the value of spares. Just recently I have had to follow my own advice and replace a casualty with a spare kept specifically for... Read more

  Posted on 28 May 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Beans

  

  Most amateur veg-gardeners grow beans of some sort. In the UK, Runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) are very popular and can be seen in their thousands in... Read more

  Posted on 26 May 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• More Options for Seed-sourcing

  

  I mentioned the other day the poor response I had experienced concerning a sub-standard pack of tomato seeds. This has caused me to think again about where I... Read more

  Posted on 24 May 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Making Maximum Use of Space

  

  I've mentioned a few times that my neighbour recently cut down a very big conifer tree (a Cypress of some sort), which had formerly shaded a corner of my garden. Read more

  Posted on 22 May 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Starting off Some Cucurbits

  

  I normally reckon that squashes don't grow well in my garden, because it is too shady, but since my neighbour's huge conifer tree was cut down a few months... Read more

  Posted on 20 May 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Potting-up Tomatoes

  

  With the weather forecast now showing a string of mild nights coming up, I have "taken the plunge" and potted-up my tomatoes. By this I mean moving them into... Read more

  Posted on 18 May 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Watching and Waiting

  

  As for most gardeners, there is always a big flurry of activity in my garden during Spring - preparing ground, spreading compost, sowing, planting etc, but... Read more

  Posted on 16 May 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Beans Under Attack!

  

  Something has been attacking my newly-planted Runner beans. The day I after I planted them, I went out into the garden in the morning only to find that somethin... Read more

  Posted on 14 May 2019 GARDENING, HOME

• Planting Runner Beans

  

  Up till now, I have had my Runner Bean plants growing in pots. This way it is easier to protect them from weather and animals until such time as they are... Read more

  Posted on 13 May 2019 GARDENING, HOME