Garden Posts

How To Collect Sweet Pea Seeds

Sweet Peas (Lathyrus odoratus) with their delicate flower and fragrant perfume are a firm favourite in many summer gardens. Collecting their seed is easy to

How To Ripen Tomatoes

Garden Posts Guides

As we approach the end of the tomato growing season there are always a few trusses of unripe or green tomatoes left on the plant.

Tomato Costoluto Fiorentino

Garden Posts Fruit, Vegetables

Tomato Costoluto Fiorentino Of all the dozen or more varieties of tomatoes we have grown this year at Garden Posts, my favourite by far in

Agonum Marginatum Beetle

Garden Posts Insects

Beetle – Donacia Genus (see comment below)We saw this large golden brown beetle sat on some cow parsley alongside the River Thames yesterday. I’m not

Mayflies on the River Thames

Garden Posts Insects

Mayflies along the River Thames On a walk along the River Thames between Shiplake and Wargrave today, the mayflies were out in force. Doing their

Sowing Beans in Root Trainers

Garden Posts Vegetables

Sowing Various Bean Varieties It’s that time of year again to get some beans going. This year I’m using these root trainers to try and

Sunflower Growing Competition

Garden Posts Flowers

..and so the annual Garden Posts Sunflower growing competition commences. Who will grow the tallest Sunflower this year?

Cow Parsley in Hedgerows

Garden Posts Flowers

Cow Parsley – Anthriscus Sylvestris Cow Parsley growing in the dappled sunshine in the hedgerows of England at this time of year is as good

Bean Shoots Eaten

Garden Posts Pests and Diseases

An uninvited guest has been eating bean shoots in my greenhouse shortly after the seeds have germinated. This is the third case of the missing

Teddy Bear Sunflowers

Garden Posts Flowers

Teddy Bear Sunflower These Teddy Bear sunflowers have done really well this year. We have already taken at least four cuttings from the 4 or

Garden Swing Seat

Garden Posts Gardening

Garden Swing Seat from Sitting Spiritually Ever since we moved into this house, we have been looking for a wooden garden swing seat, however, every

Bees on Wild Strawberries

Garden Posts Fruit

Here we are on a relativity cold and damp May day and the bees are busying away preparing the wild strawberries. Judging by the number

Growing Tomatillo

Garden Posts Fruit

Tomatillio – Physalis Philadelphica Last year I had some great results growing cucamelon which were seeds from the James Wong’s Homegrown Revolution seed collection, so

Growing Cape Gooseberry

Garden Posts Fruit

Growing Cape Gooseberry (Physalis Peruviana) Cape Gooseberry is the fruit of the Physalis Peruviana plant. The fruit is sometimes called Inca Berry, Aztec Berry, Golden

Pea Meteor Seeds

Garden Posts Vegetables

Pea Meteor Seeds Once my pea ‘meteor’ crop was over, I left the last of the pods on the plant to dry out. As you

Sweet Pea Flowers

Garden Posts Flowers

Sweet Pea Flowers These are some sweet peas that were sown in pots in the greenhouse in early spring. The tops were pinched out when

Bird Box Camera

Garden Posts Wildlife

Bird box with Camera from GardenNature Last Autumn we decided to buy a bird box with a built-in camera to video any possible future occupants.

Vista White Pelargonium

Garden Posts Flowers

Pelargonium Vista White The pelargonium that we planted in early spring are finally flowering. It was a slow start, but well worth the wait. The

Garlic Rust

Garden Posts Pests and Diseases, Vegetables

Garlic Rust Having watched Gardner’s World last night and seen Monty’s garlic rust, I thought I would go and check my garlic this morning. This

Potato Flowers

Garden Posts Flowers, Vegetables

Potato Flowers It may only be a humble charlotte potato flower, but it’s impressive yellow stamen and mauve petals make for a pretty display in

Growing Carrots in Pots

Garden Posts Vegetables

Carrot Eskimo F1 Hybrid I have never tried growing carrots in pots before, but last year a number of my carrots struggled in my veg

Allium Aflatunense

Garden Posts Flowers

Allium – Aflatunense The Allium bulbs we planted in September 2011 are doing extremely well. These Allium Aflatunense are now about 5 foot tall, in

Bluebell Wood

Garden Posts Flowers

Bluebell Wood The bluebell woods looked at their absolute best today. The colours were wonderful, especially where the sunlight managed to find its way between

Apple Blossom

Garden Posts Fruit, Trees

Apple Blossom on Apple Discovery Espalier The apple blossom is out in full today on the Apple Discovery Espalier. It’s difficult to catch a good

Climbing Bean Fasold

Garden Posts Vegetables

Climbing Bean Fasold – Phaseolus vulgaris These climbing bean ‘Fasold’ were sown just 4 days ago in the greenhouse. It won’t be long before the

Growing Cucamelon

Garden Posts Vegetables

Cucamelon (Melothria scabra) Growing Cucamelon from seed. This is a first for me. I have planted one seed per pot around half an inch deep

Spring Hanging Basket & Wreath

Garden Posts Flowers

Heart Shaped Spring Wreath Mrs Garden Posts made a beautiful spring hanging basket and wreath this week. She constructed them by bending twigs into the

Parsnip Crisps

Garden Posts Recipes

Parsnip Crisps Whilst clearing one of the veg beds today, I realised I had missed a parsnip whilst harvesting. It’s no record breaker, but it’s

Cucumber Germination

Garden Posts Vegetables

Cucumber Germination This is what my Cucumber Telegraph and Crystal Lemon Cucumber look like just 7 days after planting them. To germinate these cucumber seeds,

February Snowdrops

Garden Posts Flowers

Snowdrops (Galanthus) It’s lovely to see bunches of snowdrops around the garden, all ready to spring open.