Purple Wellies

As dutiful gardeners we keep our plants healthy by checking for pests and diseases, but how do you keep them safe from problems you can’t see? Honey Fungus, Armillaria, is one such hidden concern. It is the most destructive fungus in the UK and many gardeners will turn white at the mere mention of it, but should we be terrified of this silent killer?

There is no shying away from the fact that climate change is a real issue which needs to be addressed now. Headlines keep telling us that unless we make changes, global warming temperatures will surpass the 2°C target. There are changes and choices people can make, including in the gardening sector, to enable us to be more sustainable.

As we head into the autumn, our thoughts turn to tree planting. For small gardens careful consideration is needed. Consider the height and spread, which season of interest will it look good in, whether it is deciduous or evergreen, all the while selecting for the conditions and aspect of the site. I’ve picked out my top 5 choices.

This year the Horsell Second Thursday Club are encouraging everyone in the village to brighten up their front gardens with colourful plants, whether they be big or small spaces, so let’s give passers-by something to slow them in their tracks as they walk past. There are no hard and fast rules, but the aim is to try to encourage as many people as possible to grow some ‘colour’ in their front garden. The last year has been a real rollercoaster ride for us all and ‘Floral Horsell’ will give us the opportunity to all get gardening together as a community to make Horsell front gardens a rainbow of colour.

Spring hails the start of the gardening year for many, with warmer temperatures and some rays of sunshine peeping through. The spring woodlanders are pushing up through the soil and starting their short-lived flowering season before the tree canopies unfurl. For many, classics such as daffodils, tulips and the ephemeral cherry blossom will grace us with their presence now, but there are some more unusual candidates which are so often overlooked, yet make perfectly good garden plants.