FEBRUARY 2022

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?

DECEMBER 2021

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.

SEPTEMBER 2021

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.

MARCH 2021

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.

DECEMBER 2020

If you’re looking to create some garden containers to lift the spirits this winter, and I’m sure there are a lot of us that need a pick me up as the days darken, then don’t just stick to the traditional pansies in a six-pack you find in every garden centre. Be a little bit adventurous with your choice of plant.

SEPTEMBER 2020

The beating of a butterfly’s wings, it brings a smile to the face and suggests that perhaps all is right in the world. Quite possibly, as their presence is a key indicator of a healthy ecosystem. What about their shadier cousins, the moths?

MAY 2020

Gardens and green spaces have become ever more important in the last few weeks and will continue to do so in the immediate future. We have always had an intrinsic connection with nature, whether we realised it or not, but it is only more recently we have put a name to it. Biophilia, the desire to surround ourselves with plants and nature for positive effects on our mental wellbeing, is something we have built up over millennia.

MARCH 2020

There are many pitfalls in gardening that many fall into, but one I see time and time again is selection of plants for their flowers over their foliage. How many of you are guilty of this?