Even green thumbs think it’s an uphill battle to say which one is a pansy and which one is a viola. That’s what happens when people emphasize classifications rather than plants. Everything gets all complicated and confusing. The mystery of the Violaceae family goes deep into even more enigmatic waters when you take into […]
There are many great flavours which can be borrowed from the wild. The habit of using edible wild plants dates back thousands of years. Adding wild plants to your food can be a nice way to enhance it with new textures and colours—wild edibles are used in salads, as garnish for desserts or as […]
Gardens and gardeners alike should both take advantage of the fact that nature allows a rest at this time of year. There’s less to do in a midwinter garden than at any other time of year but the tasks that do need attending to are important.
Cactuses (or cacti as some people prefer!) look so exotic that people assume that they must be difficult to care for. In truth these are plants that thrive in some of the most challenging environments on earth so they’re tough! The best way to kill a cactus is with kindness. With a little understanding of […]
If you think November is all about raking leaves and tidying up think again. There’s no reason at all why your autumn and winter garden should be short on colour and an excellent display at this time of year makes you look like an expert. As Christopher Lloyd (a sagacious gardener) said, nobody expects anything […]
