Amateur Gardening

COMPOST is a hot topic thanks to the Government’s public consultation regarding the ban on peat in gardening, which will run until March 18. Stepping aside from that for a moment, we often hear from AG readers that there is so much choice of compost

TRIBUTES have poured in from all corners of the horticultural world following the death of Peter Seabrook, gardening’s father figure. Well-known industry figures and AG readers alike reacted to his sudden death with shock and sadness. He died at home

AN open letter, signed by over 40 leading names in the garden and horticultural world, asking for an open debate on the use of peat in gardens and commercial horticulture, was put into the public domain just before last Christmas (you can view it on

WE all welcome the proposed ban of peat in compost that will be implemented in a couple of years’ time, but debate is still continuing about the viability of peat-free seed compost. There is a school of thought that says it isn’t as good as seed comp

BUDDLEJA is often called ‘butterfly bush’ and for good reason. In summer you will find that their glorious racemes of flowers in a multitude of shades from white to deepest purple, are smothered in butterflies. Commas, peacocks, red admirals and pain

ORNAMENTAL sages, or Salvias, are one of the most delightful plants in the garden. They come in a range of colours, from deepest purple to jaunty red-and-white flowered ‘Hotlips’, and are a must-have plant if you want to attract bees and other pollin

STICKY leaves are real giveaways on houseplants and in the greenhouse, especially at this time of year. Likewise, outdoors almost all plants (even whole gardens) can become sticky, particularly if underneath a lime tree. It is almost certainly a sign

FEBRUARY is an exciting month for me. The garden is stirring once again and the early flowers really lift my spirits. Joy courses through my very being! However, early flowers are far more than window dressing for our native bumblebees – they’re life

IF you’re lucky enough to have a greenhouse, make sure it’s full of tangy tomatoes all summer. As well as a salad and sauce essential, tomatoes are packed with lycopene, which is known to help fight cancer and heart disease. My retired smallholder pa

SOMETIMES our gardens need a fresh direction to brighten them up and inspire new plantings. Starting a cutting garden won’t make a lot of hard work or cost the earth, as new plants can be grown from a few packets of seed. Now is a good time to target

NOT only are cosmos easy and inexpensive to grow, but they also produce an abundance of pretty daisy-like flowers that can be cut for the vase during summer and early autumn. They are native to Mexico, where they bloom in swathes of pink, white and o

WIN £30 This word search comprises words associated with sensory plants. They are listed below, and in the grid they may be read across, backwards, up, down or diagonally. Letters may be shared between words. Erroneous or duplicate words may appear i

1 These types of plants and/or gardens are the subjects of this week’s Miscellany! (7) 6 Genus of perennial plants, including the king’s spear, with thick, fleshy roots (11) 7 With little or no light, the penstemon cultivar is ‘____ Towers’, while th

You can listen to Steve on alternate Sundays 10am-2pm on BBC Radio Kent’s Sunday Gardening (BBC Local) Steve Bradley MA MHort (RHS) has written (or co-written) over 40 gardening books, including Propagation Basics, The Pruner’s Bible, The Ground Forc

THE colourful garden surrounding Heather Collins’ family home is a treasure chest of memories and the solid foundation on which she’s now making her own mark. Heather has known the quarter of an acre site in Bussage, near Stroud in Gloucestershire, s

Star letter MY HUSBAND bought me two tonnes of top soil for my birthday in December. The faces of the delivery men were a picture, they were concerned apparently I might be angry my partner had given me this as a birthday present, I assured them I wa

WHENEVER I start a kitchen garden or allotment, willow is among the first things I plant. Its abundant crops of pliable stems are so useful for weaving into wigwams and plant supports. But that’s not the only use for this remarkable plant. As anyone