Green Fingers   The main reason to grow plants, be they trees, shrubs, flowers, fruit or vegetables, is the pleasure we get from it. It doesn’t matter whether you measure your garden in hectares or your balcony in metres – grow something. It is from June onwards that your hard work over the last few…

Green Fingers   May can be the end of spring or the start of summer depending on what weather we are getting. Watching forecasters becomes part of the daily routine for gardeners. Longer evenings and warmer weather make all gardening tasks a pleasure. The garden is changing almost daily. Trees come into leaf, shrubs burst…

Green Fingers   It’s generally in April that ground temperatures start to rise and grass grows with renewed vigour. This year it may be late on in the month, however April is still the month to look over your lawn. You should be cutting it fortnightly now, with the blades still set high. It’s after…

The spring sun is finally making an appearance and the garden is about to become very busy as the growing season gets under way. The sunny days in March provide the opportunity for an increasing range of gardening tasks such as preparing seed beds, sowing seed, cutting back winter shrubs and generally tidying up. Shrubs…

Green Fingers   As winter slowly releases its grip on the garden, our list of jobs to be done expands. As ground conditions are wet, stay off grass as much as possible. Clear all paths, patios, decking and steps of algae and moss to prevent slips and accidents. Use a deck scrub or powerhose if…

Green Fingers   A recently published study from Germany is cause for great concern. It was a study of butterfly and diurnal moth species and was conducted in nature reserves over a 40-year period. It showed that of the 117 species recorded in 1840, just 71 could be found today. That is a 40% decrease.…

Green Fingers   As well as being a place that provides you with pleasure and peace, your garden should be a haven for a large variety of wildlife. From small mammals, birds and reptiles, to a huge range of beneficial insects and other invertebrates. By growing as wide a range of plants as possible, you…

With autumn now stretching well into November and – weather dependent – possibly December, and winters getting milder and wetter, the jobs to be done to winterise your garden are changing. Waterlogging and strong wintery gales are more likely to be the problem, rather than snow or soil frozen solid. Constant heavy rain can kill…

My whole life has been waiting for an epiphany, a manifestation of God’s presence, an experience that lets you see your place in the big picture. And that is what I had when I had my first compost heap.” Bette Midler (actress and environmental activist) The easiest way to improve any garden is to have…