We seemed to have missed out on spring and were propelled straight into a false summer! The recent heat wave though enjoyable has increased the gardener’s workload with constant watering from dawn until dusk. Young plants in the poly tunnel which have an underdeveloped root system will dehydrate in minutes and die instantly therefore I…

Greta’s Herbs   March crept in softly but blew out quickly in a whirl of wind and rain. My resident wild rabbit who has spent many days nesting from the wet and cold has begun dashing about as mad as any March hare! I too like him have been racing around the garden – so…

       Greta’s Herbs The Passing of Time Now spring has arrived I can wander out of my den. I have spent the last two winters in almost total hibernation writing a book on herbs. Finally it has gone to the publishers and hopefully it should hit the bookshelves later this year. Excitingly it…

TOMATO Solanum lycopersicum Every gardener should grow a few tomatoes – there is such a diverse selection of plants now available. The traditional varieties such as ‘Alicante’ and ‘Moneymaker’ still retain their popularity however hybridization has led to the development of hundreds of tempting varieties. Many of these require lower maintenance and are more disease…

Greta’s Herbs The Ornamentals There are numerous beautiful flowering plants which we may not readily associate with the herb category. Many medicinal herbs are very decorative and the more lavish varieties tend to be cultivated relatives of their plainer counterparts, such an example is Tanacetum parthenium ‘Tetrawhite’ (double flowering feverfew). This is a cousin of…

Greta’s Herbs The last two months have been a litany of toppled trees, torn tunnels, ripped roofs and endless floods: some sort of Armageddon! I am writing this in the flickering candlelight; imagining the blackouts during war time, waiting for the sirens! In my four decades of gardening I have never endured such violent weather.…

The long awaited summer blissfully swept by and now autumn sadly is fast approaching. Most plants thrived in the garden if kept adequately watered during the dry period. Recent chores include dead heading and weeding. Continue liquid feeding tomatoes, courgettes, salad plants and most other kitchen garden crops. Once the temperature begins decreasing around September…

GRETA’S HERBS: MINT   Mentha species; this fantastic group of herbs belong to the extensive Labiatae or Lamiaceae family. Some of its relatives include Lavender, Basil, Lemon Balm and Oreganos, all with extremely pungent flavours but none as persistent and diverse as their mint cousins. There are hundreds of varieties which are often difficult to…

 Greta’s Herbs: Coriander Coriandrum is the genus and sativum the species. It belongs to the Apiacea family which also includes Parsley and Celery and so is also referred to as Chinese Parsley. The latin word sativum means cultivated. There are lots of plants with this attachment to their name, often determining their edibility e.g. Crocus…

GRETA’S SALAD HERBS I must have been a rabbit in a former life because I just love fresh leafy salads! It is a real joy to wander around the garden and collect not just lettuce but the ever increasing salad herb selection which has become more popular and more available in recent years. These add…