Halophytes – the answer to drought?
As an ecologist, I love exploring salt marshes and shingle banks where conditions are truly extreme for plant and animal alike. Its here that you find sea kale, thrift, yellow …
climate change
Winners and losers in the climate change garden and some surprises
After a summer of high temperatures and little rain, gardening magazines, blogs and posts are full of recommendations for drought-tolerant plants. But are drought tolerant plants the answer? Looking around …
Winners and losers in the climate change garden and some surprises Read More »
Coping with a hosepipe ban
Here are a few top tips to help get you through the current drought especially in those areas where you can’t use your hose pipe Prioritise the areas of the …
Flowering times and global warming
We have all seen flowers appearing earlier than ever – daffodils in December, magnolia in February – but now the extent of the change has been revealed by a new …
Growing salvias
Salvias are generally drought resistant, long flowering and many have scented foliage, plus they are great for attracting pollinators too. They are the perfect option for a hot, dry border …
It’s going to rain this week!
This blog was published on 4 June 2019 and a similar pattern has emerged in 2020, except this time the months of March, April and May have been hot and …
My garden’s been flooded, what can I do?
A garden or allotment can look a complete mess after surging floodwaters have passed through. It wouldn’t be so bad if it was just rainwater, but most flood water carries …
Urban creep increases the risk of flooding
Far too many people have experienced local flooding in recent months caused by extreme weather. One problem is surface water – with so many hard surfaces in urban areas, it …
Plants to leave in the ground
Kim Stoddart explains why not meticulously tidying away every crop on your veg patch at the end of the season will reap you multiple marvellous rewards…. Traditional advice dictates that …
Saving seeds of resilience part 2
For those of you who are more experience seed savers, Sally has written a thought-provoking article on saving seed. To save seed or not to save seed? I can hear …