It’s the hardy faithfuls that have stuck with me, needing little supporting but proving their worth. A fast-growing Lonerica hedge? One of my worse ideas for to plant a Lonerica…
Willy Newlands
Best duck breeds to keep in the garden
Ducks are fun poultry, whether adorable call ducks to big, ugly Muscovies. So which are the best duck breeds? Beware though, your lawn may never be the same again. Once…
How to stop rabbits eating trees
“How to stop rabbits eating trees is like adopting the mantle of Mr McGregor” a forestry expert once explained to me. “If you want your own patch of woodland, you…
How to grow rhubarb: rescuing old plants
The rhubarb plant is almost indestructible and even better, it’s easy to grow in a kitchen garden. Here’s my advice on rejuvenating rhubarb you may already have, how to recognise…
How to grow Scotch roses: hardy, scented and reliable
Scotch roses were dismissed as old fashioned during Queen Victoria’s reign. But they are hardy, scented and reliable, they don’t need pruning and never get black spot. In short, they…
How to grow early harvest potatoes
Our eagerness to enjoy new potatoes year-round has resulted in an often over-mature offering from the supermarket. Avoid disappointment by learning how to grow early harvest potatoes in pots, by…
How to grow Egyptian walking onions
Learn how to grow Egyptian walking onions for an addition to the vegetable bed as useful as it is amusing. Though rather untidy, it stores easily, is hardy, perennial and…
How to grow kale
Kale is not only trendy, but remarkably simple to grow at home. Fuss-free and hardy, it will survive late frosts, grow back again and again and generally demand very little…
Fuel: Will a wood-burning stove reduce your heating bill?
Not long after my parents retired to their dream cottage on the fringe of the Highlands, my father announced he was going to build a woodshed outside the back door…
Hardy roses for severe winters
Christmas is a realistic time to think about roses. The days are short, frost hard, wind bitter and this is the time when things that are thinking of dying will…