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…
Willy Newlands
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 stop rabbits eating trees
Don’t underestimate the power of the rabbit, warns Willy Newlands. Follow our advice on how to stop rabbits eating trees, from the best plastic guards, fences and the shrubs rabbits…
How to grow rhubarb: rescuing old plants
Rhubarb is almost indestructible. It’s easy to grow in a kitchen garden. If you are limited on room, it can make a spectacular dot plant in the herbaceous border. Best…
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…
Practical garden hedges and borders
It seemed like a good idea at the time – this is one of the saddest phrases in the English language, and in the garden it can mean that you are…