Growing tomatoes: dos and don’ts

I once viewed a flat and the prospective landlady pulled out a dead tomato plant that had been growing on her window sill, asking me why it hadn’t fruited.

Growing garlic and onions

With the soil drier, I have finally managed to plant the last of my garlic and onion sets.

Snails and song thrushes in the garden

When a letter starts “I must strongly protest at an article written by Adam Pasco…” then I do wonder what I’ve done wrong.

Wasps and wasps’ nests

I was blissfully unaware of wasps’ nests till one summer at the allotment, when I got stung on my bottom …

Garden birds and their predators

[...] when a Siamese cat strutted along the back wall we contemplated the Mammal Society’s and RSPB’s calculations that cats kill some 55 million birds each year in the UK.

Garden jobs for spring

I am always in a panic at this time of year – there are so many things that need to be done. All before the end of March. So, the time has come to make a list.

Pond plants

Be Plant Wise, a government campaign to halt the spread of non-native, invasive pond plant species in our ponds, streams and rivers, was launched this week.

Sowing seeds for home-made ratatouille

The sky is grey, my toes are turning rigid in my boots and the rain is hammering down, but my thoughts are turning to the Mediterranean, and summer holidays.

Patio climbers

Last summer I discovered a twining, tender climber called Lophospermum, or lofos. I bought two varieties, ‘Burgundy Falls’ and ‘Summer Cream’, as plug plants from a mail-order seed company.

Eastern European vegetable varieties

I’m not sure how I feel about super-rich Russians buying up British newspapers or football clubs, but there’s one invasion I thoroughly approve of.