Author Archives: Martina Mercer

Take a Tip From Tom’s Midnight Garden

Those of you that have been following my Manor House escapades will understand the huge task that faces me on a weekend as I try to bring the gardens back to their former glory. With six feet deep borders of nettles, brambles and poison ivy, it’s easy to become disheartened as I quite simply don’t […]

Gardening in a Cold Climate

Knowing how to make the most of gardening in a cold climate can not only allow those who live in the coldest spots in Britain to enjoy fresh vegetables and lush green foliage, it also helps those of us who would like to spend more time with our plants over winter. After the autumn harvest […]

Your Essential Fruit Tree Care Guide

Victoria Plum Tree (Prunus Domestica Victoria) Best time to plant:Late winter – early spring. Best place to plant:A sheltered, sunny spot with well-drained soil. Pruning: Victoria Plums can be pruned anytime from late spring to the end of summer—avoid pruning in winter as plums are vulnerable at this time to infection by bacterial canker and […]

Vegetables for Border Beauty

Vegetables for Border Beauty I started planting vegetables in my flower borders when I had a tiny garden and wanted to maximise the space. However I now have a rather large acre with a substantial vegetable patch yet I still choose to integrate vegetables into the flower borders. Nothing beats the thrill of watching a […]

Gardening on a Grand Scale

Gardening on a Grand Scale Week one in the Manor House and already we’re quite frazzled. It seems our favourite telecommunications company have lost the ability to communicate between themselves leaving this flummoxed journalist with no broadband for days. Panic does not cover the first twenty four hours, however after this I decided to use […]

Home Made Composts for Your Garden (Warning- it’s a bit yucky!)

By Martina Mercer There are many different forms of homemade compost out there, and many ways in which you can take unwanted rubbish and turn it into a fertilizer or compost for your plants. However, which does what, and what compost and fertilizer is best for your plot? Whether you garden on a balcony from a […]

Making the Most of a Winter Garden

Replacing a plant doesn’t mean buying a completely new one because if you are aware that a plant is nearing the end of its lifecycle you can take cuttings so the original remains. Strawberries There’s some debate as to whether strawberries are considered to be biannual or not, as they will fruit after the second […]

Britain’s least recognisable flowers celebrated in LEGO

Britain’s least recognisable flowers celebrated in LEGO With the RHS Chelsea Flower Show just around the corner, Homebase has tested the nation on its floral familiarity. From buttercup to bulrush the garden retailer has determined where the nation’s blossom blind spots are and has partnered with LEGO to recreate the four least recognisable flowers. The […]

A Realist’s Look at Keeping Livestock

For the majority of us that regularly tend to our vegetable patch or spend our spare minutes in the garden there comes a time when we decide we want to share it with something else. It seems that no sooner have we perfected the lawn and trimmed planted the borders that we feel the need […]