Stephanie's Garden Blog

Birds do so much to reduce the population of garden pests, and that's enough of a reason alone to support the latest Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Big Garden Birdwatch. The 2006 event is to be held over the last weekend in January (28th and 29th) and hundreds of thousands of people are expected to participate.

The term "organic" has become a real buzzword over the last decade in particular, and is now used to describe more of a lifestyle.

Gastronomic rewards! This is where we really require your assistance! Although sowing the seeds, caring for the growing plants and watching the crop reach maturity is very satisfying, the very best part about growing your own fruit and vegetables is eating them!

Many view the growing of fruit on trees as a romantic journey back through time, with childhood memories of long summer days in traditional orchards, bursting with blossom or ripening fruit, and wonderful scents and smells filling the air, depending on the time of year.

July was a testing time as I was busy fending off attacks from mice (chief suspects) whilst battling against tropical temperatures.

The roots of Britain’s rich apple growing industry are buried deep in history, and the fascinating local diversification of traditional varieties is being rightly celebrated on October 21st – the official British Apple Day.

Did you experience problems with your runner bean crops this year? That was certainly the case in Stephanie's Kitchen Garden this summer with poor pod set the main bone of contention. Here's what Stephanie herself had to say on the matter in her latest Kitchen Garden update...

Unfortunately, a gardener never has all the space they would like to grow their crops, no matter what size their plot! If lack of space is a definite issue, container growing becomes a necessity.

It's always satisfying when a technique you use in your own garden - in this case growing in guttering - is endorsed by one of the celebrity gardeners, and that's just what's happened in the February edition of Gardener's World magazine!