Any plant with three leaves was revered in the Middle Ages as a symbol of the Trinity. A four-leaved cover was especially lucky as the extra leaf was supposed to impart the gift of second sight. Red clover was used to make a cough mixture by adding the red blossoms into a boiling mixture of [...]
Spray against pests, Aphids, greenfly , and blackfly as they are likely to become more of a nuisance this mouth unless at the first sign of attack you take measures to stop them. Trim Hedges you can trim evergreen hedges lightly during June. Plant Winter Greens, during June you can plant out all types of [...]
Some 400 years ago in 1618 a cow discovered Epsom salts when it refused to drink from a spring in what is now the middle of the Wells Estate on Epsom Common, the water tasted bitter and was tested and found to contain Epsom Salts. Epsom became to the first public Spa in the country [...]
The caterpillars of the oak processionary moth can affect the health of people and animals (and oak trees). A protein in the caterpillars' tiny hairs can cause skin and eye irritations, sore throats and breathing difficulties in people and animals who come into contact with them. This invasive species has been identified at sites in [...]
Daisies are out in force this time of year. Daisies were once used to treat wounds, probably because, like self-heal, they soon flower again after cutting, quickly healing their own wounds. The juices from the flowers and leaves were used to treat ulcers in the mouth and sore or runny eyes, and a brew made [...]
Thin and stake out Herbaceous Perennials. Thin out rose growth and watch out for Greenfly especially on the young growth of roses and fruit trees. You could also spray roses early to prevent black spot and apple trees against scab. Kill slugs, these will eat your tender seedlings, but if you are a dog owner [...]
The dandelion is usually regarded as a nuisance but in the past has been used for the treatment of the liver, kidney, blood disorders and some older country folk say that it will ease rheumatic pain. In medieval Latin its name was dens leonis ( lion's tooth) and this became dent-de-lion in French. It [...]
Now is the time to begin to cut the lawn and to get into a routine. Scarification this is a great time to prune your grasses and remove thatch and moss. If you do this apply a good balanced feed afterwards, if you are doing renovation or maintenance scarification, apply a moss treatment also. You [...]
You should graft apple and pear trees. Prune roses. Clip ivy growing on walls. Protect early fruit blossom. Sow lettuces outdoors. Sow broad beans and peas outdoors. It is a good time for turf laying. We can help you with any or all of these jobs
While working in gardens, we come across many old bygones and objects from all periods. Here are just a few of the Victorian jars and bottles we have discovered, which in the past had been throw away, at the end of the garden or buried as rubbish. We always show what we discovered to our [...]
