Why should you let vegetables flower and set seed? Visitors to my garden are often surprised to see my lettuce, mizuna and other veggies flowering and going to seed at the end of the season. Why don't you just rip them out they ask? Well, one of the reasons is that...
How to grow Galangal I was down at my local farmers market on the weekend, and I noticed some Galangal root for sale. This is great, as it can be hard to find in the shops and local markets at this time of year. I grow my own Galangal and it will soon be in flower and...
How to grow Coriander? Are currently lamenting the fact that when you try to grow coriander all your coriander plants bolt to seed. And you are calling yourself a bad gardener, because the replacement seedlings that you bought from the garden centre have died. Stop!...
Growing Lebanese Eggplants I have been experimenting with growing different types of eggplants. I tend to prefer growing and eating the Lebanese eggplants, as these don't need salting. Salting is necessary to remove bitterness from the eggplant. However, Lebanese...
Growing Water Lotus The Water Lotus is a beautiful flowering plant that grows totally submerged in water. The flowers come in a range of colours from pure white, through to yellows, pinks and reds. And I warn you, they are addictive! I have a beautiful lotus, that has...
Why is soil preparation important? I have recently pondered the question of whether people realise how important soil preparation is? What raised this question is that I have been watching a new garden being established in the neighbourhood. And it made me realise...