How to Be a Gardener episode 7: Growing flowers is wonderfully fulfilling. Growing fruit and vegetables is wonderfully filling. To pick and eat your own crops is a great thrill. You know they have been well grown; you know they are fresh and you know that, just like your own baby, they are the best in the world! Here you can discover just how to cultivate your own fruit and vegetables – and you don’t need a…
How to Be a Gardener episode 6: However good a gardener you are, there are always outside agencies that do their best to prevent you succeeding. That’s life. Weeds will invade your beds and borders, pests will fly in to nibble leaves and suck sap, and diseases will spread death and destruction in their wake. But grow your plants well, and know what steps to take when you spot a weed, a pest or disease, and you can stay one…
How to Be a Gardener episode 5: Once your plants are growing you will need to keep them happy. How do you do this, and what sort of tools will you need? Plants need water and food, but when and in what sort of quantities? This module explains the cultivation techniques necessary to keep your plants in fine fettle. Don’t worry; you won’t have to be a slave to them, just a good mother. And when it comes to pruning…
How to Be a Gardener episode 4: When you know what plants you want, and which of them will be happy growing together, it’s tempting to rush off to the garden centre, go mad with the plastic, then come back and chuck them all in. Not a good idea, is it? You’ve done it before and half of them have died. So before you take the plunge, make sure that your soil is well cultivated and enriched. This module will…
How to Be a Gardener episode 3: Once you’ve understood the different types of plant and what they can do, you can tackle the job of putting them all together in a garden - working out which ones will look best where, and how they will complement each other. There are lots of different planting styles, from cottage gardens to prairie gardens, tropical borders to bog gardens. And there are ways to use shapes, textures and colours to create different…