Holly trees can be self-fertile, male or female; so some bushes may need a partner to ensure they can pollinate and produce berries. This is not usually a problem in home gardens though, as Holly trees are quite common in other gardens as well as in the wild, so there should always be a pollinator nearby!
There has been a lot of chatter about purple carrots in recent years, as chefs and cooks have wanted to jazz up their dishes, I blame Master Chef! But, Thompson & Morgan have just released the BEST purple carrot- ‘Purple Sun’– which is purple right through to the core!
Purple carrots have extra antioxidant ‘superhero’ powers, due to their unique anthocyanins, and they also possess more beta carotenes. ‘Atomic Red’ is a carrot, which is almost a tomato in disguise, thanks to the high levels of lycopene, just like the humble tomato. The colour and flavour improve with cooking too!
Can you imagine a golden-coloured beetroot? The flavour is more delicate, it could perhaps even be described as sweeter. Your dinner party guests will be puzzled as to what this different vegetable is on their plates! And, if you thought that was mind-bending, then you need to check out ‘Chioggia Pink’, with striped red and white roots!
Beans and peas haven’t escaped the paintbrush either! Pea ‘Shiraz’ is the first commercially available purple mange tout pea; the shimmering purple pods are packed with antioxidants. Use them fresh or stir-fried to keep the unique colourings. Bear in mind this is a gorgeous vegetable for the flower border too! The best of both worlds. Bean ‘Golden Teepee’ is also worth seeking out; as those bright yellow pods mean you’ll never miss them, so you can pick them when they’re nice and tender.
Have you grown rainbow vegetables? Then we want to hear about it!
We have all seen Japanese gardens in the UK, haven’t we? They were all the rage back in the early 90’s!
Summer is here and correct me if I’m wrong, but the weather is being quite well-behaved so far. The occasional storm is actually a positive for the plants, giving them a good soak. The rain will encourage leafy growth, meaning you get even bushier plants, with the potential for more blooms! But, it is also the time of year where we go on holiday to enjoy the sunshine and watering becomes an issue, so how can you keep your garden looking great during these periods?
If the plant bug has bitten you, and you’ve filled your garden already, then you need to think; ‘what do cities do when they run of space..?’ Answer: they build upwards! You can use this same concept in your own garden to great effect. There’s no excuse to have bare fences and walls when there are so many climbers to choose from. It’s not just about traditional climbers any more either, so you need to think beyond clematis and honeysuckle. Have you tried climbing fuchsias, climbing petunias, even climbing geraniums…??
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