Beginner Gardening: The First Six Months to Second Six Months

The First 6 Months In just 6 months the ratty tatty almost barren backyard shown in The Gardening Challenge, could look as pretty and productive as any successful and beautiful garden. You don’t believe it? Maybe you’

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 1

Stage 1 Worn soil and a bare open fence are the first challenges to be faced in our problem garden. The simplest way to beat them is by-planting a fast-growing vegetable that provides an almost instant screen and whic

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 2

A fortnight ago we were sober and practical, planting a highspeed vine-type vegetable to hide us from our neighbours and improve the soil. Spring weather has made us more fun-loving. This time we’re going for the bold

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 3

Two major objectives to be accomplished this fortnight. First, it’s time to cover-up unsightly walls, fences, sheds, concrete garages and central-heating oil-tanks. Such things can mar even the greenest of gardens. We

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 4

Time to add more colour to the garden, first with the giant-flowering sunflower, North America’s biggest, brightest annual, widely grown for its nutritous seeds: eat your own crop or feed your pets when flowering’s ov

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 5

Three major items for this fortnight. First we plant the petunia, shown in the flower of the fortnight. Then we start on the herbaceous/perennial border. We’ll plant a rootclump of Korean chrysanthemum. Then we add a

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 6

This fortnight we make a start on the first of the permanent features in our garden – the patio. It’s a great asset, for sitting out, eating out, enjoying relaxation in the sun. Not hard work if you take it gently. Bu

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 7

We devote the bulk of Stage 7 to finishing your patio. It seems a shame having started not to keep on going and get it finished. If you’re a warm weather gardener, you need to do it now because cold weather will deter

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 8

This fortnight we start on the second of our two major, permanent shape-changing tasks. The first was making the patio. Now it’s time to make the lawn look so good it’ll be the envy of others in your street. You’ll se

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 9

This is one of those rare fortnights when you have a lot you could learn, but relatively little that you actually need to do; so make the most of it. We show you how to plant gladiolus – a typical corm, plus telling y

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 10

A really original feature heads the project work this week, as we edge our new circular lawn with one of the many decorative concrete paving slabs available. We select a slate-grey type from the many colours on the ma

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 11

The first plants to go into the cottage garden/perennial area will add to our collection of permanent plants, which started with the gladiolus (corm), the dahlia (tuber) and the Korean chrysanthemum. First choices are

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 12

We continue stocking up the cottage garden area with meadow saffron – Colchicum autumnale – sometimes wrongly known as autumn crocus. The crocus-like flowers come in August/September, the huge leaves in spring. Plant

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 13

Tree planting time has arrived so it’s time to re-excavate the tree pit we dug earlier and plant our tree. Don’t worry if yours does not arrive the day you expected it: nurserymen have literally thousands of orders to

The Gardening Challenge

After 6 months and a mere 52 hours work, does your garden look any different from when you started ? Did you take any colour shots of your garden before you started work, like we suggested ? And if you did, can you fi

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 14

Bulbs are always great garden favourites, bringing colour at a time of year when most gardens are otherwise dull and cheerless. We plan a blaze of colour near our window with a mixed display bed. Order and purchase no

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 15

A trellis is an essential if you want to grow some of the most exciting climbing plants – roses, clematis, things like that. Don’t skimp on construction. Any plant growing well will soon get heavy enough to pull a fli

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 16 Garden Soil

Your garden is only as good as the soil in it. Successful gardening comes from fertile soil in good heart, regularly replenished with humus and plant foods. You can make any soil good soil if you work on it. Find out

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 17 Fan Trained Fruit Trees

Use your sunny walls and fences to best effect – our slogan for all gardeners. Planting fan-trained fruit trees will involve a real test of your new gardening skills. Fruits like apples and pears need other varieties

Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 18 Choosing Shrubs for the Garden

The fall is rapidly giving way to winter, and that can be an exciting time for gardeners – a time for browsing through catalogues and round garden centres. Look particularly for shrubs, they’re a great investment. Don