As we head towards Autumn, join us in our third BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, in the picturesque grounds of English Heritage’s Audley End House and Gardens, in Essex, from Friday 30 August to Sunday 1 September, 2024.
11.05.2024 - 11:33 / thespruce.com / Tessa Cooper
It's that time of year when we're summer dreaming, especially about our summer gardens. Choosing which starters and seeds to invest in can be a bit overwhelming, no matter how seasoned you are at it.
To help narrow down your choices (or perhaps give you even more ideas), we asked five gardeners to tell us about their favorite summer crops they return to year after year.
We noticed a few commonalities, especially with one plant in particular.
The Spruce / Lacey Johnson
There's one crop in particular that came up the most often, and that's basil. In fact, gardening pros Laura Janney of The Inspired Garden, Donna Letier of Gardenuity, Deanna Talerico at Homestead and Chill, and Samantha Ulasy of Margaret Valley Landscaping all included basil on their list.
Talerico even went as far as saying that a summer garden wouldn't be complete without it. When she's done harvesting from the plant, she allows it to bloom, since bees adore its flowers.
Ulasy enjoys planting basil as a shade herb since it's delicious to cook with and naturally repels flies and mosquitos. In terms of specific varieties, Letier is growing Thai basil, boxwood basil, and sweet basil in her garden this year.
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The Spruce / K. Dave
It's looking like it's going to be another «tomato girl» summer. Letier, Ulasy, and Marni Ward of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company all cited tomatoes as one of their favorite summer crops.
Letier actually isn't the biggest fan of tomatoes herself but still plants them for her family.
«My whole family loves picking them right off the vine and eating them warm from the sunshine,» she says. This
As we head towards Autumn, join us in our third BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, in the picturesque grounds of English Heritage’s Audley End House and Gardens, in Essex, from Friday 30 August to Sunday 1 September, 2024.
Calla lilies are gorgeous flowers that grow well in moderate climates; when planting them, striking a balance in growing conditions is very important. For example, if you live in a hot, frost-free climate, grow them in the shade; in a slightly warm climate, provide partial shade; and in cold regions, find a spot that receives part to full sun for best growth.
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Ants are known to provide refuge to insects such as aphids and whiteflies and can do much damage to the garden. Plus, ant colonies are massive and can keep you from using a portion of the lawn! So how do we fix that? By planting plants that are anti-ant and keep them away.
Yesterday we explored the wild side of Vermont with Sheila, today she’s sharing what spring looks like in her garden.
As Bridgerton returns for a third series, we celebrate its return by taking a look at some of the many filming locations from season three, which you can visit this summer. From urban oases to grand country estates, these include some of the UK’s most iconic stately homes and gardens.
After seeing the once-beloved all-gray and minimalism trends take a backseat in recent years, it was no surprise another firm favorite might be slipping away, too.
In the arc of an Irish gardening year, May is the month of magical things. The first rose. The first swallow. The first properly hot day. The first beech tree in full leaf. The first sighting of wisteria in magnificent lilac bloom, draping itself languidly against a high, sunny wall. As nature flashes its brilliant feathers, it’s also our last real opportunity before summer finally arrives to make a substantial difference to our gardens or allotments, whether that’s filling them with fast-growing annuals to provide plenty of homegrown produce for the months ahead, planting up spectacular summer containers, or fine-tuning flower borders for maximum impact. With all of this in mind, here’s a handy little to-do list to help you stay on course.
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This year we are celebrating 30 years of 2-for-1 Gardens, and we have 407 gardens taking part, from local hidden gems to national landmarks! To kick off your year of garden visits, we’ve picked out some of the 2-for-1 Gardens in the scheme this year which are perfect for a visit this month. Head out with your 2-for-1 Gardens card and enjoy saving money on days out with friends and family, whilst gathering lots of garden inspiration!
Happy Friday, GPODers!