How to Plant and Grow ‘Sugar Daddy’ Peas Pisum sativum ‘Sugar Daddy’
18.01.2024 - 18:49 / gardenersworld.com
Last September my husband and I fulfilled a long-held dream of visiting Australia, when we decided to take a road trip from Brisbane to Sydney. When you look at the map, our trip marks only a tiny slice of this massive country, but we knew we wanted to take it slowly and really soak up the countryside and enjoy the places we did have time to see.
From the very first day, fighting off the jetlag with some fresh air in Brisbane Botanic Gardens, we were wowed by the range and diversity of gardens and plants we saw in New South Wales. And even had they been lacking, the spectacular countryside would have more than made up for it.
Our trip took us next to Byron Bay – a charming surfer town just south of the Gold Coast. It’s a perfect spot to spend a few days exploring both the stunning local beaches and food scene or further inland where you can hike the Wollumbin and Nightcap National Parks. I also loved visiting the nearby Crystal Castle and Shambhala Gardens which are truly unlike any garden I’d seen before with some of the largest crystals in the world on display. The gardens here are full of subtropical plants and the team have gone to great efforts to help restore the local natural rainforest, too.
Although I knew that this coastal slice of Australia was far greener than other parts of the country, I was shocked to discover that most of what we saw was greener than the UK. Arriving at the Dorrigo National Park – and our halfway point – we hiked for hours under lush rainforest canopies, never seeing another person and just stopping occasionally to snap photos of huge stag ferns and at one point an enormous lace monitor lizard climbing a eucalyptus tree.
Coming out of the rainforest and into The Hunter Valley region, we
How to Plant and Grow ‘Sugar Daddy’ Peas Pisum sativum ‘Sugar Daddy’
Often, these are timeless items that have truly stood the test of time, but there’s also room for innovations that have transformed the way we garden – battery-powered tools that have done away with electric cables and noisy, smelly two-stroke fuel, for example. We asked the country’s top head gardeners which tools they couldn’t contemplate gardening without.
In the ever-evolving tapestry of horticulture, 2024 brings forth a new chapter as gardens undergo a transformative journey guided by the latest trends. From the integration of nature into outdoor spaces to the tech-savvy approaches that are revolutionizing horticulture, this year's garden landscape is a canvas of innovation and sustainability. Join us as we delve into the heart of these trends and explore how they are changing the way we imagine, cultivate and experience our gardens. Step into a world where sustainability meets aesthetic expression, where technology blends with the natural, and where each garden becomes a unique testament to the creativity and conscientiousness of its caretaker. Welcome to the garden trends of 2024 – a celebration of greenery, diversity and the limitless possibilities that bloom in the outdoors.
For gardeners across the globe, English gardens are renowned. Their reputation for being the most romantic, beautifully planted and idyllic spaces a gardener could hope for has spread far and wide. But how do you define a quintessentially English garden? Say the words and the mind immediately conjures up certain images: arbours and pergolas dripping with rambling roses; herbaceous borders with sky-blue spires of delphiniums, York-stone paving and clipped yew hedges. There are some features that no self-respecting English garden should be without, the essential elements that make the country’s gardens so iconic – here are our must-haves for that dreamy English garden look.
Flowering fiesta Bright Color
How to Grow and Care for Ironweed (Vernonia) Vernonia spp.
Some people get their kicks from designer labels, others from rummaging through flea shops, or collecting obscure Japanese comics, vintage tractors, handbags, dolls, beer-mats, Star Wars merchandise or whatever else. Me, I get mine from ordering seeds.
The news has been awash with UK Environment Secretary Owen Paterson’s issues in relation to the badger cull. There has been fierce opposition to this issue. No one seems certain whether this strategy will help make a positive impact on the reduction of bovine tuberculosis in cattle. With fierce protests and ongoing issues yet to be resolved, it seems this is far from over.
The Main Avenue of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the heart of the iconic event. An extraordinary opportunity for talented newcomers and experienced designers alike to showcase innovation, creativity and the transformative power of a garden space in the heart of the city and watched by an audience of millions. Tom Massey is back after his 2023 Chelsea Flower Show success, this year partnering with Je Ahn, and familiar faces Ann-Marie Powell, Matthew Childs, Tom Stewart-Smith and Robert Myers are designing show gardens supported by Project Giving Back.
Being British we love to talk about the weather, it’s just one of those things we do. Many of us are never happy whatever the weather brings. It’s either too cold (but it’s the winter so what do you expect, put a few extra layers on), or too hot (again it’s the summer and that’s what happens, drink something cold and buy a fan). It rains when people don’t want it to (I must admit sometimes when it pours and I’m working I do get cross but I can’t do anything about it), and then sometimes it gets very windy (we live on a small island that is right next to the Atlantic ocean so it’s gonna happen). Stop complaining about the weather all the time and just live your life and enjoy your life. You only get one life so make the most of it and stop moaning about something that really doesn’t effect you that much. Yes you might get wet when it rains or sweaty when it’s hot, but there is always someone worse off that you. Ok so moan over, here’s what I got up to today and how the weather has effected my plants.
January is an interesting time to look for birds in the garden, as days are short and the availability of natural food is limited. This brings more birds into gardens, for whom a reliable source of supplementary food can be a lifeline.
I hate camping. I don’t see the point of voluntarily depriving yourself of four walls and a roof, when there are perfectly serviceable buildings nearby. So, when the opportunity arose to take my husband and two small children on our first-ever glamping holiday, I was intrigued to see whether I could be converted. And if anything was going to convince me, a tent with proper beds, a flushing toilet and a kitchen, in the magnificent setting of the Cheddar Gorge, was going to be it.