For what seems like 8 million years, I have grown ‘Tomatoberry’. It’s a small cherry tomato variety that is not rare or superflashy, but it works well for me, so I stick with it. My gardening friends are similar: They plant the same varieties year after year because those varieties are proven performers and they don’t want to mess with what works. But when you rock the boat a bit, you occasionally stumble upon a new variety that is just as great, or perhaps even better, than the old standbys. That’s how I ended up replacing my ‘Sweet 100’s’ cherry tomatoes with ‘Tomatoberry’ many years ago. The following options may not be brand-new, but they have proven themselves to be reliable “newer” vegetables, and they might be good additions to your garden this season.
Pick of the crop: This year’s best gardening books
09.12.2023 - 22:23 / irishtimes.com / Fionnuala Fallon
Looking for a greatgardening book to read or gift this Christmas? Here’s my pick of the crop from this year’s harvest.
Few people know more about houseplants than the British garden writer, blogger, former gardening editor of the Guardian and On The Ledge podcaster Jane Perrone. Her latest book, Legends of the Leaf (Unbound, £14.99) takes a fascinating in-depth look at 25 “iconic houseplants” and is a delight. How intriguing, for example, to discover that the aspidistra’s popularity in the Victorian era is due in large part to its ability to tolerate the large quantities of ethylene that were a by-product of most household’s gas lighting and coal fires. Or that the famous German poet Goethe, was a huge fan of the spider plant, Chlorophytum comosum. And that the millions of specimens of the oh-so-fashionable houseplant known as String of Pearls (Curio rowleyanus), in circulation around the world, can be sourced back to just one single specimen sent to a British grower back in the 1950s. Perrone’s infectious enthusiasm and almost boundless knowledge makes for a very entertaining and informative read.
The Seed Detective: Uncovering the Secret Histories of Remarkable Vegetables (Hodder Press, £12.99) has been resoundingly praised by a slew of leading cooks and horticulturists (Ballymaloe founder Darina Allen called it “one of the most inspirational books I have encountered in a long time”, while the British gardener and writer Mark Diacono described it as fascinating, enlightening, informative and entertaining). Author Adam Alexander’s love affair with vegetables – their history, lore, cultivation – has led him all over the world, on a journey that starts off with the discovery of a particularly delicious sweet pepper in
How Often Can I Apply Sulfur to My Lawn | Sulfur Application in Garden
Want to know the secret to a lush, green, and thriving lawn and the right tools? Keep reading to find out How Often Can I Apply Sulfur to My Lawn and transform your garden into an envy-inducing show-stopper!
More from Kathy’s Sacramento Garden
Kathy Sandel sent in just a few more photos of hercurrent garden in Sacramento, California, and I couldn’t resist sharing them:
Will you be embracing fashionable new gardening trends in 2024?
It’s the classic January flex when we start looking forward to the end of winter and the re-awakening of the garden.
The English Garden advent calendar: Day 12
On day 12 of advent we’re offering the chance to win a hand painted fern bin and tissue box from Master the Art, worth £180.
Hedgehogs in the Garden
Where do hedgehogs live?
The English Garden advent calendar: Day 10
Day 10 of our advent prize draw gives entrants the opportunity to win a DNA’24 DB26 Bread Knife from Savernake worth £199. Please note you must be over 18 to enter this prize draw.
The English Garden advent calendar: Day 11
Our eleventh prize is a Gold Smokebox, worth £105 from Lambton & Jackson.
Gardens to visit in Essex
Offering some of the closest beaches to London, Essex has a reputation for kiss-me-quick resorts and dormitory commuter towns. The truth is that this flat county, defined by slow-flowing rivers, estuaries, salt marshes and oyster beds, abounds in subtle charm. The Romans settled in Colchester and evidence of their occupation can be found in many coastal settlements. In the 1560s Flemish protestants brought their silk-weaving skills to the town, while the Dutch reclaimed swathes of land for farming.
Gardens to visit in the Lake District
Boasting some of Britain’s most beautiful countryside, the Lake District, in the north-west corner of England, is a draw for anyone with a love of the outdoors. Its hills and mountains, including England’s highest, Scafell Pike at 978m, attract walkers and climbers, while in the valley bottoms, vast lakes, such as Windermere and Ullswater, invite quiet contemplation.
Encourage robins to your garden this Christmas
Robins can lose up to 10% of their body weight keeping warm over a single winter’s night. With reports that the La Nina weather system may bring harsh cold spells in winter 2022-23, added to the problem of disappearing food sources and habitats over the UK, robins – and other garden birds – could do with some support this season.