Mildew is a white powdery fungus that looks unsightly on these leaves. Mildew is a sign of stress in a plant and usually arises from damp air with poor circulation. It is prevalent in my garden now Autumn is here in force. Some plants are more prone than others. My Phlox, Roses, Michaelmas Daisies and [...]

This is an easy to grow biennial. Plant seeds now, either where they are to flower, or under cover for planting out 9 inches apart later. Germination can be erratic but they also dislike being transplanted so you are caught between a rockery and hard-landscaping. The reason I say they are easy, is because they [...]

Sunflowers Oxford Botanic Gardens Sunflowers nearly as tall as the tower Autumn Colours Oxford Botanic Garden – early autumn Late flowering herbaceous border

For many years I have seen floral clocks at Cartwright Hall, Bradford but just realised they are seldom floral. The plants used are low growing, coloured leaf plants like short Lavender, Sedums, Golden Moss, Blue Festuca grass and Sage. Each year the clock celebrates an event, charity or organisation – perhaps I will have a [...]

Jerusalem artichokes are related to sunflowers not artichokes. So you will often see them flowering on the edges of allotments. The stems are up to 10 feet tall and the yellow flowers in September are quite bold and eye catching. The fleshy rhizomes or tubers are eaten like potato. They are knobbly in shape. They [...]