tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56985447459442922572009-07-04T22:39:11.941+01:00If you have any gardening questions, get in touch. <a href="mailto:geoff@gardenforum.demon.co.uk" title="Send an e-mail to Geoff Hodge">Send me an e-mail</a> or <a href="http://www.gardenforum.demon.co.uk" title="Visit the GardenForum website">visit the website</a>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-48891334907947452392009-07-03T21:49:00.004+01:002009-07-03T21:55:56.632+01:00

So much for promises and resolutions. I said this year I was going to make a major effort at blogging and what happens? I'm so busy I don't even have time to do half the things I want to.Anyhoo, all that is about to change - no honestly!After eight and a half years of managing/editing RHS Online, the RHS website I'm about to be made redundant! So, more than likely I'll have more time on my hands

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-20323217395281794412009-04-09T16:45:00.004+01:002009-04-09T17:09:41.557+01:00

The evening's are lighter and the days are longer, which means just one thing - there's time in the evening to do some gardening after getting home from work. So, with one hand carefully nurturing a bottle of Perroni, I've put the other to good use this week sowing more veg in pots and putting them in the propagator.Joining the assortment of tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and courgettes already

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-8775929721355425102009-04-04T15:45:00.004+01:002009-04-04T15:53:11.988+01:00

I’ve just got back from my latest stint on Gardening Plus with Ken Crowther on BBC Essex – another action-packed, three-hour programme with loads of questions, comments and problems to solve. And lots to eat – this time a local frozen yoghurt manufacturer brought in some delicious tubs stuffed with fruit and fabulous jersey and Guernsey milk creaminess. The programme always flies by and it wasn’t

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-74315887486255210822009-03-30T16:28:00.008+01:002009-03-30T17:03:50.141+01:00

Well hopefully. Although I've got to say it's a slow start - probably not warm enough for seeds to germinate properly and, as a result, not much is showing in the veg plot at home. Of all the things I've sown so far only the radish and broad beans are doing anything.But onwards and upwards. With so much to do in the garden - and keeping true to my word (so far), not spending as much time as usual

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-42074353926991481292009-03-17T07:19:00.006Z2009-03-17T09:45:58.040Z

True to my word, Sunday was spent on the allotment. Although we've had a slow start and didn't go there for weeks for one reason or another, I'm amazed at how good it looks. Hardly any weeds, and what there were came out really easily.The main reason for going was to (finally) plant out the garlic, shallots and onion sets - both red and white.We'd also been given a couple of blackcurrant 'Big Ben

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-89860726107178529032009-03-15T10:02:00.010Z2009-03-17T07:19:43.445Z

My new spring resolution - spend more time gardening not thinking about it, is working a treat. Yesterday I spent most of the day in the garden or doing things connected with gardening. Although, the spanking the Red Devils took from the Scousers did split up the day and make me sit indoors enduring torture - plus the texts from Liverpool supporting friends.Most of the gardening time was spent

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-13192747323634947692009-03-08T19:51:00.007Z2009-03-08T20:13:07.234Z

At least I think I might be going that way. What with an excess of work, excesses of weather and the fact that the EU decimal 100-hour day hasn't yet been introduced, I haven't had much/any/enough time in the garden recently.Last weekend I managed a couple of hours - much of which was spent dealing with/tidying up the ivy-covered tree stump that came down in the snow; luckily it hadn't done much

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-86562445006057439362009-02-21T14:35:00.000Z2009-02-21T14:54:41.943Z

I've just got back from my latest guest appearance on Gardening Plus on BBC Essex with Ken Crowther. And although it's a one-and-a-half hour drive down to the studios in Chelmsford today it was a great journey. Sun shining - shades on - lovely and warm - reaching 12.5C on the car thermometer - and lots of plants bursting into new growth. All in all, a bit of a change from the miserable weather of

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-16121586359850007632009-02-13T23:40:00.000Z2009-02-13T23:51:17.111Z

At this time of year gardeners panic about one thing - snow and what it'll do to their plants. Well panic not - it'll do very little damage per se. It's the cold and frost you need to worry about!Even hardy plants can suffer from extensive periods of cold, freezing weather, especially if they're growing in containers (even the hardiest of plants can be killed if their rootballs freeze solid for

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-72790243542318269242009-02-01T17:04:00.000Z2009-02-01T17:22:56.556Z

Following my blog on November 5 about the future of garden chemicals, the future is now looking bleak following legislation passed by the European parliament.MEPs voted overwhelmingly for the proposals for a Regulation on the Placing on the Market of Plant Protection Products. At the same time, they also voted in favour for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive. Basically what this means is

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-11299395691978840132009-01-18T11:35:00.000Z2009-01-18T11:47:47.370Z

It's the end of an era - a sad day for the gardening community. The Garden Monkey has decided to stop blogging - well, at least for the short-term anyway. He/she wants to spend more time on work that makes money! We'll all miss him/her and their delightful look at the gardening world.But everything has a silver lining - perhaps now we'll be able to work out GM's identity - by checking on who is

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-64224282077451660802008-12-24T09:29:00.000Z2008-12-24T09:38:44.467Z

Praise the lord it’s Christmas – well, that’s what you’re supposed to do at this time of year, isn’t it?!I need a break before I simply wither away like a rotten courgette slung on the compost heap or, worse still, my head explodes.The autumn/early winter is one of my busiest times of the year. Apart from trying to hold together all the threads that make up my normal working days, I also put

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-88570811176325395142008-11-05T19:14:00.000Z2008-11-05T19:34:13.819Z

I don't have a philosophy over many things (too much else to do to sit and contemplate my navel), but I kind of have a philosophy towards gardening. That is - I enjoy it, I enjoy my garden and I enjoy the plants in it. And if they're not happy I'm not happy.My attitude towards pests is - get in quick and stop them before they take over. So, I like to 'walk the garden' - often after work to rewind

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-57993968560580223012008-10-31T09:18:00.000Z2008-10-31T09:29:36.623Z

I’ve been part of the gardening trade/horticultural industry for about 25 years – yes, really, that long! And I’ve always been impressed about how friendly an industry it is. When you go to trade or flower shows or press days you usually bump into the same people – many are now old friends (others you try to avoid!) – and you have a good catch up, find out what they’re up to and generally have a

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-1312289124805759262008-10-28T13:43:00.000Z2008-10-28T13:44:47.672Z

Is it really the middle of autumn already? Judging by the first frost last night I guess it must be. Maybe it’s my age. But this year has just shot past and I’m already getting ready for the winter onslaught.I’ve spent the last few days starting to put the garden to bed for the winter. I’ve started digging up all the half-hardy bedding plants, potting them up individually and putting them in the

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-1507715963697771682008-09-23T18:25:00.000+01:002008-09-23T18:29:02.616+01:00

I’ve just got back from Glee at the NEC, Birmingham. Glee is the UK’s gardening industry’s biggest trade show taking up several halls at the NEC. Here many of the major gardening product manufacturers and suppliers show off their wares for the following year.One of my first ports of call was the new products area – and several things caught my eye – not necessarily for the right reason!Many of

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-81959623360854114012008-09-07T10:15:00.000+01:002008-09-08T09:15:43.773+01:00

We had a busy day on Gardening Plus on BBC Essex yesterday. I think the wet weather meant everyone was indoors catching up on their gardening advice – rather than outside actually doing it.The morning started with some interesting pictures of an unidentified plant – Cannabis sativa or marijuana, the seed from which had come from a batch of bird food. The owner thought it probably was and was off

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-31239177520030874502008-09-03T19:12:00.000+01:002008-09-03T19:28:35.091+01:00

It's weird how I can go for weeks without doing any radio programmes and then they come round like proverbial buses.On Monday I was recording my monthly pre-record inserts into Jane Smith's Saturday breakfast programme for BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. I'm so glad we now pre-record them as they go out at 7.45am ish and I used to hate having to get up at that time on a Saturday to do them over the

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-42253062729807121392008-08-28T21:17:00.000+01:002008-08-28T21:30:52.279+01:00

Yes, I've committed the ultimate web/blog owners sin - I haven't updated for ages; but I can't believe it was pre-Chelsea Flower Show when I posted my last blog entry. I've been away and I've been busy - not much of an excuse but the only one (or is that two?) I can use.I've also committed the ultimate gardeners' sin and been away on holiday during the summer. In my defence, the mother-in-law did

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-70015269789459244752008-05-17T21:04:00.000+01:002008-05-17T21:17:32.034+01:00

Oh no it does not move me. I don't want to go to Chelsea! At least that's what Elvis Costello thought about it. I, on the other hand, love going to Chelsea - the Chelsea Flower Show, that is. And that's where I was today and will be for the next three days - so don't expect any replies to your e-mail enquiries until I get back.I've been going to, and working at, this show every year since 1988.

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-9564167993041537162008-05-05T21:10:00.000+01:002008-05-05T21:18:27.111+01:00

You can't beat it - apart from the four days at Easter!Apart from the antics in the veg patch and my appearance on Dougan Does Gardening on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire on Sunday, both of which you can read about on my RHS veg blog, my only other main gardening antic this weekend was to help Clare cut back the large holly and the cotoneaster growing underneath it to reclaim some new planting

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-5516982034751718862008-04-27T20:35:00.000+01:002008-04-27T20:49:03.621+01:00

When I moved into my current house seven years ago, one of the things that persuaded me to buy it - along with the L-shaped garden (I’ve got the bottom of the gardens of the two houses to the right) – was the fabulous white-blossomed cherry tree. Sadly, it looked like it was suffering from bacterial canker, but seemed to be growing fine. Even more sadly is the fact that the canker has been

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-23386371352977101762008-04-20T20:01:00.000+01:002008-04-20T20:14:11.530+01:00

This weekend’s forecast for yet another mixed bag of weather meant that I needed to get cracking early – just in case, just in case things turned really nasty and put the kybosh on my plans. As a result I was out in the garden by 8 o’clock on both days.The weather wasn’t as bad as expected – although Sunday started out dull, damp, dingy and wet, but by 11.15am (having gone back indoors for

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-37191149273456263492008-04-13T21:50:00.000+01:002008-04-13T21:54:59.446+01:00

Because we’ve been away the last couple of weekends and haven’t managed to spend much time on the garden or the allotment, jobs were beginning to pile up – and both my girlfriend Clare and I were beginning to get just a tad twitchy about the situation. So this weekend we were going to get on with things whatever the weather. Perhaps a touch too much bravado considering the forecast!Luckily, we

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5698544745944292257.post-17187913976386939532008-04-05T08:46:00.000+01:002008-04-05T08:47:18.718+01:00

April – my favourite spring month. The weather’s warming up and generally becoming more pleasant, allowing me to get on with more things in the garden. At least it better be!! The weather forecast doesn’t sound great for this weekend, but let’s see what can be done.Talking of weather, the Met Office has released its forecast for the coming summer.Apparently, it’s expected to be a 'typical British

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07822934117047414045noreply@blogger.com0