Let’s get dirty… and talk about compost. Too often overlooked, compost is a key element in the success of your garden. Many of us pick up a bag from the supermarket or DIY store without giving it a second thought, however it underpins everything in the garden. By making your own compost you not only […]
Autumn Planting: Why Autumn Is the Perfect Time to Plant As summer draws to a close and the days become cooler, autumn might not be the first season that comes to mind when you think about planting. But for gardeners across the UK, autumn is actually one of the best times of year to plant […]
As the weather cools and the days become shorter there are still many jobs that you can be getting on with that will keep your garden looking good in the colder months, and will help to ensure a fantastic display next year. Plant spring flowering bulbs: from Camassia to Alliums, Fritillaria to Tulips and Daffodils, […]
Roses have been loved for centuries, and it is easy to see why. Many historic houses still feature rose beds proudly at their heart. At Larch Cottage we specialise in Old Fashioned roses, renowned for their intense fragrance — something many modern hybrids have lost. These traditional varieties are mostly summer flowering and often date […]
June is the time when vegetable growers are often at their busiest. Risk of frost has come to an end (even in Cumbria!) so it is time to move the tender crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and courgettes that you have been growing in your green house or bought from a nursery and plant them outside […]
As spring arrives, attention often turns to planting pots and refreshing borders, but the lawn also needs our care after the rigours of winter. Following an especially wet season, lawns in particular benefit from some early maintenance to ensure they are ready for summer. At Larch Cottage, gardeners are already preparing the grounds to welcome […]
February is the month when finally there are signs of the approaching spring. Bulbs begin to appear and wildlife becomes more active as day length and temperatures increase. There’s plenty to do indoors at this time of year to prepare for the season ahead. Whilst as the garden comes to life again outside, it’s time […]
A new year means new beginnings, reinvigorated purpose and the gradual lengthening of days, the ideal time to begin planning for the growing season ahead. A little thought and preparation at this stage of the year is the perfect way to ensure fantastic displays in your borders, and achieve enviable success in the vegetable plot. […]
What does ‘stepover’ mean? Cultivated since the Victorian times, a ‘stepover’ tree is the smallest of all fruit trees, and is described as a low growing tree which has been trained horizontally and can literally be stepped over. How high are ‘stepovers’ kept? ‘Stepovers’ are traditionally kept to 12 to 18 inches in height and […]
By mid-March the long wait for spring is usually over and, as the warmer weather arrives, there are lots of jobs to be getting on with in the garden: get a head start by hoeing weeds as they appear in the borders order seeds and make a plan for sowing watch out for slug damage […]
