Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Growing blueberries, for most people, is not normally the first idea that comes to mind when thinking about growing fruit in your garden. However, blueberries are one of what are now described as the ‘Superfoods’ because they are highly nutritional and crammed with antioxidants, and therefore it certainly seems a good option to me. Acid soil, suitable for heathers and rhodedendrons, is essential to successfully grow blueberries. read more »

Raised garden beds are excellent options for creating almost instant planting areas, whilst adding further features to your garden. They can be used to grow pretty much anything in, commonly vegetables, but you really don’t need to stop there. You just need to check that you will have sufficient depth of soil for what you are intending to grow. One particular advantage is that you can be very prescriptive on the soil that goes into your beds, read more »

Growing raspberries is truly simple, and it is therefore somewhat surprising that delicious raspberries are not grown more. They really are amongst the easiest fruits to care for and, as they flower late, it is possible to get good crops in areas where other fruits fail. Choose a sunny or partially shaded position to grow your raspberries. Raspberry canes can be planted from autumn through to spring, but avoid planting if the soil is waterlogged or frozen. You don’t need to grow raspberries in beds as shown below, and if space is an issue, you can plant single canes in large containers. read more »

Growing apples is about as simple as it gets if you want to grow some fruit in your garden. Apples are the most popular orchard fruit, and although they prefer rich, moist, well drained soil, they still manage to crop well even in poor conditions. Below are the essential points to take into consideration if you are thinking about growing apples in your garden. read more »

When planting in pots, tubs, baskets and even window boxes, be aware that in all these situations the plants will have an increased need for nutrients as they are grown very close together. Therefore, you must use a slow-release fertiliser when you plant, to feed them throughout the season and keep them healthy. The following sequence shows the key principles when planting pots with a variety of plants including small shrubs, along with the best technique for planting up pots with bulbs. read more »