Gardening expert, writer and commentator Matthew Biggs to help growers get the most from their greenhouse
British greenhouse and glasshouse manufacturer Hartley Botanic, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, has added a new, regular ‘how to’ feature on its website which will help you get the most out of your greenhouse or glasshouse throughout the year. The ‘Greenhouse growing month by month’ feature will be published on the first of every month on Hartley Botanic’s site within its free magazine section: https://hartley-botanic.co.uk/magazine/ and will feature tips, ideas and in-depth growing advice for each month throughout the year – allowing gardeners to truly extend the growing season at both ends.
Owning a greenhouse or glasshouse transforms and expands the growing potential for gardeners by providing a controlled environment which is far less limited by the outdoor climate. However, working in harmony with the changing seasons can mean you maximise the possibilities afforded by a greenhouse, from growing delicious citrus fruits and unusual tomato varieties in the summer, to carefully overwintering during the colder months.
Gardening expert and writer Matthew Biggs (pictured above) will provide month-by-month growing ideas and strategies which he uses in his own Hartley Botanic greenhouse to help fire your imagination, use your time wisely throughout the year and get the best results from whatever crops you choose.
Matthew said of Hartley Botanic’s new feature: “Greenhouse gardening benefits as much from careful and strategic planning as outdoor gardening. I will be giving people an in-depth look at the most exciting crops afforded by the heady climate of a greenhouse in the summer, and demonstrate how winter can be used as a time of essential preparation. I will also be sharing some useful and fun ideas which I follow in my own greenhouse, such as how to water during winter, how to make the best use of your space, along with interesting planting suggestions.”
Hartley Botanic’s greenhouse growing month by month guide will be live on the Hartley Botanic website from August 1.
Hartley Botanic, 80th anniversary
Founded in 1938 by brothers Vincent (RHS fellow) and Norman Hartley, Hartley Botanic is one of Britain’s oldest and most trusted greenhouse manufacturers and was, to their knowledge, the first to develop and make entirely aluminium structures, representing a new class of greenhouse building in terms of practicality and engineering design. Vincent and Norman Hartley’s drive and ambition to create the finest greenhouses money can buy is still central to the company’s ethos which still specialises in handmade, made-to-order horticultural buildings which truly stand the test of time. Some of Hartley Botanic’s original structures are still standing and in full use, such as the Hartley Botanic greenhouse at Belgrave Hall, installed in 1950 and the glasshouse in Glasgow Botanical Gardens installed in 1988.