Gardening

Given the opportunity, I always pick sweet potato fries over regular french fries. I can’t resist them roasted or mashed as well. Sweet potatoes are not only tasty, but they…

Succulents are beautiful, diverse and increasingly popular houseplants and garden specimens, amongst new gardeners and avid collectors alike. When potted, succulents can be grown individually, or in groups for either…

I began to take an interest in Pelargoniums after I received some plants as gifts from my family and my friend Peter in 2016. I’ve known these South African plants…

I finally have my own peony plant in bloom, after a failed previous attempt at growing peonies in South Africa back in 2015. My top tip for growing peonies in…

Don’t throw out that old orchid, after the flowers are gone. Phalaenopsis orchids can make new branches from their flower stems / spikes and re-bloom in a short space of…

I’ve been living in Shanghai for a few months and of course I have missed gardening. I’ve collected several orchids, succulents and other ornamental houseplants like anthuriums. Above: My highly…

Do you live in an apartment in a cold place, and love plants? This post is for you. If you follow me on social media, you’ll know that I am…

I started my new orchid collection in China almost two months ago. I visited a flower market attached to Fushan Lu Fruit & Vegetable market in the Pudong area of…

One of the best uses for cast iron, enamel cookware like Le Creuset, is baking. I have never enjoyed baking as much as I have since I started making breads,…

The number 1 killer of orchids, in my experience, is overwatering. My advice is to repot #orchids into a loose & fast draining mix of mostly bark chips, if they…