Monitoring a fruit haul
By Patricia Jordan I am always being asked why some fruit and nut trees have enormous crops one year and barely any the next. This...
gardening
Gardening: The science of sowing seeds
It’s amazing how plants reproduce themselves By Patricia Jordan Some plants throw out underground rhizomes, which pop up away from the mother plant. Plumbago...
High summer hits
Climbers come to the fore With temperatures rising even more rapidly, this is a difficult time in our gardens. In high summer plants scarcely grow...
The varying conditions of Cyprus: frost, heat, humidity and dust
At 300 metres elevation in the foothills of the Troodos mountains and in a frost pocket, I am always surprised that I can get anything...
Flowers mean bees
Loss of habitat and use of pesticides are harming these pollinators without which we are doomed By Patricia Jordan Early last month as I was...
Flowers all around
By Patricia Jordan The weather certainly keep you guessing in Cyprus, but at least April is here and although there may be some April showers,...
Cyprus’ plant ‘heritage’
Though endemic plants are bountiful many of the plants that surround us were brought here Before I came to live in Cyprus over 20...
The weather is finally changing
October a time to reassess after summer’s losses Have you been waiting for October to arrive? I certainly have, as at last I can get...
Time to enjoy the garden
Gardening with Patricia Jordan With lengthening days and more sunshine, this is the time of year when you can really enjoy gardening. The soil is...
An apple a day…
‘An Apple a Day keeps the Doctor away’ is a common English saying of Welsh origin and much encouraged by our mothers! Apples are a...
Winter in the garden
We are so lucky that there are many plants that grow well in our gardens during the winter months which started life in the southern...
Time to take stock in the garden
By Patricia Jordan You should be checking for any failures in your garden at this time. I have been making a list of plants I...
Cyprus gardens at their best
Gardening with Patricia Jordan May is such a lovely month in the garden. Everything is bright and fresh while temperatures are still bearable and heady...
Where have all the bees and butterflies gone?
Gardening with Patricia Jordan You may have read in the international press that a recent scientific review revealed that many species of insects are declining...
New Year means things to look forward to in the garden
January and February are not my favourite months in the garden but there are jobs that must be done. We may be lucky and have...
A year in flower
Gardening with Patricia Jordan As the year fades away I would like to share some of the successes and failures in my garden this year....
‘Gardeners in Cyprus never cease to amaze’
By Patricia Jordan GARDENERS in Cyprus never cease to amaze me with what they are able to grow in their gardens here. On a recent...
Gardeners struggle to ‘live for the day’
By Patricia Jordan As one hears of relatives and acquaintances passing, the catch-phrase around nowadays ‘Live for the Day’ comes to mind. Unfortunately, we gardeners...
The heat is still on
Gardening with Patricia Jordan Gardeners in the northern hemisphere will breathe a sigh of relief when this very hot summer is over. On a recent...
A garden that you can enjoy
By Patricia Jordan Cyprus can be such a dusty place, causing breathing problems for some people, especially the elderly and young children. Hot air from...