Dobies Blog

New to growing veg, and not sure where to start? Or simply faced with too much choice? To give you a helping hand, we’ve put together a selection of tried…

By Richard Chivers For gardeners, the arrival of March arouses a sensation others savour only at Christmas. Winter is always a long season for us allotmenteers. Dark, cold and when…

Organic gardening and organic growing mean to team up and work alongside natural systems and cycles in your garden. In this scenario, there is very little use of manufactured chemical…

We asked gardening author and allotmenteer, Rob Smith, why everyone should try growing these flavour-packed and ornamental little fruits. Here’s what he said…

From the mild jalapeño to the scorching Carolina Reaper, expert grower Rob Smith discusses their unique and interesting flavours and versatile culinary uses to help you choose the best varieties…

By Richard Chivers When Christmas has passed and life resumes its normality, the biggest problem I find as a gardener is that January is a frustratingly long month. When I…

Getting outside on chilly winter days can be a challenge even for dedicated gardeners! While December doesn’t offer blooms and bountiful harvests, it’s the perfect time to turn your green…

To help you choose the best varieties to grow in the UK, we asked chilli expert Rob Smith to summarise each of the five main types.

As any gardener will tell you, the compost heap is the beating heart of a garden. The cherished ‘black gold’ is essential for the health of your garden and plants;…

Autumn means shorter daylight hours and falling leaves, but there’s still plenty to do in the garden to prepare for the next growing season. In fact, tackling a few simple…