Earlier this year, the Mr Plant Geek Shop had new drops from the Rude Botany range, a long-awaited Virtual Garden addition, and brand new mugs and accessories. Now, it’s time for something a little different – a stunning Orchid design! Us Plant Geeks love to wear our favourite plants with pride! The Orchid t-shirt This…
See more of Mr Plant Geek on YouTube
I know that we might not all have time to sit down and read every day, which is why I’m dedicating some time to improving my YouTube channel, creating fun and informative videos for you to watch while you’re on your commute, out in the garden in between mowing and weeding, or before you go…
It’s Michael
I think I’m comfortable with referring to myself as the ultimate plant geek- as my obsession with plants has been persisting for over 30 years now, and shows no sign of letting up! I have been responsible for introducing hundreds of new plants into the UK, most notably novelties such as the Egg and Chips plant and the Fuchsia Berry! Despite…
You’ll want to try Gazoz after reading this
During my trip to Israel, I visited Cafe Levinsky 41, where owner Benny Briga has made a living from creating his own, healthy version of Gazoz, a well-known soda drink. I tried a glass, and I was so enamoured with it that I wanted to pick his brain about his creative process, his ethos and…
Match your Christmas theme to your Poinsettia
Poinsettia Day is upon us! December 12th is the day to celebrate this festive plant in all its glory, and one way that we can do that is by including it in our Christmas decor. Not only does it look Christmassy, the Poinsettia has close links with the biggest holiday of the year. Native to…
Explore South China Botanic Garden with me
Last Friday I took myself off on another little day trip. This time, me and taxi driver Jack went to the South China Botanic Garden, on the recommendation of one of my followers. It was quite a smooth ride, less than an hour to the city of Guangzhou. Even though I was being a bit…
A Holly is not just for Christmas!
Think Holly. Think Danger. No, that’s not the case with ‘Gentle’, the newest and friendly Holly you can grow! It certainly lives up to its name with the same crisped (some might say festive!) look, but with softer, less dominant prickles. This Holly also has the much sought-after purple blue tinge to its foliage during…
How to re-flower a Christmas cactus
Have you treated yourself to a Christmas Cactus? Or maybe a loved one has gifted it to you, and you’re not quite sure how to re-flower those colourful blooms? In this post, I’ll help you understand more about this fun and festive cactus, also known as Schlumbergera, and how to re-flower it. Flowering from late November…
A deeper shade of blue
Blue is all around us. It’s what our eyes distinguish when we see the sky and sea. It’s in every smoothie-lover’s favourite superfood, the blueberry. It’s even found in our eyes themselves (or, at least, some of us). The fact that it’s Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2020 is no surprise, as this calming, serene…
5 winter birds to spot in your garden
UK gardens are fantastic places for bird spotting, especially in winter! But if you really want to see the birds flocking to your garden all winter long, it’s handy to use your bird knowledge to turn it into a little safe haven where they can rest and refuel. If, however, you don’t have too much…
Weird & Wacky Plants raises over £1000 for Greenfingers Charity
For the duration of 2019, I pledged 20% of takings from every Weird & Wacky Plant Show to Greenfingers Charity, raising £1040 in total! Greenfingers create magical and inspiring gardens for children to use for play, relaxation and therapeutic rest. This donation will therefore go directly to benefit children all over the UK who spend…
Aftercare for your 2019 QVC purchases
Thank you for joining me for ‘Michael’s Garden’ on QVC throughout the year, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the plants we tempted you with! In case you’ve mislaid your growing guides, I thought I’d refresh you with the aftercare for some of our hottest offers from 2019! Quite a few of them were perennial, so…
A walk around Shenzhen Botanical Garden
When you’ve spent a while in a city, you need a dose of green. And yes, there are city parks and constructed gardens all around in Shenzhen, but I was yearning for “real nature”, aching to see actual wild flowers. I’d heard of Shenzhen Botanical Garden, but wasn’t sure if it was worth a visit….
DIY: Wreath-making with your garden clippings
Wreath-making may seem slightly intimidating, especially if you are starting from nothing but raw materials, but it isn’t that difficult. If you can make a circle and have a little patience, you will surprise yourself with the results. Gathering materials The only gardening tool you will need is a good pruner. Start by checking your…
Top 10 plants from my Israel trip with Danziger
When it comes to plants and plant breeding, I like to spend most of my time in the kitchen. I’m the same at parties, to be honest! But, what I mean is, I like to spend time where they develop new forms of bedding and patio plants, but while I’m there I do like to get…