I’ve seen a number of really pretty ideas for your garden at BBC Gardeners World Live 2019. What about trying naturalistic, all-green or cottage garden planting schemes? Do you fancy…
Is it possible to have a perfect ‘English garden?’ After all, wildness and imperfection is at the heart of the English garden concept. Gardens are like children. They’re each special…
A city garden is a breath of fresh air in a crowded environment. You can create a patch of green can be created in the most surprising places. I visited three…
There is so much excellent small garden design inspiration at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Double decker gardens – make your garden twice as big by having two levels….
Visit annual group open gardens in three extraordinarily historic places. Discover the fascinating Medieval market town of Faversham and the ancient fishing village of Whitstable. And step behind the private walls of Canterbury Cathedral, one of the world’s great monuments.
Celebrate Garden Day by thinking about changing your career. Garden designer and TV presenter Arit Anderson’s top tips for changing your career to one that you’ll love.
A sustainable garden is increasingly important. We urban gardeners manage a substantial chunk of the outdoor space in any town or city. So what we do impacts our air quality,…
I recently asked Heston Blumenthal for his top tips on how to barbecue for a party. And although it was only a short conversation, he certainly turned my ideas on…
Knee or back pain from gardening is probably the most frustrating thing in a garden-lover’s life. You’re longing to get out there – but as soon as you get stuck…
Treat yourself to one of the best gardening books of the year. Or any one of them would make a wonderful gift. If you’re asking the question ‘why do we…
Autumn trees are the stars in my November garden. My top five trees are: Smokebush (Cotinus coggyria Crab apple trees (esp Malus ‘Gorgeous’) Heritage fruit trees such as quince and…
Many people are now talking openly about their physical and mental challenges and how their garden or gardening has helped them. I want to talk about my story of trauma,…
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How to find a gardener who’s perfect for your garden
What’s the first thing you think about when you decide to find a gardener? Is it ‘how much does a gardener cost?’ Or ‘how do I find a gardener who…
The best plants for amazingly low maintenance garden pots
What are ‘low maintenance garden pots’? After all, how low can you go? Can you go away on holiday for a fortnight without asking anyone to water your pots? Er,…
8 steps to the long thin garden of your dreams
Two years ago Emma and Mel moved to a house in Whitstable with a long thin garden. It’s open on May 19th 10am-5pm for the NGS. They came from a…
Fences for privacy – 9 great ideas for garden screening
Are you making the most of your fences for privacy and screening? Privacy is a big issue for middle-sized gardens, because high hedges and fences block light. But low hedges…
7 essential garden tools to make your gardening life really easy
Invest in good quality versions of the 7 essential garden tools. Then build up more useful tools gradually as you find you need them. The 7 essential garden tools a…
The 8 best perfect-for-privacy garden trees
Do you need trees for privacy? Perhaps you have a neighbour’s window over-looking your garden? An ugly view or a street-lamp? The days of planting gloomy conifers to prevent people…
