Are you embarrassed by your Latin plant names skills?
Do you avoid using Latin names for plants? Do they seem too complicated or even unnecessary? After all, we can all have beautiful gardens without knowing the Latin names of…
Do you avoid using Latin names for plants? Do they seem too complicated or even unnecessary? After all, we can all have beautiful gardens without knowing the Latin names of…
‘So how many people in this room have done a soil test?’ This question was asked by garden designer Adam Frost at a recent talk at the Painters Forstal Gardening…
This year’s autumn garden has taught me a lot about choosing plants for late-season colour. I’ve always thought of trees and leaf colour as the defining element of an autumn…
How to choose the right garden tree? I think we all dither over this because trees seem like such a big purchase. More like buying a sofa than buying a…
I sense that the September garden isn’t anyone’s favourite. Vita Sackville-West abandoned Sissinghurst for the Mediterranean in September. Alan Titchmarsh refers to ‘the depths of September and October’. There’s a…
Have you run out of gardening steam by the time you get to the late summer garden? I know I do, which is why it’s so inspiring to visit a…
I’ve always wondered about ‘no dig flower borders’ for annuals, shrubs and perennials. Not that I ever do much digging. But I wondered if the principles of no dig veg…
Beautiful plants and stylish garden screens to make your windy garden look stunning. And you’ll really enjoy being in it!
Self-seeding plants are the key to gardening on automatic. The less you do, the more they grow. And they’re free. You buy one packet of seeds or one plant, and…
My shady border is probably better for longer than anywhere else in the garden. Although I do far less work in it – less planting and weeding – than I…
Here in the South East (of England), we’re assessing the winter damage to our gardens. The real problems weren’t caused by the snow, freezing winds or low temperatures of late…
I didn’t know the difference between a tree surgeon, an arborist (also known as an arboriculturalist) and a Chain Saw Man when we first moved into a garden with trees….
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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 during Whitstable Open Gardens every year for the NGS. They came…
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…
