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…
August in the Middlesized Garden is a bit of a mixed bag. August has been called ‘the Sunday of summer’, and there’s a lazy, idle feeling about the garden at…
Garden seating is so much more than just a place to sit. A bench can be a focal point, work like a piece of sculpture, can punctuate a hedge or…
I’ve just visited a gorgeous small town garden for entertaining. If you are thinking of building an outdoor kitchen, then Dan Cooper, the owner, has the most brilliant tips (see…
A small garden needs a big idea. You can let a larger garden evolve – and by ‘larger’ I mean any garden more than about 100ft long or quarter of…
Create a mini meadow lawn in your garden, however small it is. These tips will give you such a pretty and wildlife-friendly lawn, and you’ll avoid making mistakes!
Do you like your town gardens beautifully designed? Or do you prefer the upcycled look? Where do you put your veg patch? It’s always fascinating to see how different town…
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…
Whitstable Open Gardens is held every year in June for the NGS. But even if you’re nowhere near Kent, let me treat you to a few of the summery seaside garden…
Starting a garden from scratch is both a challenge and a privilege. When Sarah Langton-Lockton bought her 1920s house, the garden was overgrown to the point of dereliction. It all…
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…
New directions in garden privacy screens – how to find wood, metal or resin screens that will add style to your garden and improve your privacy. With some great ideas on where to put screens.
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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…
