How to create an easy sustainable garden
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,…
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,…
This is a very simple, effective way of weeding without chemicals (and almost without effort). It comes from the Abbey Physic Garden in Faversham. The Abbey Physic garden is a…
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…
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…
Do you fancy a mini meadow garden? I’ve seen several beautiful strips of wildflower meadow in show gardens this year. And also in friends’ gardens. Ever since the 2012 London…
What do you imagine to be the essence of a ‘March garden’? January and February stand for frosts, snowdrops, the brilliant colours of cornus stems and even the last remaining…
I first heard the term ‘re-wilding’ at Glee 2017, the horticultural trades show. It’s one of the big new trends in gardening. It means appreciating, re-introducing or conserving the wild…
Yasmin Hossain makes natural dye from garden plants. She uses it to dye beautiful silk and wool fabrics. And I believe that grow-your-own dyes from garden plants is a trend…
Is it my imagination or are we seeing more ‘weeds’ in gardens now? I don’t mean gardens that look unkempt. Some of the prettiest gardens now unashamedly seem to have…
Until 100 years ago, we used medicinal plants to treat most illnesses. And, according to a new book, The Gardener’s Companion to Medicinal Plants, they still do in Africa, Asia and…
What do you consider to be a ‘wildlife garden’? Do you think it means weeds and untidiness? Or a great deal of hard work? In fact, a wildlife garden can…
Christmas garden decorations. Do you love them, or do you worry about light pollution? Decorating your garden at Christmas is a trend that has crept over from the US. When…
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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
There are essential garden tools. And there are useful garden tools. Then there are useless garden tools. This post will show you how to invest in the first two, and…
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…
