Peat has long been a hot topic amongst gardeners and climate change activists. We are proud of our reputation of being ahead of the times in how we have handled the issue. We asked writer Sarah Newitt for her view...
Why Silver Foliage is a Winning Formula in Your Garden There’s nothing second rate about silver in the garden, whatever the season. In winter that sparkly foliage chimes spectacularly with frost and sub-zero temperatures, creating scenes of dazzling dynamism. In...
How a splash of colour in a winter-dulled garden can eliminate the SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) blues Oh the joys of Instagram. As a social media vehicle, it undoubtedly has its faults: psychologists say that as a rule we look...
How to love your winter garden How do you feel about winter in the garden? For many years I shrank from it; I was uncomfortable with its stark structure and unforgiving chill. But I feel differently these days. And I...
When gardeners dream of summer, we imagine borders overflowing with lush vegetation and profuse blooms stretching as far as the eye can see. But lack of rain, hot conditions and hosepipe bans are making it tougher to achieve this kind...
The long days of summer have finally arrived. But now the last spring bulbs have faded away and with a month or so before later summer stalwarts such as rudbeckia, echinacea and salvias begin to flower, how can we enjoy...
Now there’s more time in the day… It’s incredibly dry in my garden, so I’m thankful for the extra time I have in lockdown to spend watering. I’m conscious that water is a precious resource, so I’ve been saving it...
It’s been the driest April on record in the UK and the weather continues to represent drought conditions, and my London garden is looking pretty parched. The water butt at the far end, which collects rainwater from the shed roof...
As I filled up the bird feeders yesterday, I noticed the intense green of the dogwood stems contrasted against the fence, the first winter clematis flowers emerging and a trace of witch hazel scent on the breeze. Such tiny marvels...
October in the garden can be a beautiful month. So far it’s been a little on the damp side for a full-on abundance of loveliness, but nonetheless leaves are on the turn, late-season perennials such as asters, Japanese anemones, rudbeckias...
Having written about what you think of us and the reasons why you shop with us (the majority of you indicated that it was due to the high quality of our plants), how happy you are with our advice and...
To be honest, August isn’t the best month in the garden. Right now, there’s a bit of a breeze getting up. Last weekend it was positively stormy. There were leaves and bits of broken tree branch all over the lawn...
There’s something magical about plants that seed themselves. I sowed a pack of annual love-in-a-mist about seven years ago, scattering seeds randomly in a sunny border at the back of the garden. I may have raked over the soil and...
Every May some of my neighbours open their gardens for local charities. It’s not National Garden Scheme or anything grand, just a friendly initiative to garner a few quid to buy street trees or plant up a roundabout abandoned by...
How do you feel about your garden in winter? If you look out of the window and find it dreary, uninteresting – a bit mournful, even – it’s probably because it lacks structure. Good structure is a really important component...
Like so many gardeners, I’m a huge fan of Box. Its neat, clipped form brings classic elegance and structure all year round – especially welcome in winter, when the bones of a garden are what really matter. A dusting of...
November is a month when I struggle with the shorter hours of daylight, and the prospect of those seemingly interminable months of bleakness to come. Don’t talk to me of hygge or cosying up by the fire. I want to...
I’m sure that you, like all good gardeners, have been constantly looking at the weather forecast for your local area, and this week it seems as though it’s getting colder. The trees are losing their leaves which have turned into...
We get many people enquiring about specific things at certain times of the year, and here are some of the most frequent ones and some helpful answers: Question 1: When will my order be delivered? Answer: Current deliveries for...
The quince tree (Cydonia oblonga) has to be my favourite fruit blossom. It's not quite pink, single flowers are unusually large, five-petalled and are held proud from reflexed, pale green leaves. Stunning. Laburnum trees live up to their common name...