I have to admit to being old enough to have planted the odd terrarium or two in the 1970s when they were popular the first time round – sometime...
25th September 2017 • Stephanie's Blog • Read More »
I’m a regular and enthusiastic visitor to this lovely nursery and I have watched progress with int...
16th February 2017 • Read More »
Visiting friends in Monmouthshire, we thought Andy Goldsworthy had been at work when we saw these wo...
24th June 2015 • Read More »
Zinnia ‘Queen Lime Red’ has subtle and interesting colouring while its partner, ‘Queen Lim...
9th August 2011 • Read More »Mahonias don’t get a particularly good press, mainly because they are too often left to grow strag...
21st December 2018 • Read More »Wisterias are wonderful plants, but once established they do have imperialistic tendencies, wreath...
25th October 2018 • Read More »Well mulberry tree actually - after eighteen years it has grown so large that I will be aski...
15th August 2018 • Read More »For those who don’t follow @theenduringgardener on Instagram (why not?) as well as those that do (...
30th December 2017 • Read More »Whenever we visit an art gallery, one of my favourite pastimes is to check the floral content of the...
24th October 2017 • Read More »I have to admit to being old enough to have planted the odd terrarium or two in the 1970s when t...
25th September 2017 • Read More »I recently had the great pleasure of spending three hours walking round the garden of the 82 yea...
15th September 2017 • Read More »Tomatoes There are only so many tomatoes that can be eaten fresh when the plants are at peak ...
14th September 2017 • Read More »It’s a good idea to scout around your local area to find the nearest site – ideally within walki...
4th September 2017 • Read More »Inspired by my experience as an allotment judge, I thought it was time to walk around the site whe...
30th August 2017 • Read More »I was recently invited to judge some local allotments (not, I hasten to add, the one where we ha...
25th August 2017 • Read More »It’s that time in the garden when the late spring and early summer flowers are gone, or fading fas...
1st July 2017 • Read More »I find myself increasingly enamoured by ferns. They are such useful plants and once you get your eye...
22nd June 2017 • Read More »I had a memorable and hugely enjoyable day when I was invited to join one of the first workshops...
26th May 2017 • Read More »One of my three citrus trees has spent the winter in the comfort of the kitchen, while the other two...
22nd March 2017 • Read More »Inspired by visits to other gardens where they practise the fine art of tying plants onto their supp...
15th March 2017 • Read More »Until this week, coming into our garden at night has been a hazardous venture for those with less-th...
12th March 2017 • Read More »Normally by this time of year I’ve done loads of seed sowing in the greenhouse, but I’ve been co...
3rd March 2017 • Read More »The Garden Press Event takes place in February - it’s when we garden writers get a chance to have ...
23rd February 2017 • Read More »I’m a regular and enthusiastic visitor to this lovely nursery and I have watched progress with int...
16th February 2017 • Read More »Landlife is an organisation that has been promoting the use of wildflowers to enhance urban environm...
7th January 2017 • Read More »We had been admiring the snow clad Southern Alps for some days as we travelled around and were gre...
2nd January 2017 • Read More »Star Jasmine grows quite well in sheltered areas of the UK, but it wasn't until I saw this magnifice...
21st December 2016 • Read More »The last time I saw this glorious tree was at Logan Botanic Garden where it flowers in August. Here ...
15th December 2016 • Read More »Enroute to New Zealand, we spent a couple of night in Los Angeles and managed to visit the Getty V...
10th December 2016 • Read More »The silver-leaved tree fern is New Zealand's national plant. The undersides of the leaves really gl...
7th December 2016 • Read More »Back in early September when I was clearing and replanting the woodland part of the garden, I got ru...
31st October 2016 • Read More »Coinciding nicely with my foraging ventures in the garden, the publishers, Green Books, invited me t...
28th October 2016 • Read More »Finding Scampston Hall Gardens couldn't be any easier, thanks in part to the straight Roman road...
27th September 2016 • Read More »Rip City, my favourite dahlia, was obliterated in the border by the slugs, so it has been dug up a...
26th August 2016 • Read More »Back in the 17th century, canals became a must-have addition to the fashionable gardens of the day. ...
23rd August 2016 • Read More »Yes, I know we’ve barely had a summer and it is a bit depressing to be talking about spring bulbs ...
5th August 2016 • Read More »In 1971 I was in my early twenties and working for a design company in London when I picked up a cop...
30th July 2016 • Read More »On Friday I went to pick the crop from the cherry tree that we rent each year. Sadly, it was mar...
28th July 2016 • Read More »A tucked away garden near Battle held an evening open in aid of Great Dixter. Although it was no...
9th July 2016 • Read More »Last month, after sixteen years, I stepped down as Gardens Editor on Country Living magazine. I’ve...
5th July 2016 • Read More »I’ve been puzzled (but pleased ) by the near absence of slugs in the newly redesigned vegetable pl...
16th May 2016 • Read More »This is such a good idea. Clear your shed of old or broken hand tools between the 9th May and the ...
13th May 2016 • Read More »When winter seems reluctant to leave, we gardeners love to get outside and get on with things, but e...
29th April 2016 • Read More »The tulips are just beginning to strut their stuff, although Exotic Emperor – a new variety to me ...
25th April 2016 • Read More »The first batch of salads are now of pickable size - and some of the leaves actually make it as far ...
12th April 2016 • Read More »About the only good thing about a cold wind from the north is that it extends the flowering period o...
22nd March 2016 • Read More »If you can’t make it to the exhibition at the Royal Academy - or just want more - a new film will ...
2nd March 2016 • Read More »I’m keen to get on with sowing and growing, but until today I have held back because each time I w...
21st February 2016 • Read More »This video takes a look at two pairs of secateurs. The Okasune secateurs from Niwaki and a pair of...
7th February 2016 • Read More »Other than puddle hopping, there’s not much to be done outside when it’s bucketing down, so on a...
16th January 2016 • Read More »I have to confess to being a serial secateur abuser – I should know better, and I certainly advise...
14th January 2016 • Read More »With rumours of (the probably temporary) arrival of cold weather, I decided that it was time to tuck...
7th January 2016 • Read More »The gales have swung round to the south (us coastal dwellers know our wind directions!) and our usua...
24th December 2015 • Read More »As autumn leaves continue to drift past my window (well those that haven’t been blasted into the ...
15th December 2015 • Read More »While the weather kept me out of the garden I’ve been doing some shopping. Most recently at Hi Fes...
12th December 2015 • Read More »I went to an event at Dixter on a decidedly wet and blustery day - and braved the weather for long e...
8th December 2015 • Read More »Regular readers will know that I am rather keen on art that is about - or features in some way - an...
5th December 2015 • Read More »With a couple of hours to spare in London I took myself off to the V&A Museum in pursuit of exam...
25th November 2015 • Read More »While I’m as beguiled as the next person by pretty cottage garden style planting that you see at t...
14th October 2015 • Read More »I find myself in the grip of various emotions when I visit Perch Hill – awestruck by the consisten...
17th September 2015 • Read More »I’ve recently been to a press preview of new varieties from the Ipswich seed company and have whit...
12th August 2015 • Read More »I first read about this event in Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book when she wrote that ‘The great ev...
10th August 2015 • Read More »I may have arrived too late for Chedigny’s official Rose Festival but there was still an abundanc...
5th August 2015 • Read More »It’s worth rising early in Chinon to walk through quiet streets and really absorb the atmosphere o...
29th July 2015 • Read More »I recently had a wonderful day at one of Rosebie Morton’s Rose Days at her farm in a deeply rural ...
17th July 2015 • Read More »Last year I begged a few seedheads of a dark flowered poppy from a friend in Devon and scattered th...
11th July 2015 • Read More »When you travel hundreds of miles to see a garden there is always the slight worry that it might be ...
9th July 2015 • Read More »...
7th July 2015 • Read More »Arne is one of our foremost garden designers, so his own garden - tucked away in its own private val...
2nd July 2015 • Read More »This has to be the best year I can remember for roses with the cool nights keeping them in peak cond...
30th June 2015 • Read More »Visiting friends in Monmouthshire, we thought Andy Goldsworthy had been at work when we saw these wo...
24th June 2015 • Read More »Around the time of the millennium I went to the Courson Plant Fair just outside Paris. It is a wonde...
2nd June 2015 • Read More »I am fond of this strange mutant rose, but for some reason this year the flowers aren’t green. I...
18th May 2015 • Read More »I had hoped to get all my tomatoes planted in the greenhouse before Chelsea, but as only two of the ...
17th May 2015 • Read More »It’s been a vintage year for tulips I’ve picked up some useful tips, ideas and new varieties ·...
8th May 2015 • Read More »I find I have variable success with growing spinach – too early and it sulks, too late and it romp...
5th May 2015 • Read More »Bird feeders and insect hotels and nest boxes are generally rather utilitarian or rustic, but the ...
29th April 2015 • Read More »I was recently a panel member on a Q&A session with the wonderful Jekka McVicar – Queen of Her...
13th April 2015 • Read More »Over the years I have tried many potting composts, some good, some bad and some that varied between ...
7th April 2015 • Read More »I’ve just prepared my bean trench and sown broad beans and peas – all quite straightforward and...
23rd March 2015 • Read More »These few weeks before the weeds really get going and the slugs and snails start to munch everything...
19th March 2015 • Read More »I love the many colour variations you get with hellebores - even the less successful natural cr...
3rd March 2015 • Read More »Until recently the overwintering seedlings and early sown seeds have shown very little above soil ac...
17th February 2015 • Read More »Our dilapidated old garage might have been pretty useless for housing our car, but its ivy-smothered...
31st January 2015 • Read More »Last week I somewhat reluctantly took the train to London for a second day in a row to attend the la...
21st January 2015 • Read More »In the Garden In the Greenhouse In the Kitchen ...
14th January 2015 • Read More »Our tree was fading fast from glossy green to grey green – it was time for it to go. The decorati...
7th January 2015 • Read More »The crisp bright days over the holidays have ensured that I have been in the garden whenever possibl...
4th January 2015 • Read More »Some years we get little or no frost in the garden, but this year we have already had a few and ther...
29th December 2014 • Read More »There’s a new year promise of a totally blight-free outdoor tomato from Suttons Seeds. If you, l...
17th December 2014 • Read More »Titus decided to get into the festive spirit while we were in the garden and climb up into one of th...
15th December 2014 • Read More »Camellia ‘Quintessence’ is the perfect camellia for growing in a container. It is slow growing w...
14th December 2014 • Read More »Carolyn Dunster absolutely loves roses - she trained in floristry so that she could arrange them, sh...
12th December 2014 • Read More »Genus Performance Garden Wear (for men and women) is similar to the technical clothing worn by mount...
9th December 2014 • Read More »Tulips look wonderful weaving through borders or massed in pots, but they can also a...
6th December 2014 • Read More »If you have the space for this very large plant – common name Giant Sea Holly – it really is a...
4th December 2014 • Read More »I finally got around to cleaning the loose skins off the onions and making them into a plait. Rath...
29th November 2014 • Read More »As I sat eating my morning muesli I looked at my lovely lime tree overwintering on the kitchen windo...
28th November 2014 • Read More »The latest issue of the wondrous Hole & Corner magazine is hot of the press and in amongst many ...
25th November 2014 • Read More »It’s not just the jolly colours of the Nordic Grip Wets that make them great winter footwear in ...
23rd November 2014 • Read More »On our visit to Cranbourne Botanic Garden, the curator pointed out the Australian version of our mis...
21st November 2014 • Read More »It’s not until you get to Australia that you realise that eucalyptus has adapted itself to just ...
19th November 2014 • Read More »This is the Aboriginal name for the climbing vine Pandorea pandorana - and absolutely nothing to do ...
15th November 2014 • Read More »We may have been in the wrong places at the wrong times, and we didn’t have a local botanist gui...
13th November 2014 • Read More »I’m going to deviate briefly from the generally botanical and horticultural vein of my postings t...
11th November 2014 • Read More »In general I was surprised at how low key (and often diminutive) the wildflowers were in Victoria an...
9th November 2014 • Read More »Regular readers of the blog will probably recall how much I loved the Australian garden that won Bes...
7th November 2014 • Read More »Quite a lot of entertainment when it comes to the common names of some of the indigenous Australian ...
6th November 2014 • Read More »There was a time when botanic gardens were dull affairs that could only be of interest to the seriou...
2nd November 2014 • Read More »Apologies all for my absence from the world of blogging – but I’m back with many tales and ima...
1st November 2014 • Read More »Apparently the seeds of the sago palm are of such uniform size and weight that they were used by t...
19th October 2014 • Read More »I’m about to depart these shores for the best part of a month (and will be blogging about my trave...
9th October 2014 • Read More »The magnolia grandiflora ‘Goliath’ continues to flower, but the blooms are near the top of the ...
3rd October 2014 • Read More »Earlier in the year a friend gave me a lovely Brugmansia (once known as Datura) complete with five ...
1st October 2014 • Read More »We’ve just returned from a weekend in Gibraltar where we were celebrating two friends' landmark b...
22nd September 2014 • Read More »I’ve been back to Loseley Park to see its borders in early autumn and found thrillingly vibrant ...
20th September 2014 • Read More »Recently, after the first signs of blight appeared on my outdoor tomatoes I picked the crop rather t...
18th September 2014 • Read More »Raspberries are delicious – it’s hard to think of anyone who doesn’t love them – especially ...
16th September 2014 • Read More »It’s been a while since I last visited Bowood House and they have been very busy doing interesting...
4th September 2014 • Read More »Regular readers of this blog will know that never a year goes by that I don’t say ‘I’m never g...
2nd September 2014 • Read More »Keith Whiley is a remarkable man. I first saw his work at The Garden House in Buckland Monachorum wh...
28th August 2014 • Read More »This blue flax lily is useful in a very dry spot at the foot of a wall where it usually remains pre...
22nd August 2014 • Read More »I gave up growing acanthus some years ago because the leaves become so ugly in late summer when mil...
20th August 2014 • Read More »Thompson & Morgan have been doing some research on growing potatoes in containers and have discover...
16th August 2014 • Read More »I was invited to look round Thompson & Morgan’s trial grounds this week and of all the flowers...
8th August 2014 • Read More »Picking this lovely selection of tomatoes from the greenhouse it occurred to me that the days are ...
7th August 2014 • Read More »On my recent Swedish visit I was bowled over by this wonderful species rambling rose – in Sweden...
6th August 2014 • Read More »I sometimes wonder why I bother growing this bulb/corm – its foliage is rather unremarkable and ma...
4th August 2014 • Read More »I wish I could say that our apricot tree provides us with a magnificent crop, but the truth of the...
30th July 2014 • Read More »For the full time gardening students at Capellagarden, the year runs from March to September. At ...
16th July 2014 • Read More »The wonderful thing about writing about gardens and gardening is that you get to go to some amazing ...
15th July 2014 • Read More »We are all devotees of the Japanese style workwear made by Kiraku Clothing – Monty’s blue denim ...
9th July 2014 • Read More »I do like a productive garden, especially when it has glasshouses and potting sheds. Those at Petw...
1st July 2014 • Read More »Although there is a wonderful sense of enclosure in the walled gardens at Petworth House, there is ...
29th June 2014 • Read More »Nope, me neither - but now I know that this means a series of rooms - or in this case walled gardens...
27th June 2014 • Read More »My trusty Panasonic Lumix camera had developed some patches of fogging on the lens and I was beginni...
20th June 2014 • Read More »So I went to the shops to buy some milk and as I passed my favourite antique shop they were unpackin...
19th June 2014 • Read More »Despite our local weather forecaster having informed us that it is currently the European Monsoon Se...
5th June 2014 • Read More »To my great joy I have finally found a product that fixes broken terracotta really effectively. Gor...
29th May 2014 • Read More »There is no point in growing salads at ground level in our garden – they disappear overnight as pl...
27th May 2014 • Read More »Big Green Egg makes the crème de la crème of barbecues. They also (as far as I’m concerned) made...
22nd May 2014 • Read More »by Daniel Carruthers Now in its 101st year the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the flagship gardening sho...
18th May 2014 • Read More »I’m lucky enough to have Great Dixter as one of my local gardens, so I can pop in regularly to see...
17th May 2014 • Read More »The Walled Nursery at Hawkhurst is very good at arranging events to encourage repeat visits to the n...
14th May 2014 • Read More »A feature recently appeared in the Telegraph about tulips that reliably re-flower year after year at...
12th May 2014 • Read More »Sarah Raven’s garden at Perch Hill has just held the first in this year’s series of open days. ...
5th May 2014 • Read More »I love this time of year, the days are getting longer, the tulips are out in force and there's plent...
26th April 2014 • Read More »Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. It is very easy to cross breed narcissus - and daf...
12th April 2014 • Read More »If so, Alan Titchmarsh would like to know. To mark his 50th year in horticulture he is on the looko...
10th April 2014 • Read More »I’ve recently visited the cobnut farm where they generously allow me to cram my car with their pr...
8th April 2014 • Read More »by Daniel Carruthers I'd like to think I am fairly organised when it comes to the garden but last y...
6th April 2014 • Read More »Great excitement the other day when I spotted a stunning collection of vintage rhubarb forcers in th...
5th April 2014 • Read More »Get the conditions right and nothing likes to grow quite as much as tomatoes – I started this yea...
29th March 2014 • Read More »I decided it was time to deal with the glut of self-sown hellebore seedlings and pot some up to gro...
28th March 2014 • Read More »I do love grape hyacinths - they are the perfect companions for dwarf narcissus - but only when gro...
25th March 2014 • Read More »A scheme in Scotland has come up with a roundabout way to grow flowers to help boost the bees. A st...
21st March 2014 • Read More »Borde Hill Garden near Haywards Heath is rightly famous for its collection of mature magnolia trees...
18th March 2014 • Read More »If, like me, you are a fan of Dianthus carthusianorum with its vibrantly pink-flowers on tall wiry s...
16th March 2014 • Read More »Fiskars makes some of the best garden tools on the market and continue to manufacture their products...
14th March 2014 • Read More »Suttons Seeds have redesigned the chive – well not really - but they do have a new variety called ...
12th March 2014 • Read More »Elka is my new favourite miniature narcissus. With a lovely subtle colour and delicate flowers, it ...
1st March 2014 • Read More »The current issue of Gardening Which has a report on a selection of seed composts. It is noticeable...
26th February 2014 • Read More »I’ve ordered some of Royal Mails new Spring Bloom stamps to put on birthday cards and other cheer...
24th February 2014 • Read More »Although I am holding off sowing seeds that need more nurturing than I can provide if the weather t...
17th February 2014 • Read More »Rather than let the remaining flowers on the mimosa tree be ripped off by the wind, I cut a coupl...
8th February 2014 • Read More »Hooray, hooray, hooray – someone has organised a pot recycling scheme so that all our surplus plas...
30th January 2014 • Read More »I've sorted through my stash of seeds before I put in this year's order so that I only buy what is n...
29th January 2014 • Read More »There’s a camellia bush outside one of my neighbours’ houses that has an early flowering camel...
21st January 2014 • Read More »Claire, our local interior designer, recently borrowed a few bits and pieces from me for her lates...
19th January 2014 • Read More »Over New Year I went to the Stanley Spencer exhibition ‘Heaven in a Hell of a War’ at Somerset H...
2nd January 2014 • Read More »Now you know the difference between Spanish and Native bluebells. I...
31st December 2013 • Read More »I’ve had these birds for years and they get an outing every Christmas – sometimes perching on ba...
25th December 2013 • Read More »The iris reticulata are so enjoying the continued mild weather that they look as if they may be bloo...
19th December 2013 • Read More »Our garden is pretty secure thanks to a high wall with access only through a door with an entryphone...
14th December 2013 • Read More »The advantage of sowing sweet peas in autumn is that you get a plant with a very well-developed root...
11th December 2013 • Read More »I was looking up into the quince tree, willing it to drop all its leaves before I return the leafblo...
9th December 2013 • Read More »I’m not sure whether the hydrangeas are still catching up from their late start this year, but flo...
27th November 2013 • Read More »It was a beautiful day when I went to the Great Dixter Christmas Fair so I took the opportunity and ...
25th November 2013 • Read More »It’s great when the garden provides a convenient solution to a problem. Even here at the coast, m...
22nd November 2013 • Read More »On our recent trip to Spain we visited some lovely courtyard gardens in Cordoba and the surrounding ...
21st November 2013 • Read More »Quite rightly, the RHS is doing its best to enthuse school leavers to consider a career in horticu...
9th November 2013 • Read More »Fingers crossed the new 10 part series coming to BBC2 should be a treat to watch, with horticultur...
6th November 2013 • Read More »There’s a stunning exhibition of artist Anny Evason’s drawings of the gardens at Great Dixt...
4th November 2013 • Read More »The quince tree was looking a picture, laden with fruit that scented the air on warm days, but when ...
29th October 2013 • Read More »The citrus trees have had a wonderful summer out of doors, but I’m keeping an eye on the forecast ...
27th October 2013 • Read More »I’ve been harvesting my squash and pumpkins and thought it might be useful to pass on a tip if you...
25th October 2013 • Read More »Tom Mitchell is a man in the grips of an obsession, with a wonderful turn of phrase and an interesti...
17th October 2013 • Read More »I love zinnias, but after last year’s dreadful summer when they hated the endless wet - and the co...
8th September 2013 • Read More »Although they had looked wonderful earlier in the year, the plants in the pots either side of the fr...
6th September 2013 • Read More »I’ve just returned from staying with friends who are near neighbours of Penelope Hobhouse. Their...
2nd September 2013 • Read More »If your experience of begonias is limited to bedding plants and large fleshy-flowered varieties in a...
14th August 2013 • Read More »It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned My Garden School which is the online place to go if you w...
5th August 2013 • Read More »I’ve never been entirely happy with the cherry compote that I make from some of our cherry crop. ...
1st August 2013 • Read More »I went to Northiam this morning to pick the crop from the cherry tree we rent there (The Telegraph M...
27th July 2013 • Read More »I’ve nearly visited Derry’s garden and nursery several times and this week I finally made it. ...
20th July 2013 • Read More »I see many lovely gardens in the course of my work, but I have seldom been quite so delirious with e...
9th July 2013 • Read More »The Garden Museum’s first Literary Weekend has just taken place in the glorious setting of designe...
7th July 2013 • Read More »Have you noticed how much honeysuckles are loving this cool summer? We may be shivering, the rose...
16th June 2013 • Read More »Since I began working with Carbon Gold, trialling their biochar products (and contributing to their ...
18th May 2013 • Read More »We are somewhat partial to parades and festivals in Hastings and the most recent one was the extreme...
14th May 2013 • Read More »Our followers on facebook might have picked up on the recent article that was written for the fabulo...
8th May 2013 • Read More »A contestant on Master Chef made pointy little meringues the same shape as this lovely topiary box I...
7th May 2013 • Read More »When I see a perfectly positioned garden sculpture it makes my heart sing. On a visit to a garden in...
5th May 2013 • Read More »On the loveliest day of the year so far, I visited a private garden in the depths of Kent for a plan...
3rd May 2013 • Read More »Monsanto and Co. is at it again. The company has found a way to exclusively ‘own’ something that...
10th April 2013 • Read More »The landscapers arrived on schedule this morning to start on phase one of the three-stage redesign o...
8th April 2013 • Read More »Someone quoted Cicero on our Facebook page saying : ‘If you have a library and a garden you have e...
13th March 2013 • Read More »Yesterday I was cutting blossom laden branches from the mimosa, today powder snow is blowing in hori...
11th March 2013 • Read More »Slightly off-piste from my usual reviews, but I want to share a link to a website that I’ve...
6th March 2013 • Read More »I’m being determinedly optimistic and telling myself that this cold easterly wind will swing round...
4th March 2013 • Read More »My usual suppliers of amenity bark for mulching the woodland part of the garden (we are talking squa...
3rd March 2013 • Read More »Enviroden is a company that specialises in making well-designed garden buildings topped with curved ...
23rd February 2013 • Read More »I came home from the Press Event with several new pairs of gloves. I like Joe’s Gloves because th...
21st February 2013 • Read More »Clever old Crocus always has innovative and attractive products. Regular followers of this blog wil...
17th February 2013 • Read More »Yesterday was the Garden Press Event when the horticultural trade shows us what’s new for the yea...
15th February 2013 • Read More »If I could only grow one snowdrop it would be ‘Sam Arnott’ – while most are just showing colo...
6th February 2013 • Read More »The health of bees is something that is dear to my heart. Please join me in persuading the EU to b...
29th January 2013 • Read More »For the past few months I’ve been buying a beautiful blue clematis that is now being sold as a cu...
24th January 2013 • Read More »It’s interesting how snow reveals patterns and textures and highlights things that might go unnoti...
21st January 2013 • Read More »Happy New Year – and here’s something to brighten these dull January days. I had some difficult...
5th January 2013 • Read More »Hopefully 2012 was a good year for you. Here's a look back at some of our favourite posts from the l...
1st January 2013 • Read More »I like to buy an unadorned pine wreath for my door and then decorate it myself. This year I decided ...
28th December 2012 • Read More »Kiss & Go is an old Somerset name for mistletoe. The RHS has an interesting tip if you are conte...
25th December 2012 • Read More »Burgon & Ball have sent me the perfect Christmas present – a very smart Kneelo kneeling pad. ...
24th December 2012 • Read More »We usually have a 10ft Christmas tree in our living room which had a previous life as a gymnasium in...
23rd December 2012 • Read More »In case any of you out there haven’t seen this (and even if you have) here’s the YouTube video o...
21st December 2012 • Read More »Last spring I saw some tulips underplanted with parsley – I can’t remember where – but I tho...
20th December 2012 • Read More »Nowadays garden buildings come in many shapes and sizes - from sleek contemporary home offices to...
17th December 2012 • Read More »I thought it was time to get my (just) 2 year old grandson introduced to the delights of gardening....
15th December 2012 • Read More »The fractured knee is healing well and as I get more mobile I’m gradually getting to grips with t...
13th December 2012 • Read More »I do love ranunculus with their tissue-paper flowers in gorgeous colours. This year I bought orange,...
29th November 2012 • Read More »If you save seed from your garden Burgon & Ball’s set of 5 Seed Savers (£6.95) will provide the ...
27th November 2012 • Read More »Three months on from fracturing my kneecap I’m back out in the garden – and it feels wonderful....
22nd November 2012 • Read More »What gardener wouldn’t love these tea towels with their fabulous vegetable illustrations? They ar...
20th November 2012 • Read More »In an effort to find out why the EU is banning the sale of packets of mixed varieties of vegetable s...
14th November 2012 • Read More »Regular followers will know that I have been stuck indoors for the past two months after fracturing...
7th November 2012 • Read More »The Savari Research Trust in Wales is crowdfunding its ongoing development of blight-resistant varie...
5th November 2012 • Read More »Our August log delivery nearly always coincides with hot weather so stacking them can be a bit of a ...
22nd October 2012 • Read More »I know it's been a bad year for everyone who is growing things, but I'm not sure that it helps for f...
17th October 2012 • Read More »The thing about spending more time on the computer instead of working outdoors as I would be when b...
11th October 2012 • Read More »Over many years I’ve done much work with garden photographer Michelle Garrett and we have become g...
5th October 2012 • Read More »In the light of my recent argument with a concrete path I thought I should recommend the new (more&...
3rd October 2012 • Read More »Most gardeners are acutely aware of the turning of the seasons. Winter may be marked by the spicy ...
1st October 2012 • Read More »Whilst I may not be getting out in the garden any time soon I only need to read a few posts from...
28th September 2012 • Read More »Over the past couple of weeks Daniel, my blog collaborator has been keeping the posts coming while ...
24th September 2012 • Read More »We have just returned from a visit to friends whose garden is the site of a large house that burnt ...
22nd August 2012 • Read More »It would appear that the Post Office hasn’t got the message that bees are a good thing and that k...
20th August 2012 • Read More »After all the despair about the tomatoes because of the poor light levels, checking back I find tha...
16th August 2012 • Read More »Street artist Ben Eine has made a colourful and apposite contribution to the Moveable Feast Garden...
9th August 2012 • Read More »Is probably all that this year’s apricot crop will be suitable for. The fruit are a good size but...
6th August 2012 • Read More »While I was photographing in the garden Titus emerged from the border and posed in a way that made i...
1st August 2012 • Read More »The wristband that was issued for Press Day at the Chelsea Flower Show this year was too nice to t...
27th July 2012 • Read More »In an attempt to keep the slugs and snails at bay I’ve been planting as much as I can in pots. We...
23rd July 2012 • Read More »If, like me, you didn’t make it to the Barr Open Gardens and its Fringe Festival last weekend I�...
21st July 2012 • Read More »There are good days – and there are really special days. I’ve just had a really special day at K...
17th July 2012 • Read More »'The New Urban Green' is a celebration of the tucked away, the overlooked and the greened-up edges ...
25th June 2012 • Read More »The Tripod Seat (£225 from www.burford.co.uk) is simple and ingenious and I'm assured your head ne...
3rd June 2012 • Read More »Well, Diarmuid has done it again with his 'mine's bigger than your's garden'. Last year I really ...
23rd May 2012 • Read More »@clevewest has done it again winning best in show at the 2012 Chelsea Flower Show. &n...
22nd May 2012 • Read More »Set up in memory of the much-missed gardener and garden writer Elspeth Thompson, the Gardening Agai...
21st May 2012 • Read More »I’ve long been a fan of the copper tools from implementations and Jane was showing prototypes of ...
18th May 2012 • Read More »Garden Africa is a wonderful charity that works with people in South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland and...
16th May 2012 • Read More »Toby Buckland is opening a plant centre at Powderham Castle in Devon, following the launch of his ...
11th May 2012 • Read More »Rootgrow, the company that produces beneficial micorrhiza to get our plants off to a flying start, i...
5th May 2012 • Read More »I recently went to a talk by Paulo Arrigo who runs Seeds of Italy the British offshoot of Franchi Se...
24th April 2012 • Read More »I've sown a mini meadow under the apple and apricot trees using the Empathy mini meadow with benefi...
27th March 2012 • Read More »With plenty of bare soil in evidence Titus the Cat and the neighbourhood moggies look upon the pota...
23rd March 2012 • Read More »I am now the proud owner of one of this season’s hottest plants, Hellebore ‘Anna’ – bred by...
12th March 2012 • Read More »In general I’m more of a browser than a buyer these days, but while wandering round the local ju...
10th March 2012 • Read More »I managed to get to Great Dixter for its first ever winter open weekend (it doesn’t open proper...
8th March 2012 • Read More »I’m really not sure what I think about these tulips that I spotted outside a florists in Bruges w...
6th March 2012 • Read More »I recently spotted these delicate laser-cut metal silhouettes on the garden wall of (more…)...
4th March 2012 • Read More »I do hope you love our new title banner as much as I do. It has been designed by Hannah Mc...
2nd March 2012 • Read More »Our seed potatoes have just arrived and I’ll be putting them in seedtrays to chit. We ordered For...
24th February 2012 • Read More »Last autumn I dug up a clump of vulnerable cyclamen seedlings and potted them into individual cell...
24th January 2012 • Read More »At some point last year I distinctly remember writing that Iris reticulata generally need replanting...
20th January 2012 • Read More »Our builders have been amazing and the transformation of the house is nearly complete – what loo...
30th November 2011 • Read More »Hellebores don’t generally like being moved, but a combination of builders scaffolding and their...
17th November 2011 • Read More »Keen gardeners (aren’t you all?) will understand how thrilled I was when my winning raffle ticke...
9th November 2011 • Read More »I’ve decided that having the builders replacing the roof requires a certain degree of fatalism a...
2nd November 2011 • Read More »The Chalice Vine (Solandra maxima) is not a South African native, but it is a popular plant in gar...
21st October 2011 • Read More »On our way up the West Coast in South Africa we passed through a small town called Darling where...
19th October 2011 • Read More »Ever admired the patterning on a gazania flower? It is very striking, but it’s also functional...
17th October 2011 • Read More »It was quite reassuring to occasionally come across something that was easy to identify. This lo...
16th October 2011 • Read More »I just love the way this palm tree is hung with weaver birds nests. They are very sociable and a...
15th October 2011 • Read More »This is one of the places in the Western Cape where it is hard to know where to look next – ...
13th October 2011 • Read More »I’m still working my way through my wildflower photos from the Western Cape attempting to identi...
11th October 2011 • Read More »Every gardener knows that builders and gardens are not the best of companions. With this in mind...
6th October 2011 • Read More »I may have been excited to see Thunbergia scrambling way up into the trees, but when I mentioned i...
4th October 2011 • Read More »One of the surprises during our time in South Africa was the number of ostriches in fields and in th...
3rd October 2011 • Read More »We were sitting enjoying our lunch in the restaurant at Grootbos Nature Reserve near Cape Town, whe...
1st October 2011 • Read More »Our fruit cage is cobbled together from various metal poles and some distinctly scrappy netting, e...
26th September 2011 • Read More »Each August I sit down with my friend Jo and we indulge in an orgy of tulip ordering. I was part...
24th September 2011 • Read More »This easier-to-grow alternative to wildflower meadows (especially for gardens) really has come int...
22nd September 2011 • Read More »The soil at Sarah Raven’s Perch Hill garden is heavy clay, so it is top dressed with copious qua...
21st September 2011 • Read More »Not just for a posy or to look at either – you can safely add the petals to your salads or puds ...
20th September 2011 • Read More »If I can get the technology to cooperate, my next few blog entries will be from South Africa. We...
13th September 2011 • Read More »I came across this idea on a visit to New Forest Lavender. A home-made woven hazel compost bin h...
4th September 2011 • Read More »Cucumber ‘Delizia’ is a new variety from T&M with a very thin, translucent skin, a good fl...
3rd September 2011 • Read More »The tomatoes in the greenhouse are providing us with pickings every other day. Just about enough...
27th August 2011 • Read More »It’s not often that you see something really different in the world of nasturtiums – but this ne...
25th August 2011 • Read More »Did you know that the COP in Copella stands for Cox’s Orange Pippin? Neither did I until I was l...
23rd August 2011 • Read More »Colin Randall, T&Ms veg expert is no fan of Swiss Chard considering it a very inferior vegetab...
21st August 2011 • Read More »Seed company Thompson & Morgan have come up with clever alternative to those less-than-attra...
13th August 2011 • Read More »I learnt this week that plant breeders have no interest in breeding either dianthus or freesias fo...
11th August 2011 • Read More »Zinnia ‘Queen Lime Red’ has subtle and interesting colouring while its partner, ‘Queen Lim...
9th August 2011 • Read More »Digitalis ‘Illumination’ is a cross between the common foxglove and its half-hardy Canary Is...
7th August 2011 • Read More »It was Thompson & Morgan’s Press Day on July 27th. We garden writers get to wander among the t...
5th August 2011 • Read More »I’m not referring to the work being done to prepare the site for the Games, but to my recent vis...
29th July 2011 • Read More »Here’s an interesting contrast. I was really impressed by the quality of the planting in the...
25th July 2011 • Read More »Other than a brief trip to Amsterdam next week for work and to visit the Canal Gardens of Amsterdam,...
20th June 2011 • Read More »If there seems to have been a bit of a gap in the posts, and not as much as usual about the garden...
10th June 2011 • Read More »The B&Q garden was a showcase of fine, well-grown plants, so why-oh-why is it that every time ...
25th May 2011 • Read More »Gardening Leave is a charity that helps traumatised ex-servicemen and women reconnect with life by ...
20th May 2011 • Read More »A good friend, Tony Howard, is the head gardener at an impressive private garden that has been s...
16th May 2011 • Read More »I don’t know whether you are familiar with the Edward Lear illustration of a curving plant stem ...
14th May 2011 • Read More »That’s International Garden Photographer of the Year for those who haven’t come across this ...
9th May 2011 • Read More »When I went to collect my peasticks the other day I passed one of the local cherry orchards positi...
8th May 2011 • Read More »I rather like this little pot-sized sieve designed by Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball (£16.95...
1st May 2011 • Read More »Garlic pest repellents and feeds have been used by professional organic gardeners for a while now,...
25th April 2011 • Read More »Is the first online gardening school. It offers high quality gardening education at home. John Bro...
7th April 2011 • Read More »My young tomato plants are now growing so fast that I have had to move them out from under the Gro...
2nd April 2011 • Read More »At last someone has come up with a truly innovative rethink of the waterbutt. This stylish bit of ...
16th March 2011 • Read More »Last year I interviewed Roger Harvey of Harvey’s Garden Plants near Bury St Edmund’s in Suffol...
5th March 2011 • Read More »When I attended the Garden Press Event a couple of weeks ago I saw many interesting things includi...
1st March 2011 • Read More »Despite the dire weather earlier in the winter it seems that there were places of shelter where cr...
25th February 2011 • Read More »I’ve temporarily moved my hurdles that keep critters off my raised beds and used them to corral ...
21st February 2011 • Read More »I finally got round to using the garlic fumigating candle in the greenhouse. You might like to...
19th February 2011 • Read More »Now I remember why my last cat was a standard issue tabby. Young Titus, the Bengal cross, is sho...
7th February 2011 • Read More »I spent a couple of useful hours giving my overwintering plants a bit of much needed tlc. Given ...
31st January 2011 • Read More »But I couldn’t resist sharing this picture of the wreath on a front door down the road. It made ...
16th January 2011 • Read More »Merry Christmas ! I thought I’d slip in these photos of our new kitten. For anyone worried th...
25th December 2010 • Read More »If you are still looking for a special present for the gardener in your life, Moore Designs has tu...
14th December 2010 • Read More »Last Monday was a bright and (relatively) warm day, which was fortunate as I had arranged for some h...
5th December 2010 • Read More »Indoor bulbs can be top-heavy, so The Balcony Gardener’s pebble cubes are a good solution to t...
5th November 2010 • Read More »I was walking past a disused shop the other day and was arrested by the sight of the concrete floo...
4th November 2010 • Read More »I’ve just harvested my first saffron, but I don’t think Morocco has anything to worry about jus...
2nd November 2010 • Read More »Recently, with a bit of time to spare on my travels, I took a detour to visit Wells, a place I had ...
1st November 2010 • Read More »It is always good to see a first class bit of recycling. Confronted by a couple of ruined greenho...
31st October 2010 • Read More »Friends in Suffolk have a wonderful garden that once surrounded a far older and grander house. Fr...
30th October 2010 • Read More »I’m not generally enthusiastic about artificial materials for hard landscaping, but I am very imp...
29th October 2010 • Read More »My vegetable brush is (to be honest) somewhat knackered; the handle is broken and the bristles ar...
26th October 2010 • Read More »Regular followers will know that I have my fair share of badger bother in this garden – especially...
8th October 2010 • Read More »On my recent trip to Normandy one of the plants that really excited me was the Himalayan Fairy Gra...
6th October 2010 • Read More »Nothing garden related, but Hastings has comprehensively trounced the previous world record for th...
30th August 2010 • Read More »The annual open day at the allotment followed hot on the heels of our open day. The sun shone, ho...
28th August 2010 • Read More »Forewarned is forearmed so last month I registered with the website www.potato.org.uk/blight . You...
25th August 2010 • Read More »A couple of weeks ago I made my annual pilgrimage to the trial grounds at Thompson & Morgan ...
24th August 2010 • Read More »There are times when an insect repellent is essential but generally they smell pretty unattractive ...
23rd August 2010 • Read More »Despite steady rain in the morning, the visitors proved themselves to be a hardy lot and by the end...
22nd August 2010 • Read More »In an effort to look less scruffy in the garden I’m going to get myself some clothes from the Gar...
4th August 2010 • Read More »We did manage a bit of sight seeing too. The exterior of Vlad the Impaler’s Castle at Bran wa...
21st July 2010 • Read More »While my focus was inevitably on plants, we saw some wonderful birds, insects and butterflies. ...
20th July 2010 • Read More »There were so many plants to get excited about - some very familiar, others less so. I think the...
19th July 2010 • Read More »Lamp posts and telephones poles are topped by metal baskets provided by the utility companies to h...
18th July 2010 • Read More »My least favourite style of planting is what I refer to as ‘fruit salad’ where plants are jumb...
15th July 2010 • Read More »It’s all a matter of perspective really – I could imagine this shepherd’s hut gracing the pa...
7th July 2010 • Read More »The more remote we were the fewer cars we saw and certainly in Magura the normal methods of transpo...
4th July 2010 • Read More »The verges were as enticing as the meadows with shady and sunny habitats providing a wonderful d...
2nd July 2010 • Read More »We stayed in the village of Magura where houses are perched along the crest of a hill either side o...
29th June 2010 • Read More »Transylvania is a beautiful and extraordinary place. In many ways it was as if we had travelled ...
28th June 2010 • Read More »We are heading off to Transylvania on Saturday for a week of botanical walks, bird and wildlife wa...
18th June 2010 • Read More »There’s been quite a lot of discussion this week about trials that are starting at the John Inne...
16th June 2010 • Read More »I’ve been turning out the tulips since they finished flowering and replanting with lovely things...
14th June 2010 • Read More »Cool and airy whites and greens were very evident in several of the show gardens. Tom Stuart Smit...
29th May 2010 • Read More »Here's just a few of the highlights from previous Malvern Shows which will give you an idea of w...
13th May 2010 • Read More »...
27th April 2010 • Read More »There are plenty of gardeners who love the ‘fruit salad approach’ to selecting plants for t...
17th April 2010 • Read More »When Mr Fothergill’s talent-spotter Tom Stimpson noticed some striking new dahlias on the breede...
25th March 2010 • Read More »This competition is now in its fourth year and has a brand new format – ‘4 Seasons’ – four...
22nd March 2010 • Read More »Walking down the road to do some shopping, I discovered a team of council contractors bent on hortic...
17th March 2010 • Read More »It may be National Birdbox Week, but the birds in my garden think they can find their own nesting pl...
3rd March 2010 • Read More ». Thompson & Morgan’s Buddleja ‘Buzz’™ was recently named the Best New Plant Variety. It...
26th February 2010 • Read More »One of the most ingenious new ideas at the Press Day was a company marketing a product for new garde...
22nd February 2010 • Read More »I’m very excited because we have finally got around to fitting rainwater diverters to all our down...
15th February 2010 • Read More »An alpine strawberry introduced by seed company Johnsons as part of its Eastern European range of fr...
6th February 2010 • Read More »One task that did get done despite the distractions was the pruning of the vines. This needs to ...
1st February 2010 • Read More »Sunday’s beautiful weather meant that I could do some proper gardening. I was out in the garde...
30th January 2010 • Read More »As this is my final 2009 blog it seems appropriate to look back on the year. Without doubt the most ...
23rd December 2009 • Read More »I couldn’t do without my lightweight compost fork from Bulldog Tools. The sharp tines make addin...
18th December 2009 • Read More »Not the 17th century variety that had people speculating vast fortunes on a single bulb, but the eff...
26th November 2009 • Read More »I’ve been using polystyrene fish boxes as planters for a few years now – they are lightweight an...
12th November 2009 • Read More »I was asked recently which plants mean the most to me and I realised that it wasn’t a particular...
27th October 2009 • Read More »There’s never any doubt when the quinces are ready for picking. Just in the last week the fruit ha...
7th October 2009 • Read More »Paved areas can lack interest, especially where there is nowhere to plant into the soil, which is wh...
8th September 2009 • Read More »It is an unfortunate fact that cats view a carefully prepared seedbed as a large and very inviting l...
19th April 2009 • Read More »Forty-two years ago, two great rose breeders began a breeding programme with a rare plant called Hul...
19th April 2009 • Read More »
