Three gardening cheers for October
Unlike with our children, we are allowed to have favourite months. And whilst like everyone I love the fresh, green growth of spring and bright colours of summer, I must confess to having a soft spot for October. Through September, despite increasingly damp mornings and chilly evenings, we can cling to the idea that summer goes on although we are...
Late summer grass spectacular
Late summer is a great time for grass to star in the garden. However, as most lawns are looking very dry and crisp by August even without the blistering early summer we have had this year, you might deduce correctly that I am not talking about lawn grass, but ornamental grasses in the borders. The banner photograph above this blog...
A Rose by any other name
Certainly many roses have a great fragrance, but like Shakespeare I am not talking about roses specifically in this article, but about plant names and why they change. It can be very frustrating for gardeners, me included, when plant names change, apparently randomly, from those with which we are familiar to a new botanical name that always seems to be...
Awaken your Senses in the garden
If I ask you to imagine a summer garden, most people would call to mind the bright colours of flowers possibly surrounding a rich green lawn. But when you are planning a garden, or perhaps considering replanting a single flower bed, I encourage you to think not only about what you can see, but about how gardens and plants engage...
My flower show dream
May kicks off a whole summer of garden and flower shows starting with probably the best known and most widely viewed, the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show. Who knows exactly what new designs and trends will be revealed this year but the main show gardens have certainly changed since my first visit about 35 years ago. My flower show...