Once in a Blue Moon
With the upcoming coronation this month and the common practice of planting up pots, baskets and even flower beds to celebrate significant events, my thoughts turned to gardeners seeking blue flowers in a Red, White & Blue scheme. There is no shortage of red and white blooms in a wide range of plant types but blue is a different kettle...
Give your children the gardening bug
As Spring gets into gear (at last), we may be glad to see the back of winter colds and bugs but there is one ‘bug’ that will benefit your children, grandchildren or school pupils for their whole lives – and that is the gardening bug. There is a raft of evidence that green spaces and gardening can have huge benefits to...
Up the Garden Path
March is a great month to consider layout and planting changes to your garden before the summer arrives - or so we hope! One of the elements of a garden that it is easy to overlook when we are dreaming of a beautiful space to sit or borders full of colour, is the garden path. So often I see gardens...
Make your veggies permanent
As gardeners decide what to grow vegetable plots and allotment this year, I am looking at a trend in gardening that reflects a growing interest in reducing our carbon footprint and preserving wildlife: namely, growing permanent or perennial vegetables. This saves growing from seed or buying plants each year and also, as they are no-dig plants, saves on effort and...
Time to get green-fingered
My latest magazine article is for the lovely Family First Magazine, Winter 2023, discussing the benefits of gardening and connecting to nature. Family First was formed in 2017 to provide parents and schools with all the tools they need to help improve the health of children & young adults across the UK, helping families build a happier, healthier family lifestyle. The...