Winter is a time when gardeners can do a lot to support wildlife, including providing a great source of food, especially for birds. Birds remain active all through the winter and in the UK we have many migrant species that arrive here from colder countries in search of food. As a wildlife gardener I am often asked about bird feeders...
Pruning is one of those ‘hardy perennial’ topics that I am asked about all year round. Many people are aware that winter is a key time but are not exactly sure what you prune in winter or how. In fact the most important thing to understand about pruning is Why? This is because not all pruning is done for the...
Last month I wrote about planting field grown trees and shrubs in the November-March bare root season while they are dormant. One of the reasons for planting these woody plants is to create an area of Naturalistic planting. This style does not limit you to native plants and is not a copy of the local countryside. Rather it can create...
Towards the end of May I spent two consecutive days garden visiting and there could hardly have been a greater contrast. Firstly I was one of thousands at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and the following day I attended a preview of Leonardslee Gardens in West Sussex currently undergoing restoration. Apart from the weather – we were well and truly...
By using the term New Shrubbery I do not just mean adding in a few more shrubs but thinking about how much this useful and sometimes maligned group of plans can add to your garden. I often talk and write about Less Effort Gardening and the benefits of permanent planting to create a year round display. One of the...
This may be an unfamiliar term for a familiar method of . As leaves fall and soft green plants die back we are able to see the structure of a planting scheme and the rigid elements that are present through the winter too. We talk about the ‘bones’ of the garden and this is a good way to think of...
