Many of us owe our love of plants, gardens and wildlife to early experiences in childhood. Even on a small scale, places that enable young people to connect with the natural environment can begin a relationship that lasts a lifetime. At a time when we need the younger generation to understand, cherish and protect the … Continue reading Year of Green Action Garden at RHS Hampton Court
Water has been a key focus at this year's Gardeners' World Live, both in terms of garden design and the inclement weather. Professor David Stevens, designer and winner of eleven RHS Gold medals, believes it has never been wetter at the show, yet last year's weather was scorching and all through the summer designers struggled … Continue reading Gardeners’ World Live: Water, Water, Everywhere…
2018 is Humphry Repton's bicentenary year and over the next few months events and exhibitions all over the country will be celebrating his life and work. The first person to use the title of 'landscape gardener', Repton (1752-1818) began to practise in 1788, five years after Lancelot Capability Brown's death. His designs reinstated the importance … Continue reading Humphry Repton: Art and Nature for the Duke of Bedford
Last weekend, the first part of Creating a Winter Garden considered structure and flowers. Thanks to everyone who shared images of their winter gardens: precious moments that lift our spirits on these short winter days. Stems and Bark The scarcity of winter flowers means that a wall liberally covered in clematis 'Freckles' is a precious sight, … Continue reading Creating A Winter Garden (Part 2)
The speckled flowers of Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’ and its creamy white counterpart ‘Jingle Bells’ are twining along the bare apple espaliers with some intrepid stems nearly reaching the ground. I planted the clematis by the post closest to the dining room window so that we could see it from the table and judging by the … Continue reading Creating A Winter Garden (Part 1)
Growing alliums makes me happy. I love their versatility, their diversity and their sheer brilliance in the spring borders. They are equally at home in cottage gardens, amongst perennial grasses, in containers and as an architectural feature throughout contemporary planting schemes. I've grown quite a few varieties over the years and have reliable favourites which … Continue reading 7 Best Alliums To Plant This Week