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The critical point with hydrangeas not flowering is that different causes require completely different solutions. The fix for wrong pruning timing is not the same as the fix for frost damage, which is not the same as the fix for too much shade or too much nitrogen. Reaching for a general-purpose fertiliser and hoping for […]

I’ve been working as a professional garden designer and presenter on BBC Garden Rescue for over 20 years, and choosing the right trees has always been the first element I consider in any new design. Get the tree right and everything else falls into place around it. The common fear is that trees are only […]

After twenty years of designing gardens professionally and working on everything from inner-city courtyard lawns to large estate turf, I have seen every cause of yellow and patchy grass the UK climate can throw at a lawn. This guide runs through all of them, shows you how to identify which one is affecting your lawn, […]

Planting a tree is one of the most rewarding things you can do in a garden. In over 20 years as a professional garden designer and presenter on the BBC’s Garden Rescue, I have planted hundreds of trees across all manner of spaces: tiny urban courtyards, sprawling country gardens, and everything in between. The single […]

Here’s the thing about lawn weeds that drives most gardeners completely bonkers: you can’t treat what you can’t identify as a lawn weed. I’ve lost count of how many times clients have told me they’ve been battling “that yellow flowery thing” or “the spreading green stuff” with completely the wrong treatment. It’s like trying to […]

Starting to garden as a beginner can be daunting. You search the shed and find a rusty trowel, maybe a wobbly-handled spade that has seen better days. They may have even been left by the last owners, too ashamed to take them with them. You have a go at using them to find that they […]

What frustrates me about most “best secateurs” guides online is that they are written by people who borrowed a pair for a weekend or were sent them by a company in return for positive reviews. Worse still, some gardeners barely prune or have little expertise in using and maintaining secateurs. It means that when you […]

Quick Answer For most gardeners, a thick EVA foam kneeling mat, at least 25mm thick and ideally 40mm on hard surfaces, is the best first purchase, and it should have a waterproof rather than water-resistant cover. Knee pads suit continuous tasks like border weeding, and a kneeler seat with proper handles is the better choice […]

Quick Answer The best orange flowers for UK gardens include Crocosmia ‘Emberglow’, Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’, Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’, and Kniphofia for summer and autumn impact, with Tulipa ‘Princess Irene’ and Wallflowers delivering spring colour. Choose from trees, shrubs, climbers, perennials, annuals, and bulbs to achieve orange flowers from March right through to October. Orange spans […]

Quick Answer Scarify your lawn in early autumn (September to October) once the grass is growing well but weed pressure is falling. Mow short first, set blades 2 to 3mm into the soil, make two passes at 45 degrees to each other, then overseed immediately at 15 to 35 grams per square metre and water […]