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The short answer is that neither approach is universally better. What suits your garden depends on your soil, budget, mobility, the plants you want to grow, and frankly, how much effort you’re willing to put in upfront. Let me explain why you would choose a raised bed or growing directly in the ground so that […]

I made the leap from IT project manager to BBC Garden Rescue presenter and professional garden designer. After 12 years of managing IT projects, I completely changed careers, and I’m here to give you the honest truth about what it actually takes. Not the motivational fluff you’ll find elsewhere, but the real deal based on […]

Whilst the days are noticeably lengthening and there’s a palpable sense of spring approaching, frosty nights and unpredictable weather still dominate the garden this month. This creates both exciting opportunities and frustrating limitations, making February a month that requires careful planning, realistic expectations, and a strategic approach to what you plant and where you plant it. The […]

Quick Answer: Pruning Overgrown Star Jasmine Prune star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) immediately after flowering finishes in late summer (August-September). Cut back overgrown stems by up to two-thirds, removing old woody growth to encourage fresh flowering shoots. Star jasmine flowers on the previous year’s growth, so avoid spring pruning, which removes flower buds. Established plants tolerate […]

Quick Answer: Moving Established Acer Trees Successfully The best time to move an established Acer is November through February, whilst the tree is dormant. Prune the root ball 6-8 weeks before moving by cutting around the tree with a spade to encourage fibrous root growth. Dig a root ball at least 40cm wide for every […]

Quick Answer: Getting Rid of Leather Jackets What kills leather jackets in lawns? Nematodes (Steinernema feltiae) applied in late summer or early autumn are the most effective organic treatment, killing leatherjacket larvae within 2 weeks. Manual removal by encouraging birds, improving drainage, and scarifying heavily infested areas also works, but is less effective for large […]

Standing at your patio doors staring out at that wedge of green space narrowing away into a sharp point, you might be wondering what possessed the original planner to carve up gardens into geometric nightmares. Triangle shaped gardens are one of those design challenges that can make even experienced gardeners throw their hands up in […]

Quick Answer: Dying Conifer Diagnosis Conifers turning brown typically indicate one of five problems: Avoid hard pruning back to old wood, then check soil drainage, as overwatering or heavy clay kills more conifers than any other cause. Improve drainage, remove affected portions, and ensure adequate spacing for air circulation. Most fungal problems cannot be reversed, […]

Quick Answer Yes, daffodils are hardy perennials that return and multiply year after year with almost no effort. Plant the bulbs between September and November, three times their depth, and let the foliage die back naturally after flowering rather than cutting it early, since this is what feeds the bulb for next year’s display. There’s […]

After presenting over 60 gardens on BBC Garden Rescue, viewers always ask me the same question: “How do you come up with designs so quickly?” The truth is, there’s a systematic process I use on every single project, the same one I teach in my online courses. Let me pull back the curtain and show […]