Blog

Yes, winter is the best time to prune most deciduous trees. When trees are dormant (from November to late February), they heal faster, diseases are inactive, and you can clearly see the tree’s structure without leaves. However, some trees like cherries, plums and other members of the Prunus family should never be pruned in winter […]

Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival is the world’s largest annual flower show, sprawling across a magnificent 31 acres in the historic grounds of Hampton Court Palace. Unlike its more formal cousin, Chelsea, Hampton Court has a relaxed, family-friendly vibe that welcomes everyone from seasoned gardeners to complete novices. Given this is 2025’s final show before […]

November often gets dismissed as nothing more than a leaf raking and garden tidying month, with most gardeners thinking there’s nothing left to do except clear up and wait for spring. This mentality drives me absolutely spare! Whilst others are already planning their seed orders for February and ignoring their plots, I’m out here at […]

After twenty-odd years of planting thousands upon thousands of bulbs across Manchester, Liverpool, and beyond, I’ve developed something of an obsession with getting colour combinations absolutely spot on. There’s nothing quite like that moment in February when your carefully orchestrated rainbow of bulbs starts emerging through the frost, transforming what a barren winter wasteland is […]

There’s something deeply satisfying about a garden that regenerates itself, returning more generously each year with minimal intervention from you. In my three decades of designing gardens across Britain, I have seen clients’ faces light up when they discover seedlings of their favourite plants appearing in unexpected places, creating those wonderfully spontaneous drifts that define […]

Here’s the uncomfortable truth that most plant shops won’t tell you: improper drainage kills more container plants than practically any other factor. Many gardeners contact me after spending a fortune on beautiful specimens, potting them up in stunning containers, and then wonder why their plants look increasingly miserable before dying completely. The culprit? Water sitting […]

This may come as a surprise to you gardeners, but true blue flowers are absolute gold dust in the gardening world! I’m Lee Burkhill, the Garden Ninja, and in my 35 years of gardening and designing hundreds of gardens across the UK, finding genuinely blue flowers (not purple-blue, not lavender, but proper blue) is one […]

I’m Lee Burkhill, the Garden Ninja, and if there’s one colour that absolutely transforms UK gardens throughout the seasons, it’s purple. From the palest lavender to the deepest aubergine, purple flowers bring sophistication, drama, and an air of mystery that no other colour quite achieves. After designing hundreds of gardens across the North West and […]

There’s something utterly transformative about a garden at dusk. As the day’s heat subsides and shadows lengthen across borders and pathways, an entirely different sensory experience emerges in our gardens. In my years designing gardens across Britain and consulting internationally, I’ve witnessed countless clients discover the magic of evening fragrance for the first time, and […]

When should you plant potatoes in the UK? First early potatoes are planted in late March, second earlies go in during early to mid-April, and maincrop varieties are planted from mid-April to early May. The exact timing depends on your location – plant slightly later in colder northern regions and earlier in milder southern areas. […]