Blog

I don’t know of any gardener who likes cleaning up leaves, but in the autumn months, it is something that most gardeners need to tolerate. Our deciduous trees drop their leaves each autumn, providing a golden opportunity to create a soil improver by making leaf mould. Leaf mould compost is an excellent way to rid […]

After months of watching your pumpkins and squashes swell from tiny green marbles into impressive specimens, that crucial question looms large: are they actually ready to harvest, or will premature picking leave you with disappointing, watery disappointments? The difference between a perfectly ripe specimen and a disappointing watery mess often comes down to timing, and […]

If you’ve got a bare fence line or row of fence panels in your garden, you will know just how depressing and frustrating the view can be. Let’s discuss one of the most overlooked opportunities in garden design: the humble fence line. I see it time and time again in my design consultations, gardeners treating […]

Quick Answer October is prime time for planting bare root trees, shrubs and hedging, sowing garlic, onion sets and autumn broad beans, planting tulip and bluebell bulbs, sowing hardy annuals such as sweet peas and verbascum, and getting winter salad crops established under cover. It is also the month to harvest and cure pumpkins and […]

Gothic gardens aren’t about creating something frightening or forbidding. Rather, they’re about embracing the romance of shadows, the elegance of deep colours, and the theatrical beauty that comes from bold contrasts with your plant choices and landscaping design choices. These spaces evoke an atmosphere of sophisticated drama, that Gothic mystery which many of us love. […]

Prairie planting has absolutely taken the UK gardening world by storm, and for excellent reasons! Although many prairie plants are not native to northern Europe, many have been part of our garden history for almost 200 years, and, with a few exceptions, they have behaved well. What started as an American phenomenon has evolved into […]

If you’ve been following my apple harvest adventures, you’ll know that autumn’s fruit bonanza doesn’t stop there, just as you’re getting to grips with your apple glut, along come the pears with their own delicious demands! After years of helping clients make the most of their orchard bounty, I can tell you that pears are […]

If you’ve ever stood beneath a laden apple tree in September, wondering whether you’re experiencing the best gardening problem ever or staring at weeks of frantic apple processing ahead, then you’re in exactly the right place. After years of helping my own clients transform their apple gluts from overwhelming burden into delicious opportunity, I’m spilling […]

If you’ve ever stood in your garden watching your beloved pooch systematically destroy your prize Dahlias whilst simultaneously wondering if those mysterious holes appearing overnight are the work of garden goblins or your ‘innocent’ terrier, then you’re in exactly the right place. I’ve seen it all in my years designing gardens for dog owners and […]

September is often overlooked as a month for taking a breather rather than planting, with many gardeners thinking the growing season is winding down and focusing primarily on tidying up summer’s glorious chaos by cutting back. Knowing what to plant during September is where the experienced gardeners beat newbies! September is the prime time for […]