Horticulture & Plant Ideas

I have grown camellias in my gardens for decades and have answered hundreds of camellia problems on this forum and on BBC Garden Rescue. The good news is that most camellia problems are completely fixable once you identify the correct cause. The bad news is that several different problems produce identical-looking symptoms, which is why […]

Lavender dying or looking poorly is genuinely one of the most misdiagnosed plant problems in UK gardening, because the symptoms of almost every possible cause look identical. Brown, drooping, wilting foliage can mean overwatering, root rot, too much shade, wrong soil, overly woody growth, or simply old age. The good news is that once you […]

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 […]

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 […]

Every time I visit a new garden client for the first time, I do the same thing before I look at a single plant or design element. I pick up a handful of soil and feel it. I look at what is already growing there, both the plants people have chosen and the weeds that […]

Quick Answer The best pink flowers for borders include Japanese anemones, penstemons, and hardy geraniums for long summer colour, camellias and magnolias for spring drama, clematis and roses for vertical impact, and nerines for autumn interest. With the right plant selection you can have pink flowers in your garden from February all the way through […]

Silty soil is one of the most fertile and productive growing mediums available, holding moisture and nutrients in a way that suits an enormous range of plants from bold perennials and structural grasses to productive fruit and vegetables. Quick Answer The best plants for silty soil in the UK include Iris sibirica, Astilbe, Rudbeckia, Phlox […]

Are you struggling with clay soil in your garden? You are absolutely not alone. While clay soil can feel like a gardener’s nemesis with its dense, claggy texture and tendency to sit wet for much of the year, heavy clay soil offers a unique combination of high nutrient content and moisture retention that many plants […]

Quick Answer To plant succulents in pots, mix two thirds multipurpose compost with one third perlite or horticultural grit, choose a container with drainage holes, arrange your plants starting with a central focal point, backfill firmly, clean any debris from the leaves, then water thoroughly and allow to drain completely. The key to success is […]

Updated March 2026: Chelsea Flower Show 2026 tickets are on sale now — but they are selling fast, particularly for the final Saturday. This complete guide covers every ticket type, all 2026 prices, exactly how and where to buy, the RHS membership calculation that could save you money, and the insider knowledge only someone who […]