Spring Gardening

Mulching is hands down the laziest way to dramatically improve your garden, and I mean that as the highest compliment. After thirty-five years designing gardens professionally, I can tell you that the gardeners with the best-looking borders and healthiest plants are the ones who’ve mastered this one simple technique. Mulching your garden involves spreading a […]

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. […]

What are edimentals? Edimentals are plants that deliver double duty in your garden by being both edible and ornamental. These stunning specimens blur the boundaries between decorative planting and productive growing, giving design-conscious gardeners the best of both worlds without compromise. After 35 years of hands-on gardening and designing hundreds of urban gardens across the […]

Hardening off is the process of gradually acclimatising indoor-grown plants to outdoor conditions over 7 to 14 days before planting them in the garden. Start by placing plants outside in a sheltered spot for 3 to 4 hours daily, gradually increasing exposure to sun, wind, and temperature fluctuations. This prevents transplant shock and strengthens plants […]

Slugs and snails can be controlled effectively without chemicals by using physical barriers, setting traps, encouraging natural predators, and creating less hospitable conditions. Beer traps, copper tape, and wool pellets work brilliantly when used correctly. But it’s up to you to decide the ethics of beer traps! If you’ve ever woken up to find your […]

The simple answer: Compost is decomposed organic matter that you mix into your soil to improve structure, drainage and nutrient content. Mulch is any material you spread on top of soil to suppress weeds, retain moisture and regulate temperature. Compost feeds the soil beneath, whilst mulch protects the soil surface. They work brilliantly together but […]

After years of designing gardens and helping clients troubleshoot plant problems, I can tell you that watering confusion kills more plants than pests, diseases and poor soil combined. People either drown their plants with love or let them shrivel from neglect, and neither works particularly well. The answer: Push your finger one inch (2.5cm) into […]

Today, let’s dig deep into the fascinating world of allotment crop rotation. If you’re an avid gardener or someone just starting to get their hands dirty, you’ll quickly learn that successful gardening is not just about what you plant but also where you plant it each year. Enter the magic of crop rotation. The practice […]

This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about starting a vegetable garden from scratch, based on my years of experience as an award-winning garden designer and what I’ve learned from growing my own veg. I’ll share the mistakes I’ve made (so you don’t have to repeat them!), the techniques that […]

Staring at your modest garden, wondering if there’s room for those magnificent trailing vines you see sprawling across allotments? Perhaps you’ve been put off by tales of pumpkins requiring acres of space, which only the hugest of pumpkins actually need. You might be concerned about whether the British weather will provide enough warmth for these […]