Spring Gardening

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 […]

Dream of creating a stunning coastal garden but worried about battling relentless winds, salt spray, and sandy soils? Perhaps you’ve moved to a beautiful seaside location only to discover that your favourite garden plants simply won’t survive the harsh coastal conditions. Maybe you’re standing in your windswept garden, wondering if you’ll ever achieve that picture-perfect […]

Before we roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty, let me give you the essential information you need to know about planting hedges. I’ve spent over thirty years working with hedges in gardens across the country, from exposed coastal sites to sheltered urban plots. These are the fundamentals that will determine whether your […]

If you’ve ever thought about growing fruit trees, you’ve likely heard about rootstocks. Rootstocks determine how big a tree gets and enable you to work out the ultimate growth of any tree. Rootstocks are the foundation of your tree’s growth and play a massive role in how your tree will behave over time. If you’re […]

If you’ve watched any TV gardening shows, grown your own YouTube channels, or posted on social media about how to grow vegetables, you may be under the impression that you can’t grow anything in the shade. Well, I’m here to tell you that, yes, you can grow edibles in the shade! Plenty of easy-to-propagate fruits and […]

Gardening can be a deeply rewarding hobby, allowing you to reconnect with nature and find mindfulness in our often frantic lives. However, no matter how carefully we garden, our plants sometimes start to look sick. Plant diseases are a common challenge for all gardeners, no matter their experience level. They can be caused by fungi, […]

If you’re like me and have a nightmare garden border that’s both shady and awkward, then this guide for shade-loving plants is for you. Part of my garden here at Garden Ninaj HQ is a mix of deep, dappled, and dry shade. This flower bed also has competition from a hedge and mature trees. It’s […]

Evergreen shrubs are the cornerstone of every successful garden design. They hold structure throughout the year and add weight to gardens, which means that even in the dead of winter, there is some form and interest to look at. I’m not suggesting that we pack our gardens with just evergreen shrubs. Low-maintenance evergreen shrubs should […]