Summer Gardening

Quick Answer For most UK gardens you need three feeds. A seaweed based tonic such as envii SeaFeed Xtra for general plant health, a balanced NPK feed like Growmore or fish, blood and bone for hungry beds and vegetable plots, and a specialist feed for anything that needs it, meaning an ericaceous feed for rhododendrons […]

Quick Answer Gardening with arthritis or a bad back is still possible with a few thoughtful changes. A kneeler with handles, angled hand tools, ratchet secateurs and a raised bed built to a comfortable height remove most of the bending and gripping that causes pain, letting you garden in shorter, kinder sessions. Over the years […]

Quick Answer Olive trees grow successfully in the UK in a sunny, sheltered position with free-draining soil or gritty compost. Most varieties tolerate light frost down to around minus five degrees Celsius, but containers should be moved into a porch, greenhouse or against a sheltered wall during hard winters. Prune lightly in spring to maintain […]

Quick Answer Prune forsythia immediately after flowering finishes, usually in April. Cut back flowered stems to a strong new shoot lower down, remove around a fifth of the oldest stems at the base, and thin out crowded growth in the centre of the shrub. Never prune in autumn or winter, since you will cut off […]

Quick Answer Plan your layout before spending anything, and grow as much as you can from seeds, cuttings, and divided plants rather than buying mature stock. For hard landscaping, the most expensive part of any garden, choose gravel or reclaimed materials over new paving slabs, and check Facebook Marketplace and local salvage yards before buying […]

BBC Garden Rescue designer Lee Burkhill reveals how to get privacy in an overlooked back garden using standard trees, pleached screens and clever planting.

Designing a family friendly garden that works for kids AND adults? BBC Garden Rescue designer Lee Burkhill shares expert zoning tips, DIY play features, safe plant choices and before-and-after examples. Free guide.

We’re not talking about anything sinister here either, just ancient wisdom about how plants can be used for healing, protection, divination, and generally making life a bit more magical. I’ve already written about trees and their influence on witchcraft, which goes into the heavy hitters of the plant world, but today we’re diving into the […]

RHS-qualified designer Lee Burkhill’s complete guide to pruning box hedges in the UK. When to prune, the batter profile, box blight prevention, renovation pruning, topiary and the best box alternatives.

RHS-qualified designer Lee Burkhill’s complete guide to growing star jasmine in the UK. Where to plant, best varieties, winter hardiness by region, containers, propagation and garden design use.