Summer Gardening

BBC Garden Rescue designer Lee Burkhill explains how to get rid of garden weeds organically — which tools work, why homemade remedies fail, and how to stop weeds coming back.

Starting to garden as a beginner can be daunting. You search the shed and find a rusty trowel, maybe a wobbly-handled spade that has seen better days. They may have even been left by the last owners, too ashamed to take them with them. You have a go at using them to find that they […]

With the right plant choices, they can host some of the most dazzling, naturalistic planting schemes imaginable. As an RHS-qualified garden designer with over twenty years of experience, including gardens on some of the driest, sandiest plots in the UK, I can tell you that the secret is simply working with what you have rather […]

If you’ve ever wondered what all the fuss is about, or if you’re planning your first visit and want to make sure you get the most out of every minute, this is the guide I wish someone had handed me the first time I walked through those gates. We’re going to cover everything: the show’s […]

The shift from petrol-powered to cordless battery-powered garden tools has been one of the most significant changes in UK domestic gardening over the last decade. When I started in garden design, petrol was the professional standard and battery tools were the weak compromise you gave to someone who did not know better. That is completely […]

Whilst the weather here in the UK can be a bit temperamental, the summer often feels like a two-week affair before it disappears again. You would be surprised just how favourable our climate actually is for growing genuinely awesome plants. If your garden is lucky enough to be in full sun, this list of full-sun […]

Whether you’re designing a classic white border inspired by Sissinghurst or simply want to lift a shady corner with some luminous planting, white flowers are the most versatile and brightening colour in the garden designer’s toolkit. White is a garden colour (tone) that works absolutely everywhere, with nearly everything, in every style of garden, and […]

I hear this worry from gardeners constantly, and it arrives in my forum week after week without fail. The good news is that a dying ceanothus is rarely a mystery if you know what to look for. The less welcome news? Some ceanothus problems can be fixed, and some simply cannot. My job in this […]

Quick Answer: Pruning Overgrown Star Jasmine Prune star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) immediately after flowering finishes in late summer (August-September). Cut back overgrown stems by up to two-thirds, removing old woody growth to encourage fresh flowering shoots. Star jasmine flowers on the previous year’s growth, so avoid spring pruning, which removes flower buds. Established plants tolerate […]

Quick Answer: Dying Conifer Diagnosis Conifers turning brown typically indicate one of five problems: Avoid hard pruning back to old wood, then check soil drainage, as overwatering or heavy clay kills more conifers than any other cause. Improve drainage, remove affected portions, and ensure adequate spacing for air circulation. Most fungal problems cannot be reversed, […]