Trees — in all their forms from mature specimens to ornamental stumps — are the stars of many show gardens at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Create a patch of ‘woodland’ in a small urban garden These show gardens are small compared to real gardens. So they demonstrate that you can create a patch …
I’ve just visited the Horniman Museum & Gardens in South London to talk to Head of Horticulture, Errol Fernandes, about their innovative gardening ideas and techniques. These new ways of gardening are all about working with your garden and climate rather than battling to impose a set definition of what constitutes a beautiful garden. This …
The phrase ‘low maintenance garden‘ usually conjures up an image of dull, regimented shrubs and evergreens. But writer Anne Wareham and photographer Charles Hawes have created Veddw, a garden bursting with personality, colour and structure. And, as the author of The Deckchair Gardener, Anne is known for her no-nonsense approach to what she regards as …
The RHS Hampton Court 2025 Garden Festival had some lovely ideas that we can try in our own gardens. Whether your style is natural and romantic or more sleek and modern, here are some practical takeaways that could work in your garden, whatever its size. The most dominant planting theme at RHS Hampton Court 2025 …
Think garden watering means lugging heavy cans or wrestling with a tangled hose? Think again. Most of us water more than we need to—and often in ways that waste time, money and precious resources. But what if you could teach your plants to thrive with less? To find out how, I went to RHS Wisley, …
Garden design details make all the difference between an ordinary garden and one with the ‘wow factor’. In this town garden, top designers Charlotte Rowe and Tomoko Kawauchi reveal how paths, levels and seating areas can make a space feel bigger, more magical and show off the planting. It’s a private garden on the edges …
Garden screening plants are a speciality at Architectural Plants. ‘It’s what about 90% of our customers want,’ says Guy Watts, the company’s MD. So I asked him what was new in screening plants and design, how to avoid mistakes in garden screening and his top seven garden screening plants. Guy advises ‘layering’ your plants rather …
For the cleanest border line through a hard winter, choose Ilex crenata ‘Dark Green’. It keeps a tight shape, handles frost better than many box plants, and responds well to clipping. For formal beds, it is the strongest all-round choice. Boxwood still works in sheltered gardens, while euonymus, carex, and lavender suit looser or more …
If you’re buying plants for shade, firstly think about what kind of shade you have in your garden. At least half your garden – wherever you live – is shady. If you’re in a town or city, with a small garden surrounded by tall buildings, then much of your garden may be shady for most …
The jungle garden look takes the contemporary, lush layers of today’s houseplant-filled interiors out into the garden. This style of garden is a foliage-based green haven, with layers of plants and different leaf shapes. And you don’t have to live in a tropical country. It can be achieved in cool climates. Philip’s own garden is …