Planting slug resistant plants is the most effective way of stopping slugs and snails from devouring your garden. You may have read articles or seen advertisements promising that you can get rid of slugs and snails permanently. But you can’t. Slugs and snails will always return, no matter what you…
A rock garden – often called a ‘rockery’ – was once an essential element in both grand and smaller British gardens. Then they got too popular. Banks of stones and rocks were added to almost any garden, without any real thought or understanding. And then they were neglected. People stopped…
Garden structure means the permanent elements of your garden, and how they relate to each other. It’s the paths, pots, walls, fences, arches, arbours and pergolas. It’s the trees and evergreen hedges – all the elements left when plants die back for the winter. But this isn’t just about how…
If you grow daffodils, they’ll come back year after year. Tulips are outrageously colourful and gorgeous, but usually disappear after one or two years. Daffodils are the most easy-going spring flowering bulbs. Not only do they come back, they will often spread. Daffodils are also considered to be deer, squirrel,…
We all have summer garden problems. People who write, film or photograph gardening are often accused of making everything look unrealistically beautiful. And sometimes we do. I’ve found myself lying or standing in some very difficult positions just to get that perfect beautiful shot of a plant because everything around…
Does the difficult summer mean you have dying plants in your garden? And what should you do about it – cut off the dead leaves and add fertilizer? No! Both could be the worst possible thing you can do! I asked a top professional gardener what we should do instead.…
If you have a rented garden or can’t afford to change your landscaping, then you can create a real garden in pots. When you move, you can take the pots with you. You can even replant the plants in the soil after a few years in pots. But making a…
This small wildlife garden is very pretty and easy to look after. Plus it attracts a wide range of wildlife. A few years ago, the Rewilding Britain garden won Best in Show at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It triggered a vigorous debate in the gardening world. Is a small…
When Natalie and Mike Newman first saw their house, they were attracted by the neglected garden almost more than the house itself. It was probably laid out in Victorian or Edwardian times. At one side, massive overgrown conifers crowded into each other around a side lawn. Then there was a…
Many of the most successful garden designs link indoor and outdoor space by using colour, materials and even furniture to create a seamless transition. Sometimes it’s called ‘blurring the boundaries’ between house and garden. I spoke to two people with very different garden styles, but who both successfully connect their…
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