Winter

A Gentle Plea for Order?

Making lists, and tidying up

In Conversation

In Conversation: Mary Keen on Her New Book 'Diary of a Keen Gardener'

Listen in to a conversation between gardener and author Mary Keen and me, James Alexander-Sinclair.

Inspirational gardens

Rooted in Passion: a new nursery devoted to traditional techniques

At Hooton's Walled Nursery in South Yorkshire, Dean and Glenn Charlton are reclaiming the art and craft of horticulture to cultivate plants that are both beautiful and useful

Garden history

Pandora's Perennials, Biodiversity and the Dialectics of Fashion

I pursue my journey through the last 50-odd years of British garden history looking at how we loosened up through a range of planting styles - and discuss some surprising comparisons.

Seeds

Confessions of a Kitchen Table Seed Starter

My kitchen is becoming mission control for my growing addiction AT LAST. Between client meetings and CAD designs, I'm nurturing hundreds of potential gardens, one tiny seed at a time. March is here, and my seed tin is demanding to be opened!

Winter

Sometimes It’s Best to Stay out of the Rain

Confessions of a gardener: why sometimes the best place to enjoy the garden is from the comfort of your sofa, not knee-deep in mud.

Winter

This Year I'm Playing To My Strengths - But Do I Have Any?

Losing my husband last year led to a New Year 'resolutionary' re-think. No longer a Jan Of All Trades, I'm ditching houseplants, fruit and veg and just growing plants and flowers that make me happy.

Remembrance of things Pasta

I investigate why gardeners who value their past, present and future should read more Proust and ask the all important question: are journalists lower than snakes?

Growing for eating

Next Year's Pies & Crumbles

Let's be honest, it has been a mixed bag in the veg garden this year, but onto the next and where can I make any small interventions, and maybe just help the garden a little more!

Christmas

Making Space For Space

A day I used to hate but I've learned to love, has taught me to regard the garden as a room ripe for rearranging

Plant profile

Growing the lotus

Has growing this given me more pleasure than anything else?

Flowers

Discover the Fabulous World of Dahlia Breeding

The dahlia-hunting trip to The Netherlands every summer is one of the most exhilarating and rewarding trips of the year. I leave feeling completely inspired. Here I describe how we select one from a thousand - and why.