Plant profile
Japanese Anemone: The Stalwart That Steals The Show
A deep dive into these hardworking, heavy-lifting plants, including my shopping list for autumn container planting.
Latest
Mythology
How the Quince Kickstarted Ten Years of Conflict
Divine retribution, deceit, abduction, chariots, storms, murder, tragedy, sea monsters, sacrifice and dishonour. All this as well as a fine membrillo.
Wellness & wellbeing
Forget Mindfulness: Try Gardening Instead
Not every gardening operation will result in feeling at one with the universe, but it is still worth popping outside when you need to put your thoughts in order.
Wildlife
What's the One Thing that Stays the Same for Everyone in Every Garden?
Change!
Christmas
All Tied Up With A Bow
Properly thoughtful Christmas presents, all LINKED, so you can be the best giver in the world!
Growing for eating
It Is Time to Let Some Vegetables Go
In a year marked by concern for pollinators, this article explores the resilience of nature, why you should let some vegetable go, the role of umbellifers, and how making a garden a sanctuary for wildlife won't hinder yield or aesthetic.
Garden design
Branching Out - I've Got the Tree Surgeons In
I have inherited some fabulous trees and want to look after them as best I can.
Plant profile
Loved and Lost
How many plants have you killed? Here are a few of my failures.
Herbs
In Praise of the Self-Seeder, Nature's Gift to the Garden and Gardener
The lavender seedlings in my Herbetum weren’t planned, purchased, or planted. They simply appeared, uninvited yet welcome. They taught me, again, that the best gardens are those where we loosen our grip a little and let nature play her part.
Through the Garden Gates
Running Away to the Scilly Isles - On My Care-Giver's Break
The Scilly Isles was my dream destination. It's a long way from my home in Suffolk but I needed a carer's break, from looking after my dear husband. I found gin-clear swimming beaches -and discovered the magical, subtropical Tresco Abbey Gardens.
Plant portrait
Nostalgia, Nature, and Life Lessons in a Spiky Shell
The horse chestnut tree is being battered into submission by a string of unpleasant ailments. The mighty giants are a sorry sight by this time of year but. we still have conkers.
Wildlife
Bonfires and Vanity
Or how not to cook a hedgehog!