There is a particular moment familiar to anyone who grows chillies. You’ve watched the plant develop from a tiny seedling on the windowsill. You’ve watered it, fed it,…
The saffron crocus, Crocus sativus, is one of the most intriguing and historically significant plants in the world. Known primarily for producing the valuable spice saffron, this small,…
There is something particularly satisfying about a raised bed. Perhaps it’s the sense of order: a clearly defined patch of earth waiting to be planted. Or perhaps it’s…
Just as the garden begins to quieten, chrysanthemums come into their own. Summer’s exuberance may be fading, seed heads are beginning to replace flowers and the first leaves…
Some of the most memorable parts of a garden can begin with a single pot. A terracotta container beside the back door overflowing with herbs. A great stone…
There are few tastes that capture late summer quite like a ripe blackberry. For many of us, blackberries belong to hedgerows: fingers stained purple after an afternoon’s picking,…
There are times when even a well-kept lawn begins to look tired. Grass becomes thin, moss creeps across the surface and, however carefully you mow, the lawn never…
A boundary can do much more than mark where one garden ends and another begins. Plant a hedge and, over time, that boundary becomes part of the garden…
Imagine creating vibrant, lasting colours for your fabrics using nothing more than the plants growing in your own back garden. From the fiery oranges of coreopsis to the…
As the vibrant colours of summer fade and the garden prepares for its winter slumber, a thoughtful gardener knows that now is the time to lay the groundwork…