Variegated, or not variegated: that is the question
A walk around any garden centre at this time of year will reveal a number of variegated, evergreen shrubs and perennials that catch the eye. And on a recent trip to my branch [...]
Camellias: love them or hate them?
I've decided that camellias are a 'marmite' plant. There are plenty of gardeners who love their rose-like blooms which are produced in spring over glossy evergreen foliage: and then those who hate them, likening the [...]
Make fruit part of your family history
When I was a small child, my parents – who weren't blessed with a green finger between them – had a loganberry trained on a fence at the end of their plot. It had been [...]
There’s no drop like a snowdrop
I love this time of year. Dark, cold days, punctuated by bursts of feeble winter sunshine, when the gems and jewels that appear in the garden are all the more welcome. And for the next [...]
Dreams of a dahlia summer
Beside my chair in the living room, at the moment, are piles of seed and plant catalogues, along with my iPad, ready for me to browse with the dog curled up at my feet. Over [...]
Do you know how to prune?
So many gardeners have questions about pruning: How far do I need to cut? When is the best time to prune? My shrubs are a tangled mess... Can you help? And yet with a little [...]