Publications

Feature Plants

Still coming up roses

Is there any flower more universally loved than the rose? With an amazing array of stunning colours and delicate fragrances, the beauty of a rose has both charmed and fascinated admirers for thousands of years. And, with their repeat flowering, modern roses may well have their best show in autumn. Read more...

For the love of trees

There is a tree to suit almost every garden situation. So, how do you choose the correct tree for your garden? Read more...

Old fashioned favourites

Persimmon, pomegranate, gooseberry, quince, loquat – the names read like an artist’s shopping list for still life, or the opening of a richly descriptive poem. Ancient and fragrant, these exotic fruits have seductive histories rooted in myth and folklore, yet remain surprisingly under used in modern kitchens. Read more...

Queen of the cool climate

Camellias are versatile, beautiful plants with fragile and exquisite blooms ranging in colour from pure white to cream, many shades of pink and red and even purple. Flowering from autumn to spring, they can be grown in the ground or in containers and can be creatively used as espalier, in hanging baskets or as stunning topiary specimens. Read more...

Barely contained

With the traditional big back yard dwindling in size over the past decade or so, growing plants in containers has become a satisfying way to get quick results and have a great impact in those smaller spaces. Read more...

Fascinating Fungi

People’s fascination with mushrooms must surely stem right back to early childhood days spent poring over books brimming with pictures of pretty pink fairies and tiny elves sitting cross legged on red spotted mushrooms … or were they toadstools? Read more...

Heavenly, hardy hydrangeas

Few shrubs can rival the stunning display of hydrangeas’ showy, opulent and unique ﬂowers. These beautiful, old fashioned favourites are easy to grow and rewarding, as they provide lots of colour and have an inbuilt toughness that enables them to survive in extreme heat as well as in cool, shady conditions. Read more...

Historically Healthy Herbs

Growing herbs is a most enjoyable and rewarding experience that can enhance your lifestyle, improve your health and help you become a far more creative cook. As this group of plants is generally so easy to grow, with low maintenance and a high degree of success, it can be the ideal introduction to gardening for the beginner. Read more...

The Best Bulbs

William Wordsworth got it right way back in 1804 when he ended his well known poem Daffodils with these emotive words. The daffodil is such a happy ﬂ ower and one can well imagine Wordsworth’s 10,000 daffodils “tossing their heads in sprightly dance”. Read more...

Top Tips For Terrific Tomatoes

It would be hard to ﬁnd a plant that in a temperate or Mediterranean climate is more celebrated than the humble tomato. The anticipation of the bumper summer and autumn crop, the joy of beating your neighbour to be the ﬁrst to proudly pick a ripe tomato … what is it that drives adult gardeners to the horticultural brink? Read more...