Big is Beautiful

Sue Whigham rejoices in the splendour of plants with outrageously large leaves It was serendipitous that we discovered that Blenheim was to be closed for two days recently, as we had to put our visit off and decide on a...

Portrait of a Garden – Great Dixter

Jo Arnell shares her impressions of a year at Great Dixter, one of the great gardens of England, inspired by a new tribute by esteemed photographer Julian Anderson Everchanging, always interesting, often breathtaking, Great Dixter is a fascinating place to...

Ladybird on an aster

Good Garden Bugs

Not all garden bugs are baddies – Jo Arnell advises how to keep the pests at bay, while nurturing the good guys.

Beautiful and graceful, Tulipa Ballerina

Scents of spring

Even before your garden is in full bloom it can be heavenly scented says Jo Arnell It seems positively greedy to expect flowers to be fragrant at this time of the year – a glimpse of colour is treat enough...

Keen seed swappers and hunters at Brighton’s Seedy Sunday, the longest running seed swap in Britain

Seed the day

Sue Whigham celebrates the spring joy of swapping and sewing seeds I’m kicking myself for not making the effort to go to Seedy Sunday in Hove last weekend. It was the thought of a long journey on a wet and...

cool veg broad beans

Cool veg for warmer days

It’s the moment Jo Arnell has been waiting for since October – time to get going in the veggie patch It’s all about to take off in the vegetable garden and the first of the summer harvests are just around...

The soil is warming, the sun is rising in the sky and the April showers are providing plenty of moisture

Jobs to do in April

Jo Arnell offers helpful advice for those about to head out into their gardens

Pots of love

Jo Arnell shows how easy – and enjoyable – it is to make a Mother’s Day treat for mum yourself.

Ready, Steady…VEG!

The daffodils are up, but don’t starting planting your kitchen garden yet cautions Jo Arnell

Winter Sweet

Jo Arnell warms up the winter garden with fragranced seasonal blooms

Back To Our Roots

After a lengthly wait, Jo Arnell starts to unearth her soil-dwelling home grown veg in time for Christmas

A Touch Of Frost

Sue Whigham picks her favourite winter garden wonders that make beautiful festive decorations

Grow Your Own Hedge

Jo Arnell explains how to ensure you have pick of the crop at home...

Fall In Love

Sue Whigham admires autumn displays of glorious colour

Any Old Iron?

Jo Arnell turns salvage hunter to provide her garden with economical and beautiful focal points made from often-overlooked reclamation yard goodies

Lavender’s Blue

Sue Whigham takes a look at the fragrant world of Lavandula

The Show Can Go On!

Jo Arnell looks into glorious late summer colour

Some Like it Hot

Jo Arnell goes in search of exotic-looking plants that thrive in the great British weather

What’s New?

Sue Whigham takes a look at the latest prize-winning breeds coming to a nursery near you

Second Out, Round Two!

Jo Arnell explains that it’s never too late to get the most out of your veg garden over the summer months

The Makings of a Garden

Sue Whigham talks about the evolution of her own garden and perfect plant combinations

War On Weeds

Jo Arnell tackles the trickiest garden invaders

What’s In A Name?

Sue Whigham uncovers the Latin reasoning behind plant monikers

Alexanders can often be found on the sites of monastery gardens and were both a food source and perhaps used as a medicinal ingredient by the monks

Plants That Heal

Sue Whigham highlights the therapeutic properties of common countryside dwellers

Keeping It Contained

Plants in containers, whether permanent or seasonal, are a delight around the garden. If you’re short of space, or don’t have much in the way of a garden, they can even become mini gardens in themselves. Jo Arnell pots up...

The dandelion taraxacum officinale needs no introduction and despite traditional beliefs, will not have you wetting the bed if you eat it

The Forgotten Harvest

Expert forager Michael White explains there’s more use for garden invaders than just compost fodder as he explores edible weeds

Made to Measure

Garden designer, TV presenter and writer, Mark Lane talks us through his love of the outdoors

Course Work

The newest member of the WT team, Rebecca Cuffe, tracks down a handful of the best gardening tutorials around

The Instant Gardener

BBC presenter Danny Clarke explains what drew him into the world of horticulture

April Treats

Sue Whigham selects some beautiful spring goodies to bring your garden to life

Vegetables With Meals in Mind

Dish up your home-grown feasts with pride by following Jo Arnell’s tips for growing success

Project Plant

Do you have spare land to plant some native trees? Help The Woodland Trust to combat the spread of tree diseases with its specially selected tree packs

A Garden for all Seasons

Follow Jo Arnell’s spring tips for a gorgeous garden all year round

Spring has Sprung

Sue Whigham explores our fascination with snowdrops

Early Bird Gardening

Jo Arnell gets ahead this month in preparation for a productive year in the garden

Let it Shine

Sue Whigham gives her tips and picks for growing conservatory plants

Euphorbia ‘Wulfenii’ – is an architectural plant with handsome, grey/green foliage in winter and long-lasting lime green bracts in spring

Gardening Resolutions

Jo Arnell advises us on taking positive steps in the garden for the year ahead.

The Winter Garden

Colder weather doesn’t have to mean the end of decorative pots and hanging baskets – Emma Hardy’s book shows how

Deck the Halls

Jo Arnell celebrates the Yuletide tradition – and fun – of decorating your house with evergreens

Very Berry

Sue Whigham celebrates autumn’s visual feast

Mellow Fruitfulness

After an exhaustingly sunny summer, Jo Arnell is relishing gentler autumn gardening

From a Tiny Acorn

Sue Whigham celebrates the mighty English oak tree

Squash Up!

Jo Arnell gets misty about her pumpkin patch

I met the work before I met the man. I was at the Green Gathering in Chepstow, a festival dedicated to teaching people to live lightly on the planet and have fun, when I turned into the craft field and a giant merman greeted me - otherwise known as The Metamorphosis of Glaucus. Standing a full twenty feet tall, magnificently carved from one piece of wood, with flowing locks and a perfect aquiline nose, he represented the talent and expertise that awaited visitors to the craft field. Canterbury-based Daniel Hilton is a young man on a mission. He believes his childhood on a farm, being close to nature, gave him the skills that he uses today to create large stunning works of art from native trees. Daniel trained under master sculptor Graham Jones and spent eight years learning his craft. The sculpture most people associate with Daniel is his carving of a baby in a tree situated in Victoria Recreation Ground in Canterbury. Carved in March, 2013, Dan tells the story: ‘ There was a dead tree in Canterbury due to be cut down by the Council and I wanted to save the tree and showcase my work. The thought of pregnancy and rebirth led to Tree Baby.’ The work has led to rave reviews for Dan. The Lilford Art Gallery called it a landmark piece of work and it confirmed this young man as an original sculptor, even though he describes his own work as a kind of ‘upcycling firewood’. His recent work is stunning and he now has a body of work that he rents to festivals and private individuals for functions, and a growing portfolio of public works in the South East of England. He is open for commissions and if twenty foot mermen are not your cup of tea, his chairs, benches and charming loveseats may suit. A particular favourite of mine is a ten foot chair with a spectacular back that curves and twists following the shape of the original branches, making it look like a tangled mass of curls or intertwining snakes reminiscent of Medusa.

The Green Goddess

Penny Kemp on upcycling

Gone to Seed

Jo Arnell gathers in seeds and rejoices in autumn as the start of the new growing cycle

The Green Goddess

Penny Kemp celebrates the joys and benefits of local involvement

Whether the Weather

Sue Whigham finds we have a lot to learn from ancient climate lore

Wood Works

The secret to the perfect work/life balance may already be in your garden - and if it isn’t you can build one... by Isobel Mackay