Gardens
Small but Mighty
Jo Arnell makes sure mini spaces pack a productive punch Give me land, lots of land under starry skies above…’ Well, sadly most of us do have to have fences and aren’t able to ride through the plains on a...
Heaven Scent
Maximise on fragrance with Sue Whigham’s sweet-smelling picks So what are aromatic plants and how do they differ from plants with fragrant flowers? Yesterday, I layered up and meandered out into the garden in a search for any aromatic plants that...
Part time Veg
Get into the growing groove with Jo Arnell’s tips for fuss-free vegetables No time to grow vegetables? Not much space? Feeling daunted? Well – you don’t have to be rich to grow some veg, you don’t have to be cool...
Sow Magical
There’s endless treasure to be found amongst the pages of this year’s seed catalogues, as Sue Whigham explains It is so lovely to receive a seed catalogue in the post and especially when it is as tempting and full of...
Early Birds
Jo Arnell recommends jobs to get ahead with in the garden this month, and those to leave for the onset of warmer weather If you’re an early bird and in the habit of catching worms, February might not be the...
I’m a survivor
Sue Whigham’s advice on selecting trees that can thrive in our changing climate Last night we were promised that temperatures were on the rise and are expected to reach unseasonably high levels in the next few days; it is certainly...
New Beginnings
Jo Arnell takes a closer look at houseplants for Christmas – and beyond – with help from The Glasshouse Project It’s been a tradition to bring evergreen foliage into the home at this time of year for thousands of years....
Make Your Winter Garden a Wildlife Haven
Follow Jo Arnell’s expert tips for a thriving outside space all year round Imagine sleeping in the garden all through the winter months. Where would you sleep? In the shed? Under a hedge? I could possibly eke it out for...
A Taste of the Mediterranean
It is possible to bring a little holiday magic into your own garden, as Sue Whigham explains As the nights draw in, the thought of a Mediterranean holiday becomes more and more appealing. The image in one’s mind of being...
Wild Harvests
Jo Arnell is scouring the English countryside for all its treasures General foraging rules Make sure you can identify the plant – poisonous plants can look edible and some may look almost identical to edible varieties Don’t pick from roadsides...
Top Trunks
Sue Whigham takes a closer look at native trees and hedging and explains how we can all do our bit to provide year-round sustenance and shelter for wildlife What a peculiar year it has proved to be weather-wise and every...
Live fast die young
Let your borders live life in the fast lane with Jo Arnell’s annual selection Hardy annuals, as their name suggests, are tough, easy going plants that will survive the frosts, so they can be sown in the autumn to flower...
What to do in September
Sue Whigham rolls up her sleeves for a host of garden activities this month Two little granddaughters went home earlier in the week with, amongst other things, a plastic container full of seed heads that they had chased across the...
August Activities
Sue Whigham makes a plan of action to tackle this month's gardening tasks and reflects on the impact a changing climate is having on our own outdoor spaces.
Planting Plans
Planting Plans Jo Arnell gets ahead of the bulb game with fuss-free picks for every part of the garden I had an aunt who, as soon as the longest day was over, would start talking about Christmas. ‘The nights are drawing...
Seed Collectors
Sue Whigham’s top tips for gathering and storing for the next generation of blooms Well, today’s been a bit of a disaster as I’ve just realised that I am about to lose another mature tree to what I assume must...
Fruitful
Jo Arnell picks the juiciest soft fruit for a summer of plentiful natural sweetness I must grow some more fruit next year. I’m saying this as I sow seed and set out yet more little vegetable plants. Most vegetables are annuals...
Grow your own medicine cabinet
Jo Arnell investigates the healing properties of plants Tense, nervous headache? Try chewing on a piece of willow bark. Indigestion? Difficulty sleeping? Just pop into the garden for some fennel to settle your stomach and a bit of lavender to...
Keep it contained
Sue Whigham gives her guidance for container planting success Last year I ordered a salvia collection from one of the national newspapers. The plants arrived but they really were miniscule and looking unlikely to survive until the end of the...
Forget-Me-Not
Jo Arnell explores how biennials are the often overlooked heroes of a successful planting scheme Imagine a plant that looks after itself, one that will flower early, that will grow in difficult shady situations, that after flowering will quietly, sometimes...
Let’s go Wild!
Sue Whigham takes a look at the charity Plantlife’s initiatives to study the nation’s wildflowers This week I managed to book myself into two Zoom lectures at the same time. I’ve obviously been at home too long. But the one...
Ready, set, grow!
Keen to ensure 2021 is filled with a bountiful supply of home-grown edibles, Jo Arnell gets cracking in the veg garden with super-speedy early crops
Pesty Problems?
Sue Whigham gives handy tips to tackle garden pests without harming the wildlife that feeds on them One of my ancient greengage trees was uprooted during one of January’s downpours and so I thought that this was a good excuse...
Feed Me!
Jo Arnell gives her soil-enriching recommendations to ensure your garden plants never go hungry
9-5 In Style
If you’ve made the decision to continue to work from home, why not invest in a beautiful outdoor space that will allow you to take control of your working life, maintain work/life balance and provide a gorgeous focal point in...
Canopies of Wonder
Sue Whigham shares her love of native trees and their regional differences Wayland’s Smithy is a Neolithic long barrow in Oxfordshire built about a mile and a half along the ancient Ridgeway from the Uffington White Horse. History has it...
Seasonal Scentedness
Jo Arnell’s recommendations for naturally festive fragrances to raise your Christmas spirits You’d be forgiven for thinking that Christmas fragrance comes in the form of a mulled wine sachet or a garden centre scented candle as a pervasive blend of...
A Taste of the Exotic
Tom Hart Dyke, Curator of The World Garden at Lullingstone Castle, shares his passion and top plant care tips for orchids – which aren’t always as tropical as you may think Orchids are now considered to be the largest family...
Where the WILD things are
Try these tips to encourage wildlife to flourish in your garden “There is a shortage of natural nesting holes for wild birds, which impacts population numbers of many familiar species. Putting up a nestbox provides shelter and attracts welcome visitors...
Shape it up…
Sue Whigham makes a statement with unusual colours and shapes Well, the usual deluge hasn’t happened today. Perhaps spring is definitely on its way. Actually, I think it is and so do the bumblebees. I saw a huge one collecting...
Wild at heart
How have our Wealden garden designers been encouraging wildlife back into the garden with wildflower planting? WILDFLOWER MEADOWS “Creating a wildflower meadow in your garden is a lovely way to ‘soften’ the space and to encourage wildlife diversity, such as...
Sow a meadow
With many options to choose from, Jo Arnell talks us through the basics A dreamy meadow full of poppies, cornflowers and ox-eye daisies is a lovely thing to behold, but perhaps more fantasy than reality in the countryside these days –...
It’s a Wild World
Sue Whigham discusses the measures we can all take to protect biodiversity Last week, squeezed in amongst the newspaper supplements, I spotted a report on comments made by the new President of the British Ecological Society. In it she urges...
Easy Edibles
Read Jo Arnell’s words of wisdom and your gardening confidence will grow alongside your supply of home grown veg Whatever anyone tells you about growing your own vegetables – it’s a lot of hard work, things often go wrong, pests...
Naked Attraction
Jo Arnell strips the garden back to beautiful winter basics Winter can stretch on into spring sometimes, remaining colourless and drab for longer than necessary, dragging its grey heels even as the days lengthen and the green shoots start peeking...
Plant Hunters
Sue Whigham explores the origins of many popular plant species and how they were discovered I must say that when my son and daughter-in-law announced that they were going to take a sabbatical in the summer of 2019 and,...
Grow Your Own Sun
Jo Arnell injects some mood-lifting yellows into the winter garden When most of the colour has withered back into the earth and the natural world is dark and dormant it can seem a bit bleak outside. We can admire the...
Dream of a Green Christmas
Jo Arnell shares her top tips and tricks for an eco-friendly festive season It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And the most wasteful – if my rubbish and recycling bags are anything to go by. Every year I...
Magic Mushrooms
Sue Whigham explores the wonderfully varied world of fungi We’ve got a fast growing and rather beautiful quaking aspen behind the pond; its nooks and crannies providing a nesting site year after year to a pair of starlings. Unfortunately, the...
Structural Assets
Jo Arnell shares her recommendations for plants with year-round staying power A herbaceous border in full swing at the height of summer is a wonder to behold, but come the autumn it does rather collapse into a heap of old...
Sweet Dreams
Sue Whigham goes in search of the lesser-seen members of the Lepidoptera order of moths. I know that many of us, no, all of us, when we think of moths, have dark thoughts about clothes moths, or at least their...
The Forever Plants
Jo Arnell explains what makes succulents such strong survivors. Technically, a succulent is any plant with thick, fleshy (succulent) water storage organs. Succulents store water in their leaves, stems, or roots, so they can go for long periods without needing...
A Changing Climate
Jennifer Stuart-Smith takes a look at how gardeners are having to adapt to extreme weather conditions. Whether you are a farmer, fisherman or gardener, there’s little point battling Mother Nature. She always has the upper hand. So, rather than railing...
Late season crops
Jo Arnell proves that, with a little planning, there’s still plenty to grow in the veg garden as colder months approach. There might be gaps appearing on the plot this month. I’m hoping it means you’ve been able to celebrate...
Late Bloomers
Sue Whigham gives her tips for glorious autumn colour. A few years ago a group of us went to have lunch at Gravetye Manor, home to the Victorian gardener, William Robinson. Robinson bought the Elizabethan house and about 200 acres in...
Mad about the BEES
Jo Arnell explains why, in a world full of pesticides, making your garden a destination for bees provides them with the ecological haven they’re crying out for. Insects are in crisis at the moment, their numbers declining at a frightening...
