Jo Arnell tells us how to make a productive garden beautiful with deliciously attractive plants.

There are a couple of boring old phrases that hover, Jiminy Cricket-like, in my ear when I’m plotting out my vegetable garden: ‘cut your coat according to your cloth’ is one, and, ‘don’t bite off more than you can chew’ is the other.

Climbing Borlotti beans bring height and beauty

Climbing Borlotti beans bring height and beauty

Dahlias appreciate the same rich soil as vegetables

Dahlias appreciate the same rich soil as vegetables

Vegetables grown in traditional rows

Vegetables grown in traditional rows

Use netting to protect crops from pests

Use netting to protect crops from pests

Potato 'Pink Fir Apple' is a main crop variety, but eaten as a new potato

Potato 'Pink Fir Apple' is a main crop variety, but eaten as a new potato

Sunflowers can be grown as a cut flower or to entice pollinators to your patch

Sunflowers can be grown as a cut flower or to entice pollinators to your patch

There are lots of ways of having an edible garden and you don’t have to aim for self sufficiency

There are lots of ways of having an edible garden and you don’t have to aim for self sufficiency

Flowering plants will attract pollinators and beneficial insects to an edible space

Flowering plants will attract pollinators and beneficial insects to an edible space

Let’s go local

Jo Arnell gives her recommendations for plants that thrive naturally in the great British climate Our native plants are tough. Able to survive frosts, wet winters and – once established – short periods of drought too. They are the bedrock,...

In Shrubs We Trust

Jo Arnell pays attention to some often-overlooked garden stalwarts Shrubs are back. I’m not sure that they ever went away to be honest, but drifts of perennials and meadow plants have been stealing the limelight in recent years. Perhaps it’s...

Making Meadows

Jo Arnell takes a wander through wonderful wildflowers and marvellous meadows I have just come in from my field with a bag of Yellow Rattle seeds, having collected them for a friend to help her establish a meadow. It’s a...