Between the ages of seven and 16 I was at boarding school, and on my birthday in early July my parents would visit with the special treat of strawberries from the garden at home. The quantity varied enormously. Some years I was presented with just one small punnet; in other years I could feed practically … Read more
As she walked down the aisle of Westminster Abbey ten years ago this month, Kate Middleton held a bouquet of white flowers in her hands. It was relatively modest in size but exquisitely pretty, and the component plants were carefully chosen for their significance and seasonal beauty. The smallest white flowers were from lily of … Read more
Monty revisits one of his classic books, Gardening at Longmeadow, in an occasional series. Euphorbias have an astonishing green intensity that adds an electric charge to the garden as they emerge, energising everything – including me – around them. The first to come into flower at Longmeadow is Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae, which is in … Read more
Action plan: Nigel Colborn’s essential jobs for your garden this week Nigel Colborn said Easter is a gardener’s busiest and most productive weekend The gardening expert urged people to prepare their grounds for seed-sowing He also advised people to freeze lightly cooked rhubarb stems to preserve it By Nigel Colborn for the Daily Mail Published: 22:10 … Read more
Top of the poppies! These beauties will self-sow, giving you free flowers all summer long Nigel Colborn advised people to begin sowing some of their plants for summer The gardening expert said he is transplanting his crowded poppy seedlings Nigel also told gardeners to grow native yellow Welsh poppies in shaded areas By Nigel Colborn … Read more
Go on, have a flutter! Take a few tips from the new book by biologist Dave Goulson and it’s a safe bet that beautiful butterflies will start gathering in your garden Dave Goulson said if you have the right flowers you can still see some butterflies Biologist said numbers of garden butterflies are far lower … Read more
Back in the 80s, and even the 90s, there were only a few dahlias that were at all acceptable to self-appointed arbiters of horticultural good taste, but thankfully we have moved beyond all that nonsense and I’d recommend that every garden should grow as many dahlias as they have room for. I certainly do. Dahlias … Read more
READY, STEADY, SOW! Now’s the time to sow your first seeds outdoors. Plant them as soon as your soil becomes dry, workable and crumbly. Direct sowing is suitable for hardy veg such as brassicas, onions, peas and salad leaves. Hardy annual flower seeds should also be sown now. Examples include calendulas, poppies, sweet peas and … Read more
Go wild this spring: Mix delicate wildflowers with showy border plants Nigel Colborn says to abandon your garden and visit your nearest woods Expert says the woodland flowers are at their glorious best from now until May Meadow and roadside flowers have become popular for gardens more recently By Nigel Colborn for the Daily Mail … Read more
‘Let’s try this again!’ Holly Willoughby looks radiant while doing some gardening as star admits she ‘didn’t have much success in 2020’ with plant growing By Nicole Conner For Mailonline Published: 18:05 BST, 28 March 2021 | Updated: 18:05 BST, 28 March 2021 Holly Willoughby looked typically stunning as she posed with plant pots and … Read more