Farewell to the summer of 2018
Reading time 7 minutes
As the sun sets on August, what will be my abiding memories of summer 2018? It goes without saying that the heat and […]
Plants
How to Grow Ornamental Gingers in UK Gardens
Reading time 24 minutes
Ornamental gingers – we’ve admired them whilst on holiday in tropical countries, or seen them curated in the glasshouses of botanical gardens, but […]
TALES FROM THE GIN & TONIC GARDEN, Part II
Reading time 9 minutes
It’s almost 15 months since the Gin & Tonic Garden first came into being. My compact, 20ft x 20ft courtyard is still occasionally referred […]
Plant Profile: Passiflora ‘Snow Queen’
Reading time 6 minutes
I purchase the majority of my plants on a whim. Hands up, it’s one of my greatest weaknesses, not to mention greatest expenses. […]
Plant Profile: Dahlia ‘Nicholas’
Reading time 5 minutes
I should have predicted it. I take a holiday, I unwind (sort of), and up creeps the dreaded tonsillitis. It happens every time, […]
In The Limelight: My Day Filming With BBC Gardeners’ World
Reading time 11 minutes
I’ll let you into a secret – I’m not very good at keeping secrets. When BBC Gardener’s World contacted me, quite out of […]
The Watch House NGS Open Day 2018
Reading time 14 minutes
Over the weekend we welcomed over 300 visitors to The Watch House, breaking records and surprising us all. At times it was a […]
Hunting Brook Gardens, County Wicklow
Reading time 14 minutes
It was raining as we arrived at Hunting Brook; a light, steady drizzle filtering through opaque air. The lanes leading to the garden […]
Plant Profile: Asarina scandens
Reading time 6 minutes
As the heatwave drags on, my evenings are consumed by watering the garden. Already short, their length is reducing daily so that I am […]
The Final Countdown
Reading time 12 minutes
Twenty days to go and the countdown to my NGS garden open weekend is well underway. In truth the garden does not need another […]
Hampton Court Flower Show 2018: The Santa Rita ‘Living La Vida 120’ Garden
Reading time 8 minutes
I am becoming predictable. Just as at Chelsea, it was a contemporary garden featuring a blast of vibrant yellow and a generous entertaining […]
It Ain’t Half Hot Mum
Reading time 8 minutes
I write this post, naked from the waist up, basking in the sun at The Watch House. It’s not a pretty sight, but only […]