Over the 25 years it’s been running, the Daily Mail’s National Garden Competition has shown how many wonderful gardens there are in Britain. For many of us, it’s our gardens that have kept us going this year, so it’s not surprising that the standard for 2020 was so high that the judges, led by renowned … Read more
Monty revisits one of his classic books, Gardening at Longmeadow, in an occasional series. Part of getting to know your garden well is having a detailed mind-map of where the light is at any time of day or year and to make sure that some part of the garden is making the most of what … Read more
Banana drama! Monty Don’s had his struggles with banana plants – but he’s found the secret to making them thrive… Monty Don reveals how to grow bananas despite the often wet and cold climate He suggests cutting the plants to a stump in October, then potting up their roots And the expert gardener answers your … Read more
Monty revisits one of his classic books, Gardening at Longmeadow, in an occasional series. The butterflies are at their busiest in August, jostling and flitting from flower to flower like shoppers in a sale to reach the nectar of late-season blooms – and there is no plant in the late summer garden that attracts them … Read more
A rosy outlook at last: Heatwaves can help maintain a vibrant display all the way through till autumn Nigel Colborn shared his advice for vibrant displays of roses for months to come British gardening expert said productive varieties will flower until mid November Recommends picking off faded blooms so they don’t spoil newly opening buds … Read more
This has been a good year for cucumbers and gherkins (essentially a warty-skinned, small cucumber ideally suited to pickling) – but then most years are for me. I claim no expertise or special skill because cucumbers are reliably easy to grow as long as you give them the conditions they love, and that almost invariably … Read more
Monty revisits one of his classic books, Gardening at Longmeadow, in an occasional series. As summer moves into its second half I rely on the half-hardy and tender annuals to provide colour and form. The most dramatic of all late- season annuals – and one of my favourites – is the sunflower. The knee-jerk response … Read more
Back to the fuchsia! We’ve thought of fuchsias as exotic since they arrived here in the 1700s, but they’re hardier than you think, says Monty Don Fuchsias were considered exotic when they came to the UK in the 18th century Monty Don said most fuchsias thrive in dappled shade and warm conditions British gardening expert … Read more
For the past month my cottage garden has been filled with flowers from more than 50 different varieties of shrub roses. These are of every hue from the pure white of ‘Madame Hardy’ to the almost purple ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’, though the dominant colour is pink in every shade. But I have one border with … Read more
As one of Britain’s top florists, Simon Lycett’s working life is spent surrounded by gorgeous blooms, many of them shipped in from around the world and carefully wrapped so every single petal is at the peak of perfection for the glamorous events he works on. At home, though, his tastes are much simpler. Simon’s garden … Read more
HOW TO DODGE THE WEATHER Britain is used to extreme weather, but 2020 has been a horror show so far for gardeners. Spring drought led to a sweltering April followed by an exceptionally dry May. Now June has come with plantwrecking winds and showers. The rain is welcome, but don’t be fooled. We haven’t had … Read more
Blue swoon! Delphiniums radiate a glorious shade that so rarely pops up in nature – and they’re at their best now, says MONTY DON Blue is the rarest colour in nature and if you look closely a ‘true’ blue is very rare Most so-called ‘blue’ flowers have a lot of red in, so they’re shades … Read more
On New Year’s Day, 1989, film-maker Derek Jarman wrote in his diary, ‘Prospect Cottage, its timbers black with pitch, stands on the shingle at Dungeness. There are no walls or fences. My garden’s boundaries are the horizon.’ Could there be any less promising place to make a garden, let alone a garden now as famous … Read more