Last year I grew a set of seven different potato cultivars and only really liked one…
Happy New Year from Littlebury Road
The short period in between Christmas and New Year is something to be treasured. All of London…
44 Future gardening moments of 2016
Future gardening is the phrase I use to describe my personal take on the world. Be forward…
December: Hellebores, cat grass, sweet peas, ferns and shooting alliums
It’s almost Christmas so I’m crazy busy wrapping up work, getting ready for the family arriving…
How to make an Aeonium arboreum branch (part one)
Last year I ordered a small Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ from an independent nursery off of eBay.…
My Tiny Indoor Garden by Lia Leendertz
Earlier in the year Lia Leendertz and Mark Diacono popped over to talk about and photograph…
13 tips to help allotment newbies… by an allotment newbie!
Taking on an allotment for the first time is exciting and scary. I know because I’ve just…
Allotment propagation and storage – potting shed, polytunnel or greenhouse?
We had a cold frosty day at the end of November – the coldest night in London…
Why I’ve fallen for cut flowers
I used to be a foliage boy. I’ve changed (well, a bit). In the past I saw…
Out of the shrubbery into the scrub
On Saturday 26th November 2016 the SGD hosted a conference about the use of shrubs in gardens.…
Have you ever changed your mind about a plant you hate?
We all have them, a list of plants we dislike. Yet every now and then something…
Designing for wildlife
This video is quite long but the presentation within it is important and well worth watching…
Allotment month 12: proof is in the potatoes
It’s been a year since I was given my 125 sq metre allotment and what a…
Accelerating succulent and cacti growth
One thing I remember from my childhood greenhouse and large cactus collection was how heavily I…
From the streets: Library of Birmingham’s rooftop secret garden and futuristic municipal design
My mum and I share the same birthday, bonfire night. We love it, so Chris and I…
Autumn colour in Diana Ross’ garden
We were really taken with plantswoman Diana Ross’ stunning garden around the corner in Clapham when we visited…
Cacti in the Princess of Wales Conservatory, Kew
The Princess of Wales Conservatory at Kew has rarely looked as good as it does now.…
Having fun with shade and sun
Down the side of our Victorian maisonette is a narrow alley way. It’s where I started…
Apple iTree: the botanical trend reaches new heights with Ficus maclellandii ‘Alii’
This week Apple reopened its flagship London store on Regent Street after months of renovations to…
Allotment Month 11: jobs for Autumn
Something about Autumn and Spring make them feel much the same thing. Soil is damp and warm…
Our lives are not our own – Kennington Park, London
One of the joys of living in London, the forest city, is discovering one of its…
Into Autumn – colour, bulbs, robins and changes
I’ve been planting bulbs today, are there many things more satisfying? I really love this time of…
My latest victim
Yamadori is the Japanese word for collecting wild trees to grow as bonsai. Today, while rustling through…
Beauty of life in all its stages (4 Macauley Road, Clapham NGS)
Time is a wonderful gift, it changes things. None are more aware of this than gardeners.
Longing for Littlebury
It is a year since we overhauled our garden – after two years of experimenting –…
Our inner city wildlife sanctuary
I grow our garden as much for wildlife as for design and plants. Wildlife adds many…
Modernist garden design at The Homewood
After learning of The Homewood while studying garden design history with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh,…
Living on a prairie (part 1)
This year I took on my allotment and I designated one bed for garden design experiments.…
4 Fundamentals of attracting wildlife in urban gardens
The other day I was in the garden watering our fern wall during one of those still and…
Taming the weedy wildflower
Weedy humans are weak. Weedy plants are tough as nails. Wild flowers we like. Weeds we…
Garden and landscape design in Clapham
Jack Wallington Garden Design Ltd. for modern gardens with a unique and high-end finish. A great garden…
Summer highlights in our garden
Our experimental garden is now in its third year with lots to fix but standing back…
Thompson & Morgan Trial Field Visit
Michael Perry invited me and a group of other gardening bloggers to have a tour of…
Does peat free compost work?
Between 2015- 2016 I put peat free compost to the ultimate test, I only used peat…
That sinking feeling – RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
The other week Chris and I went to RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show where two…
From the streets: Brighton’s futuristic municipal planting
I don’t know what they put in the water down in Brighton (where I work) but…
Form factor – our garden in June 2016
The best thing I’ve added to our border this year (I think so far) is Nicotiana…
Wild orchid hunting
My friend Pete Langley took me to a secret location on the South Downs one sunny…
Allotment Month 7: Potatoes growing, problems sowing
I’ve had my allotment for over half a year now – where did that time go?…
Lambeth Palace Gardens
As part of the RHS Level 3 course we have to learn about different garden design…
7 Chiswick Open Gardens in One Day! (NGS)
On Saturday 28 May 2016 Chris and I popped to west London to visit the four NGS…
24 Things at the Chelsea Flower Show 2016
This is my third year at the Chelsea Flower Show and it remains an emotional experience.…
7 Trends at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016
I’ll have more blog posts this week with my photos and thoughts from the Chelsea Flower…
Gallery: Chelsea Flower Show 2014 & 2015 recap
“People can only dream of a Chelsea Flower Show garden” they say. To that I say:…
Tulips – worth the bother?
This year I planted over 100 tulips. I love tulips. However, while they last for a…
11 Realities of Gardening in London
Either I’m inexplicably inept at gardening, or living in the big smoke is providing a world…
Tulips, planting out tomatoes early and seedlings
Tulips: the last two years I’ve tried growing some tulips and it went horribly wrong. Especially…
PHOTO GALLERY: Barbican Conservatory, London
Brutalist, futurist. Despite the concrete, the Barbican exudes such atmosphere and style that you’ll feel as…