5 Mediterranean plants you can grow (easily) in UK gardens

Why not create a bit of the Mediterranean atmosphere in your garden by growing some of the plants that you might have seen on your travels. It's easier than you think...

Plan your garden and give yourself a view from your window

When you're planning your garden, it is worth thinking about what it will look like from the house. After all, you will probably look at it from that direction every day! Here are some tips on how to make the view of the garden from the house a good one.

Garden Design - Create your own classic formal garden - you only need two things!

If you enjoy the neatly clipped hedges and geometric shapes you see in the classic gardens and at many stately homes, then why not create a formal garden of your own at home? Whether it's your whole garden or a small part of it, it's really easy to do, and can be adapted to whatever size space you have. You only need 2 things.

How to choose roses for your garden - Use the sniff test

If you want to add colour, scent, and a touch of glamour to your garden, then all you need to do is plant some roses. A traditional component of British gardens, there are now hundreds of varieties available with a wide range of colours and fragrance. The best time to buy one is right now, because the best way to buy roses is to go out and smell them!

Gardens to Visit - Abbotsbury - Five ways to make your garden look tropical

If you long to create a tropical paradise in your garden then Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens in Dorset has lots of examples of what to plant and how.

There are plenty of plants that look exotic but that are hardy enough to be grown in most places in the UK, so whether you're in urban Birmingham, suburban Surrey or rural North Yorkshire, read on to find out how you can turn your garden into a jungle - or a post-apocalyptic vision!

10 Shade Loving Plants for a Woodland Garden

Here are ten plants that love shade. They are ideal for planting under large trees where they will get dappled sunshine in summer, and in a woodland garden. 

Fantastic scent right outside your door - Daphne Odora

If there is just one plant flowering in your garden at this time of year, make sure it is a Daphne!  

Love your garden in winter, with frosty evergreens

Keep your garden looking interesting in winter by making sure you include some evergreen plants in your garden design. It'll make your garden look good all year round, and they'll make it worth your while to venture out when it's cold and frosty too.

Give yourself a garden surprise - with Spring bulbs



Anemone blanda

Now is the time to choose some spring bulbs to add splashes of colour to your garden from next March. Plant them now, forget all about them, and they will appear from nowhere in a few months to surprise and delight you when you are not expecting it.

5 scented shrubs to make your winter garden smell amazing

Hamamelis

Here are five winter flowering shrubs that are easy to get hold of, easy to grow, and will provide beautiful colour and amazing fragrance at this time of year.

Plant Sale - Should you buy from the garden centre bargain bin?

How do you make sure that a bargain really is a bargain?

6 aromatic plants to surround your garden seats with scent

Scented pelargoniums in pots next to patio chairs

Do you dream of sitting watching the sun go down, on a terrace in the Mediterranean, in short sleeves with a cold drink in your hand? Well you can easily create that atmosphere (when the sun finally comes out) by surrounding yourself with scented foliage and aromatic herbs. Here are six aromatic plants you should have within reach of your favourite patio seat:

Why you don't need to worry about box blight in your garden

Gardeners, especially anyone with a classical or formal garden or planting scheme, have become steadily more disheartened in recent years by the spread of box blight. Box is growing strongly at the moment, and from June onwards is the time to clip it back into shape, so if there are problems, you are likely to notice them soon, if you haven't already. Box blight can do tremendous damage, but you don't need to worry, because there are things you can do, and if all else fails there are alternatives to box which you can use to give your garden the same look.  

How to choose which sweet peas to grow for your garden

There are hundreds of varieties of sweet pea 

Sweet peas are a must for your garden. Easy to grow, they bring colour and fragrance to the garden in summer, and make great cut flowers, so you can enjoy that fragrance indoors too. In fact the more you cut them, the more flowers they produce. But there are so many varieties, how do you choose which ones to grow?

Design your garden step by step with set pieces



 

Stone bird bath surrounded by geraniums and roses

Designing your garden can seem daunting, but you don't have to do it all at once. You can use set pieces as a step by step garden design.

Garden Design - Plant blocks of colour to give a small garden impact

You can pack a real punch even in a small garden by getting maximum impact from certain features. Pick one plant in your favourite colour and plant a block of it, closely packed, and you'll really grab people's attention.

Change your garden - what can you add this year?

You can keep your garden fresh and interesting by making a few changes every so often. Even on a small budget you can transform your garden over a period of time - one change at a time. So what could you add to your garden over the next 12 months? Here are a few things I've added to mine over the last 12...

What tree should I plant for spring blossom in my garden?

Which trees can you use in your garden for a display of blossom in spring?

Plant these 5 evening scented white flowers for fragrant summer nights in the garden

If you have a bit of your garden which faces west, it will make a great place to sit and watch the sun go down. If it's a patio then it will catch the late afternoon sun, and on a balmy summer night, the stones will absorb the summer heat and slowly release it after sunset, keeping you pleasantly warm late into the evening.

 



To enhance this evening atmosphere even further, you can fill a pot, bed or border with scented plants that release their fragrance  in the evening.

Garden Design - a simple, eye-catching effect with Allium bulbs

Alliums are a colourful, inexpensive and low maintenance spring flower that are well worth adding to your garden. £10 will buy between 3 and 20 bulbs depending on the variety.