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2 weeks ago | 
yahoo.com | Val Bourne
The 112th Chelsea Flower Show, sponsored by The Newt in Somerset, starts this week (Tuesday May 20). The dry sunny weather over the last few weeks has been a mixed blessing, because rain has been in such short supply due to those clear skies. Plants have struggled to cope with precociously warm days, followed by really cold nights, so there’s been a constant watering and fleecing regime going on behind the Chelsea scenes.
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2 weeks ago | 
hartley-botanic.co.uk | Val Bourne
At the beginning of May I was extremely lucky to be invited to see the gardens at Worcester College in Oxford’s city centre. It was a perfect May afternoon and the stone walls were dripping with wisteria, so the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The lawns were like green velvet and I’m sure that Ronnie O’Sullivan could have had a game of snooker on them: they were so smooth. It’s all down to the excellent Head Gardener, Simon Bagnall, and his equally excellent team.
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3 weeks ago | 
telegraph.co.uk | Becky Searle |Xanthe Clay |Pete Wise |Val Bourne
Whether you're walking about an allotment or digging a new bed, we've found the best gardening shoes for all jobs and seasonsThis article contains affiliate links. The products or services listed have been selected independently by journalists after hands-on testing or sourcing expert opinions. We may earn a commission when you click a link, buy a product or subscribe to a service. As a gardener for nearly 20 years, a lifelong hiker and a former sports injury specialist, I take footwear seriously.
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3 weeks ago | 
telegraph.co.uk | Pete Wise |Val Bourne |Xanthe Clay |Simon Lewis
From cooking to gardening, grooming to travelling, we've got a host of ideas for the perfect Father's Day giftWhat do you buy for the man who has (almost) everything? It's the question that comes around every Father's Day without fail, and one that often leaves the family scratching their heads. This year, Father's Day falls on Sunday 15 June, so there's still time to find the perfect present.
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3 weeks ago | 
telegraph.co.uk | Val Bourne |Xanthe Clay |Simon Lewis |Ellis Cochrane
From an electric wheelbarrow to carts and caddies, our experienced gardener has found the best designs for every garden taskThis article contains affiliate links. The products or services in this article have been selected independently by journalists. We may earn a commission when you click a link, buy a product or subscribe to a service. Every gardener needs a wheelbarrow, whether you're collecting grass clippings, spreading garden compost or moving heavier items such as large pots and tubs.
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3 weeks ago | 
telegraph.co.uk | Val Bourne
The 112th Chelsea Flower Show, sponsored by The Newt in Somerset, starts next week (Tuesday May 20). The dry sunny weather over the last few weeks has been a mixed blessing, because rain has been in such short supply due to those clear skies. Plants have struggled to cope with precociously warm days, followed by really cold nights, so there's been a constant watering and fleecing regime going on behind the Chelsea scenes.
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1 month ago | 
telegraph.co.uk | Val Bourne |Holly Thomas |Tom Brown |Ria Higgins
Lavender creates its own summer heat haze and the flowers attract bees and butterflies galore, because aromatic plants produce nectar that's packed with a concentrated mixture of sugars. This mainly Mediterranean subshrub has been grown here since Roman times, although it does need a sunny site and good drainage. Once established, lavenders are drought-tolerant, but they do need watering after planting because they rely on developing deep root systems.
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1 month ago | 
hartley-botanic.co.uk | Val Bourne
It has been a glorious spring, with cloudless sunny day after sunny day. The lovely Tomasz Schafernaker, the BBC weatherman and self-taught artist, announced each sparkling day with a twinkle in his eye. Well, for the first two weeks anyway. And then he began to look a bit more apologetic, shifty even, about the lack of rainfall. I kept looking and checking, but the promised rain evaporated before my eyes as I scanned the meteorological websites.
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1 month ago | 
telegraph.co.uk | Val Bourne |Tom Brown |Samantha Priestley |Simon Lewis
From star jasmine to honeysuckle and Oriental lilies, fragrant plants are perfect for pollinators, and add an extra dimension to your gardenFragrance is the gardening version of aromatherapy, because it's pure pleasure: it soothes the mind and conjures up past memories in a nanosecond. The scent wafting through the air is designed to lure in pollinators, and it's worth noting that nectar flows more freely in warmer, sheltered situations away from strong winds.
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2 months ago | 
gardensillustrated.com | Val Bourne
There is nothing quite as uplifting as a branch of cherry blossom silhouetted against a blue spring sky. Japanese cherry blossom trees, known in Japan as sakura, are among the most beautiful of all of the blossom-bearing trees. You may also likeHow to make cherry blossom jamTop trees for the gardenThe joy of planting a treeThe Japanese celebrate the arrival of the cherry blossom every year with a blossom festival, known as sakura matsuri.
