We are delighted that our guest writer Susie White has shared this informative piece about her recent trip to visit some of the gardens of West Sweden. Visiting gardens is a rich source of inspiration and ideas. It is also a chance to compare experiences which is especially useful given the changing climate. After a long wet winter, many gardeners I know have found their perennial plants have put on enormous growth and their annuals have struggled, I guess because of fluctuating temperatures and lack of light and warmth. I’ve just returned from a trip around the gardens of West Sweden and it w ..read more

With the increase in flooding in recent years it was encouraging to see one garden at this year’s (2024) RHS Chelsea Flower Show aimed at showing homeowners that their gardens can be both beautiful and resilient to flooding. “Flood Re: The Flood Resilient Garden” (Silver) designed by Naomi Slade and Ed Barsley, incorporated sustainable drainage systems, native flood-tolerant plant species and innovative water management techniques. The design, aimed to inspire and educate homeowners about the critical role their garden can play in flood defence, enabled Chelsea Show visitors to experience firs ..read more

From diversity of life in tropical forests to an edible skatepark landscape, the All About Plants category at the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show will highlight health, joy and inspiration in a variety of designs, highlighted below. The Panathlon Joy Garden Designed by Penelope Walker and sponsored by Project Giving Back supporting The Panathlon Foundation, this garden promises a colourful and uplifting depiction of Panathlon’s objectives; to inspire inclusivity and empowerment, enable accessibility and create confidence.(pictured banner above ©Penelope Walker). A harmonious balanced space with p ..read more

The World Sanctuary Gardens at the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show promise to highlight a diverse range of planting schemes designed to offer a place of peace and sanctuary. Below we highlight a brief description of each garden. The Freedom from Torture Garden: A Sanctuary for Survivors Designed by John Warland and Emma O’Connell and sponsored by Project Giving Back, this garden (pictured banner above) is a place of sanctuary, peace and hope where horticultural therapy calms and heals survivors of torture on their journey to recovery. It is an immersive garden where the visitor can engage in ther ..read more

In March 2023, the Society of Garden Designers (SGD) launched a campaign to raise awareness of the devastating effects artificial greenery has on the environment. At the first anniversary of the campaign, a survey conducted among SGD members has shown that 90% of them would no longer specify plastic grass in their designs if they were asked to and 43% said they had received fewer requests for it from clients. Extending beyond artificial landscaping, the survey revealed that 80% of members said that their clients were now more aware of environmental and sustainability issues in general. The ca ..read more

Garden writer Susie White writes about her visit to Lowther Castle to watch the setting up of an art installation on the castle lawns. Last years’ charity fundraising event at Lowther Castle near Penrith saw an installation of 10,000 ceramic daffodils ‘planted’ against the romantic backdrop of the ruined castle. It was such a success that the Lowther Castle and Gardens Trust have commissioned a new project from County Durham based artist, Steve Messum. It’s only up for a short time so make sure you get to see the amazing sight of 500 gold flags, a sensual and visual experience in front of the ..read more

‘This is what the buzzard sees. The steep bank of wood- land in the valley below. River winding through fields of round backed sheep. A rabbit on the stony track. Bank vole hurrying to safety in the dry-stone wall. The many shapes and textures of plants in a garden. The figure of a woman straightening, shading her eyes with the back of her hand and gazing up’. Once in a while you find a book that not only touches your soul but brings with it a feeling of calm that wraps around you like a comfort blanket. In Susie White’s new book, ‘Second Nature‘, I found the perfect antidote to this stressful ..read more

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is bringing its first Urban Show to Manchester’s Mayfield Depot from 18th to 21st April, 2024, to celebrate the growing movement of urban gardeners in the city. The RHS singled out the Mayfield Depot for the indoor Show because of its enticing proximity to the new Mayfield Park, giving show visitors the chance to experience this rare gem in the heart of the city centre as well as tapping into its rich horticultural offering. Free guided park tours will be available led by the team behind the award-winning Mayfield Park and guests will be able to hear from ..read more

This year (2024) Knoll Gardens, near Wimborne, is celebrating 30 years under the ownership of Neil Lucas and his family. They bought the site in 1994 with the ambition of creating a specialist ornamental grass nursery and naturalist garden and over the last three decades have seen the four-acre garden evolve to lead the way in naturalistic gardening. Knoll is an RHS partner garden and between 2002 and 2011 exhibited at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show, each year earning a coveted ‘gold’ medal, with an outstanding 10 in total. Today, as well as catering to the public and trade, Knoll Gar ..read more

Cumbrian based Dalefoot Composts is using 21st century science to work out the environmental benefits of the traditional ingredients in its ‘old recipe’ gardening products to ascertain how well their peat-free composts store carbon. In addition to that research they are working to identify the most eco-friendly way to restore a damaged peat bog. Teaming up with the University of Cumbria, the company is investigating how much carbon is being stored by comfrey, a key ingredient in its peat-free range. Researchers are using ground penetrating radar to carry out the work on the comfrey crop (pictu ..read more