I have been very quiet here lately, for which I apologise. Following a few subtle prompts, I thought I had better explain myself! Dan Cooper Garden has been taking up more and more of my time as I prepare for a busy spring season selling at specialist plant fairs and garden openings all around the south and east of the UK. I’m popping up at some spectacular venues, including Saltwood Castle, Hatfield House and The American Museum in Bath – you’ll find details for April and May here. I have also been sourcing new products, writing lots of articles for the website and developing unique new servi ..read more

Is there any day quite as awkward as a substitute Bank Holiday? Although these rare days ought to feel like a gift, there’s something peculiarly pointless and hollow about them: the event they’re standing in for has come and gone, leaving an disconcerting void between the pleasure of the occasion and the pain of returning to work or school. One is never quite sure whether to embrace the extra day joyfully or ignore it and crack on with everyday life. Unable to make up my mind, I started today by potting up tulip bulbs that hadn’t been nibbled by Mr Ratty or succumbed to grey mould. I promptly ..read more

You may have heard of the Chelsea Chop or the Hampton Hack, but have you been introduced to the Twixmas Tidy? I thought not! The Twixmas Tidy offers a valid excuse to venture outside when you’ve watched one too many repeats, scoffed all the mince pies or run out of nice things to say to your nearest and dearest. Alas, it does not involve the organisation of chocolate-coated, caramel-covered shortbread biscuits, but you are welcome to undertake that exercise in any case. The Twixmas Tidy may be done during the curious void between Christmas and New Year when most of us are either working, but r ..read more

As I take a break between cleaning the house, wrapping presents and mopping the water that’s dripping through the roof, I hear the lyrics ‘So this is Christmas, and what have you done?’ reverberating through the Sonos speakers. The answer that springs immediately to mind is ‘not enough’. It’s been a challenging year, and I feel less on top of things than ever. I’ve got an annoying twitch in my left eye, caused by staring at my computer screen for too long with glasses that aren’t the right prescription. The workshop is still stacked with tulips that need planting and the garden looks soggy and ..read more

I must apologise for being a little quiet of late. I haven’t disappeared; I’ve simply been getting Dan Cooper Garden in good shape for the festive season. If you are hungry for more, you’ll find additional blog posts at dancoopergarden.com, including a feature on nerines and an article about protecting tender plants over winter. And if you’d like to meet me, I’ve listed all the locations where I’ll be popping up between now and Christmas. I’ve got a hectic schedule, so any support and encouragement will be very welcome! Last month, I began by reflecting that October could either be glorious or ..read more

October can be glorious or ghastly, depending on how the weather gods are feeling. I recall travelling to Delhi in October 2011 and the weather being hotter in Kent than in India – it was almost 30ºC at home! I also remember last year’s storms and high winds that brought a swift, cruel end to any hopes of an Indian summer. Frost is now a distinct possibility in the country’s north, and at higher elevations, while down south, we should avoid subzero temperatures until at least November. The best way to approach October is to expect little and count every fine day as a blessing. A carefully plan ..read more

I’ve come to love September almost as much as May. It’s a month of gentle transition, bidding farewell to summer and ushering in autumn. September is famously soft, rich and characterful, like a fine wine or well-crafted cheese. Gardens become mellow, velvety and overblown; slightly frayed around the edges but still glorious. This September feels a little different. Indeed, If I look back at photographs of previous years, the garden and allotment are ahead by about a month. A sense of glorious disarray has come early to the Jungle Garden. The Gin & Tonic Garden is beautiful but almost impe ..read more

Once again, dear friends, my attempts at posting more frequently have been thwarted: not this time by work, but by the sheer volume of watering we’ve had to do to keep the garden and allotment growing. 2022 has broken all records in terms of heat and low rainfall, bringing the harsh realities of climate change into sharp focus. Yes, this summer will be deemed exceptional – this time next year we’ll probably be back to moaning about the cold, wet and rampant blight – but it’s becoming ever clearer that UK gardens and gardeners are ill-equipped to cope with extended, hot summers. Planting and hu ..read more

As I sit down to write this post I find that August surfaces mixed emotions. On one hand, our garden is coming into its own: there’s the thrill and anticipation of the summer holidays, the promise of freedom from work, spontaneous visits from friends and the opportunity to sit outside drinking wine until darkness descends. On the other hand, there’s the dread of what might happen to the garden if we venture too far for too long, compounded by a creeping sense that the game is almost over. Such unsettled feelings stem from my childhood when summers seemed so long and yet too short, the looming ..read more

I think it’s high time I got back to writing some shorter, spur-of-the-moment posts, so, here goes! You’ve all heard of courgettes aka zucchini, right? But how about tromboncino aka zuchetta? Perhaps not. Snake-like and slightly suggestive, these climbing summer squashes are a revelation. Not only are they phenomenally easy to grow but they’re vigorous, tasty, nutritious and resistant to the powdery mildew that so often blights courgettes. That’s because tromboncino is a cultivar of Cucurbita moschata, a Central American species that also gave rise to butternut squashes. Their genetics make th ..read more