Botany, understood broadly, is among the oldest branches of science, with origins in the distant past. Interest in plants goes back about as far as human history itself. Our earliest ancestors have always been a part of the larger natural …
The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Botany & Plant Science Read More »
In this guide we’ll take a look at the best orchid foods for the UK market. I’ve compared nutritional value, effectiveness, sprayer design and cost to give you my top recommendations.
The cut chrysanthemum is a familiar flower in supermarkets and florists, and is grown commercially in huge quantities. It is a traditional garden flower, and while its popular appeal has waxed and waned many times over the decades, it retains …
Chrysanthemum Care Guide: How to Grow Chrysanthemums Read More »
The Alstroemeria, or Peruvian lily, is a long-lived, free-flowering perennial that originates from South America. They grow from tubers, and produce lots of colourful flowers from June through to the first winter frosts on stems up to 1.2m tall, depending …
Alstroemeria Care Guide: How to Grow Alstroemeria Read More »
The Phlox genus encompasses nearly 70 species, and includes annuals, perennials and shrubs. Most of the perennial varieties are upright, but a few species are mat forming. Most of the popular garden varieties derive from the species Phlox paniculata, an …
Hyacinths are a delightful plant to grow for a burst of spring colour and fragrance. They can be grown in pots, window boxes and borders in groups to provide a lovely spring display. They are a great choice for growing …
Poinsettia has become the archetypal Christmas house plant. Its cheery red flowers are a common festive season sight in homes, garden centres and supermarkets across the UK. One recent estimate suggested that six million poinsettias are bought here every Christmas. …
This evergreen shrub is grown for its mass of beautiful, star-shaped white flowers, which have a delicate citrus fragrance, in late April through May. It also has attractive glossy foliage with leaves that are aromatic and shaped like small palm …
Choisya Ternata Care Guide: How to Grow Choisya Ternata Read More »
Camellias are one of the most popular evergreen early flowering garden shrubs, providing a short-lived but often intense splash of colour. As woodland plants, they grow best in light shade, although with watering and care some types will also thrive …
Alchemilla mollis, or lady’s mantle, is a herbaceous perennial that forms attractive, pale green clumps of leaves that are shaped like scallop shells. Being densely but finely hairy, these catch droplets of dew and rain, which sit as miniature spheres …
Hypericum, also known as Rose of Sharon or St John’s Wort, is grown for its profusion of golden- yellow flowers from July to October. Many types are evergreen or semi-evergreen. This is a tough, hardy and easy to grow shrub …
Cordyline is an easy to grow plant that adds a tropical vibe to the garden. It looks equally good in city or coastal gardens and anywhere you want to add an element of the exotic. These plants are woody-stemmed shrubs …
Weigela is a late spring flowering shrub that has abundant trumpet-shaped flowers. This delightful old-fashioned favourite has been enjoying something of a renaissance, as new cultivars have been developed that offer a variety of flower and leaf colours. The shades …
Mistletoe is an ancient plant that has intrigued us for centuries. It was often thought to have magical properties and right up to modern times, has been used as a folk remedy for various conditions. Mistletoe extract has recently been …
Peonies are popular perennials that take pride of place in many traditional English country cottage gardens and mixed herbaceous borders. Their longevity, stunning blooms and easy-care nature more than make up for their rather short, late-spring flowering period. There are …
While not to everybody’s taste, Begonias are nevertheless popular and colourful bedding plants that find their way into many window boxes, containers and hanging baskets each summer. They are also widely used in traditional public park summer bedding schemes. They …
In 1802, the English poet William Wordsworth was ‘wandering as lonely as a cloud’ when he came across a sight that brought him such joy and pleasure that it inspired one of his best known poems. He had seen a …
Roses are one of the most popular plants in the garden. They are beloved for their beautiful flowers and intoxicating scent. There are many types and varieties to choose, from climbers and ramblers to elegant standards and tiny miniature varieties. …
Lily of the Valley is grown for its delicate, white flowers and delicious scent. These lovely plants come up year after year and flower in May. Each plant is small; however, together they form a carpet of white, bell-shaped flowers …
Lily of the Valley Care Guide: How to Grow Convallaria Majalis Read More »
The witch hazel is an unusual deciduous shrub or small tree. Although not closely related to the true hazels, there are some superficial similarities, including the leaf shape. It earns a place in the garden because of its winter interest. …
The delightful bell-shaped flowers of campanula make a lovely addition to the flower border. These plants come in cool shades of white and blue and sometimes warmer pinks. They flower throughout the warm summer months providing a delicate swathe of …
Bamboo is grown for its striking architectural stems and foliage. These plants are members of the grass family and most have a very upright habit. They look wonderful in modern gardens as well as adding a jungle like feel to …
Photinia ‘Red Robin’ is a popular garden shrub or small tree with shiny, evergreen leaves. Provided it is not pruned the previous autumn, it will produce masses of flattened heads of small, white flowers from April to June. Some people …
Photinia Care Guide: How to Grow Photinia ‘Red Robin’ Read More »
For many people, the vibrancy of this evergreen climber tumbling from gateways, walls, balconies and roadside trees brings back memories of summer holidays in the Mediterranean. Bougainvillea was discovered in tropical and sub-tropical areas of Central and South America during …
Bougainvillea Care Guide: How to Grow Bougainvillea Read More »
The glossy, strap-shaped leaves and striking trumpet flowers of Amaryllis bring welcome colour and brightness to the home in the depths of winter gloom. Provided the bulb is planted at the right time, the spectacular flowers will bring additional cheer …
Heavenly bamboos are slow-growing perennials with upright or gently arching stems that give the plants a similar appearance to bamboo. In the garden, they will eventually reach a height of up to 2m and develop a spread of approximately 1.5m. …
Nandina Domestica Care Guide: How to Grow Heavenly Bamboo Read More »
The hellebore or Christmas rose family consists of approximately 20 species of herbaceous or evergreen woodland perennials, many of which have become popular garden plants because of their tolerance of shade and habit of blooming very early in the year …
Hellebore Care Guide: How to Grow Christmas Roses Read More »
The passion flower belongs to a group of approximately 450 species of predominantly evergreen, woody climbers that grow in tropical woodland in North, Central and South America, with a few outliers in Australasia. In favourable conditions, the vines grow vigorously …
Passion Flower Care Guide: How to Grow Passion Flowers Read More »
This hardy evergreen with its large shiny leaves is a great addition to the garden adding a lovely tropical vibe. As an added bonus, it can survive in the most sunless corner of your garden where little else will grow. …
Fatsia Japonica Care Guide: How to Grow Japanese Aralia Read More »
It is easy to see how pyracantha got its common name, Firethorn. This shrub blazes with fiery berries in autumn and has very sharp thorns. For this reason, it is often used as a hedging plant to deter unwanted visitors …
Penstemon is a tall, spired perennial, that will give you plenty of bell-shaped blooms from June right up until the first frosts. These wonderful flowers come in a range of gorgeous colours. They are easy to grow and propagate and …
Penstemon Care Guide: How to Grow This Late Summer Beauty Read More »
With its abundant spires of honey-scented flowers, this plant is a must-have for the wildlife garden. Although it is not native to Britain, the nectar-rich flowers of these plants are a magnet for British butterflies and moths and can attract …
Rhododendrons are usually grown for their spectacular springtime blooms. There are many varies available, from large shrubs suitable for a woodland garden to dwarf alpine types appropriate for a smaller space. These plants need acid soil, so if you do …
Rhododendron Care Guide: How to Grow This Spring-Flowering Shrub Read More »
Many people grow cyclamen as houseplants, but there are hardy varieties of these plants that look wonderful in the garden. They provide a splash of colour when there is little else blooming, usually in late winter and early spring. The …
Cyclamen Care Guide: How to Grow Hardy Cyclamen in Your Garden Read More »
Clematis is one of the most popular climbers for the garden. There are many types to choose from and they all produce an abundance of wonderful flowers. From tiny delicate blossoms to plate-sized blooms, there is a clematis to suit …
Clematis Care Guide: How to Grow this Versatile Climber Read More »
Wisterias are twining climbers that have large, drooping clusters of scented flowers. The flowers come in shades of white, blue, purple and pink. This climber is fast growing and perfect for training over pergolas, walls or into trees. They flower …
Wisteria Care Guide: How to Grow These Beautiful Climbers Read More »
Daylilies are clump forming, herbaceous perennials with exotic-looking, trumpet-shaped flowers. Hemerocallis means ‘beautiful for a day’, a name that describes the plant’s flowers that open early in the morning and then wither and die during the following night. While individual …
Achillea is a summer-flowering herbaceous perennial that forms short-lived but colourful clumps in the border. A member of the daisy family, it has broad, packed heads of small flowers that can reach 10cm in diameter. Our native Achilleas, or yarrows, …
The climbing hydrangea is a deciduous vine from the woodlands of Japan, Korea and Siberia, where it grows up trees and across rock faces. It has small aerial roots on the stems that help it cling on, though in the …
Climbing Hydrangea Care Guide: How to Grow Climbing Hydrangeas Read More »
The colourful daisy-like flowers of osteospermum brighten up the border or patio with their cheerful blooms that open with the sun and close as evening comes. They come in a range of colours, often with contrasting centres, and produce blooms …
Ceanothus is a shrub with abundant, flowers that are similar to those of lilac. They are mainly blue but vary in shade from lightest powder to deepest indigo. There are also pink and white varieties. Most flower in late spring …
Ceanothus Care Guide: How to Grow Californian Lilac Read More »
Verbena Bonariensis is a perennial plant that flowers in late summer to mid-autumn. It has tall, architectural stems with sparse leaves, crowned by flattish heads of lavender-purple flowers. This is a wonderful plant for bringing height to the border and …
Verbena Bonariensis Care Guide: How to Grow Tall Verbena Read More »
The delphinium has been a very popular cottage garden perennial for over a century, having been brought to the UK from France in 1859. It is grown for its tall spikes of colourful flowers that create prominent towers in all …
Hydrangeas are deciduous plants known for their large heads of long-lasting blooms. Perhaps most of us know the type that has blue flowers when planted in acid soil and pink when in soil that is more alkaline. However, there are …
Philadelphus is a large evergreen shrub that is usually grown for its abundant white fragranced flowers. The shrub gets its common name, Mock Orange because its flowers and scent are similar to an orange tree in blossom. In fact, the …
Philadelphus Care Guide: How to grow Mock Orange Read More »
The dahlia was first brought to Europe from Aztec Mexico by the Spanish in 1789, not for the beauty of its flowers, but as a potential new food plant. While the tubers never did make it to the Sunday dinner …
This shrub comes in many varieties and is largely grown for its foliage. The cultivar fortunei is an evergreen variety and the most common cultivar of this plant to be found in gardens. It has strongly coloured foliage. The common …
Mahonias are evergreen shrubs with leathery and often spiny, dark green leaves. In the autumn and winter they produce long-stalked clusters of slightly scented yellow flowers that are followed by dark purplish berries. The plant’s common name is Oregon grape, …
The genus Escallonia includes approximately 40 species of flowering shrubs from South America. Several types are grown as garden shrubs in the south and west of the UK, especially near the coast. They are relatively fast growing and make unusual …
Pieris are compact evergreen slow-growing shrubs. The young leaves are pink to red, turning cream and then green as they mature. The shrub also features clusters of small white bell-shaped flowers in spring. These look a little like Lily of …
Aquilegia is an elegant flower that is easy to grow. It reaches around 60cms in height making it ideal for the middle of the border. It also comes in a range of colours, so you can find a variety to …
Crocosmia is a stunning plant that adds striking shape and a splash of hot colour to the garden. It has sword-shaped leaves and funnel-like flowers on stems that can reach 2 feet tall. The plant comes in a range of …
Pelargoniums, or storksbills, are popular bedding and pot plants because they are very easy to grow and give abundant colour to the garden and patio throughout the summer. They provide a reminder of Mediterranean holidays, where the closely spaced houses …
Pelargoniums (Geraniums) Care Guide: How to Grow These Colourful Perennials Read More »
Lavatera is an easy to grow, upright shrubby plant with attractive green foliage and large flowers which range in colour from white to deepest rose. It flowers from midsummer until the first frost. The mallow is native to the Mediterranean …
The common names black-eyed Susan and coneflower echo the contrast between Rudbeckia’s colourful, generally yellow petals and the prominent dark brown or black cone that protrudes from the centre of the flower. Rudbeckias grow in dry savannahs, grassland prairies and …
Rudbeckia Care Guide: How to Grow Black Eyed Susans Read More »
Viburnum is a shrub that provides plenty of colour and interest in the garden. It has attractive foliage, delicate flowers, stunning autumn colour and clusters of bright berries and so offers year-round interest. There are many varieties to choose from, …
Viburnum Care Guide: How to Grow This Colourful Shrub Read More »
Astilbes are a gorgeous plant to bring colour and texture to darker areas of the garden as they are one of the few plants that bloom brightly in shade. They also like moist soil conditions which makes them suitable for …
Astilbe Care Guide: How to Grow False Goat’s Beard Read More »
The Sedums form a diverse group of nearly 500 species and many have been developed to produce hardy and undemanding succulent perennial plants for the gardener. The group divides into two main types, the low, carpet-forming stonecrops, and the rather …
Sedum Care Guide: How to Grow Ice Plants and Stonecrops Read More »
English lavender is a short-lived perennial herb that is as popular for its wonderful fragrance as for its colourful flowers. As might be expected from a plant that has given its name to the colour lavender, the flowers are typically …
Lavender Care Guide: How to Grow Lavandula Angustifolia Read More »
Honeysuckles are a much-loved garden plant valued for their pretty, sweet-scented flowers. The climbing varieties are useful for covering fences, walls and pergolas. There are also shrub varieties. Winter honeysuckle adds colour to the garden at the drabbest time of …
Honeysuckle Care Guide: How to Grow Honeysuckle (Lonicera) Read More »
Agapanthus (the African lily) is an architectural, summer-flowering perennial with glossy, strap-like leaves and tall umbels of showy, funnel-shaped blooms that are good for cutting. The name Agapanthus translates as ‘the flower of love’, from the Greek ‘agap’ (love) and …
Agapanthus Care Guide: How to Grow Your African Lily Read More »
