Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
-
A clever evergreen garden with a touch of grandeur
An evergreen garden looks as good in winter as it does in summer. And taking that all gardens need maintenance, it’s also relatively easy-care. I’ve just visited a beautiful evergreen garden in Norwich, which also has some brilliantly clever touches that would suit any garden. It belongs to Roger Lloyd and Stephen Sendall. And it’s also a…
-
The very best time to plant perennials + top tips on filling a gap in your border
Autumn and spring are the best time to plant perennials. So that’s also the best time to fill gaps in your border – or even revamp your border completely. To find out more about the best time to plant perennials and other tips for filling a gap in your border, I visited Marchants Hardy Plants to talk to…
-
The new jungle garden – how to create a lush, contemporary haven
The jungle garden look takes the contemporary, lush layers of today’s houseplant-filled interiors out into the garden. This style of garden is a foliage-based green haven, with layers of plants and different leaf shapes. And you don’t have to live in a tropical country. It can be achieved in cool climates. Philip’s own garden is in South…
-
Salvias – expert tips on growing long-lasting flowers
Salvias are the stars of the late season garden. Many flower from summer right through to the first frosts. William Dyson is the UK’s top expert on salvias. He’s the curator of Great Comp Garden in Kent, where he also runs the award-winning Dyson’s Nurseries. I asked him to tell me what we need to know about growing…
-
How to grow daffodils for years of beautiful spring flowers
If you grow daffodils, they’ll come back year after year, often increasing in number. Tulips are outrageously colourful and gorgeous, but usually disappear after one or two years. Daffodils are easy-going. Not only do they come back, they will often spread. Daffodils are also considered to be deer, squirrel, rodent and rabbit-proof. (Although old hands will…
-
What you need to know to create an outstanding perennial border
I’ve asked top gardeners Steve Edney and Louise Dowle for their tips on how to create an outstanding perennial border. They’ve just created one of the longest herbaceous borders in the UK – from scratch. It was a field two years ago. Now it’s a stunning, harmonious display of beautiful perennials and annuals. And they’ve experimented with grouping plants…
-
15 drought tolerant plants that will also be happy if it rains!
Drought tolerant plants are at the top of the list if you have gaps to fill in your garden. The record-breaking heat and drought in the UK this summer left our gardens fried and frazzled. And there are predictions that future years will also hold droughts and hotter temperatures. But however hot or dry the long-term…
-
No dig flower borders – easy, weed-free and brilliant
I’ve always wondered about ‘no dig flower borders’ for annuals, shrubs and perennials. Not that I ever do much digging. But I wondered if the principles of no dig veg and no dig flower borders were the same. Was I doing the right thing by mulching my borders but not digging it in? What else…
-
The rock garden is back – and it’s drought tolerant and low maintenance
A rock garden was once a quintessential element in both grand and smaller British gardens. Then, like so many popular trends, they became neglected or created without any real thought or understanding. Until recently, the rock garden – or rockery – had almost disappeared from the garden designer’s palette. But a few years ago, garden centres began…
-
7 summer garden problems and what to do about them
We all have summer garden problems. People who write, film or photograph gardening are often accused of making everything look unrealistically beautiful. And sometimes we do. I’ve found myself lying or standing in some very difficult positions just to get that perfect beautiful shot of a plant because everything around it is looking distinctly shabby. But…
Got any book recommendations?