Author Archives: gardenregen

I long remember April for the well- known saying April showers bring May flowers… but dry, cracked earth is apparent across many of the gardens I work in. Drought can stunt plant growth, reduce biodiversity, and make gardens harder to maintain. So let’s consider how we can improve soil, choose drought-tolerant plants, and conserve waterContinue reading “Parched Earth in April…”

March 2025 Hydrangeas. The good, the better and the beautiful! With the spring equinox on Thursday gone, we can now truly say that spring has sprung. And so it is… one of my favourite seasonal garden rituals can begin – pruning hydrangeas! For me it’s like a symbolic transition, marking the end of what hasContinue reading “A spotlight… on just one thing”

On mild days when the earth is pliable and willing for growth, I continue to divide and transplant and find homes for the bare-rooted plants wishing for their place in the garden. Pulling the opportunists such as the brazen sycamore saplings and the other undesirables, which until now have evaded my trusted homi, means weContinue reading “Winter… What’s happening in the garden?”

January 2025 The Robin Red Breast Erithacus rubecula Would it be the robin or the blackbird for this post? Both birds being iconic resident UK birds during the winter months and worthy garden birds to write about now. Whilst my gut leaned toward the robin, it also felt like the clichéd choice for winter. AfterContinue reading “A spotlight… on just one thing”

December 2024 Euonymus europaeus Common name: Spindle tree Native to much of Europe including Britain and Ireland. On a damp, dreary morning in early November—one of those unremarkable, grey days when a quiet melancholy rests on the air and confirms the season’s turning—I found myself stumbling through tall grass and brambles, blinded by temptation toContinue reading “A spotlight… on just one thing”

Gardeners are not necessarily green by default. It requires conscious effort to do the right thing particularly when a garden is by nature such an unnatural occurrence; a choice array of plants usually from all corners of the globe, planted about soft and hard landscaping to suit our needs and lifestyle. It’s certainly not byContinue reading “Gardening sustainably”