gardening

Monty revisits one of his classic books, Gardening at Longmeadow, in an occasional series.  Part of getting to know your garden well is having a detailed mind-map of where the light is at any time of day or year and to make sure that some part of the garden is making the most of what … Read more

Banana drama! Monty Don’s had his struggles with banana plants – but he’s found the secret to making them thrive… Monty Don reveals how to grow bananas despite the often wet and cold climate   He suggests cutting the plants to a stump in October, then potting up their roots And the expert gardener answers your … Read more

Action plan: Nigel Colborn’s essential jobs for your garden this week Nigel Colborn shared his advice for freshening up your pond this August  British gardening expert recommends covering 70 per cent or more of the pond He also answered a question about growing young nasturtiums from cuttings By Nigel Colborn for the Daily Mail Published: 10:36 … Read more

Monty revisits one of his classic books, Gardening at Longmeadow, in an occasional series.  The butterflies are at their busiest in August, jostling and flitting from flower to flower like shoppers in a sale to reach the nectar of late-season blooms – and there is no plant in the late summer garden that attracts them … Read more

Monty revisits one of his classic books, Gardening at Longmeadow, in an occasional series. As summer moves into its second half I rely on the half-hardy and tender annuals to provide colour and form. The most dramatic of all late- season annuals – and one of my favourites – is the sunflower. The knee-jerk response … Read more

For the past month my cottage garden has been filled with flowers from more than 50 different varieties of shrub roses.  These are of every hue from the pure white of ‘Madame Hardy’ to the almost purple ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’, though the dominant colour is pink in every shade. But I have one border with … Read more

Action plan: Nigel Colborn’s essential jobs for your garden this week Nigel Colborn shared advice for nurturing plants after challenging weather  British gardening expert recommends shortening lanky stems  He also answered a reader’s question about reducing a weed infestation   By Nigel Colborn for the Daily Mail Published: 22:03 BST, 5 July 2020 | Updated: 22:03 BST, … Read more

For the past 25 years the Daily Mail has held its annual garden competition. For the past 15 of those years I have written about it.  If I am honest, my advice and encouragement has altered very little over the years, and at its core will not change for the coming competition this year. But … Read more

Action plan: Nigel Colborn’s essential jobs for your garden this week Nigel Colborn shared advice for nurturing roses after premature flowering  British gardening expert recommends removing spent blooms from bush roses  He also answered a reader’s question about cutting back rosemary and sage  By Nigel Colborn for the Daily Mail Published: 22:07 BST, 28 June 2020 … Read more

Monty revisits one of his classic books, Gardening at Longmeadow, in an occasional series. One of my favourite joys of this midsummer season is the range of scents, and my favourite of all is honeysuckle.  Its fragrance saturates these sunken Herefordshire lanes, the warm pools of air soaking up the scent like blotting paper till … Read more