Potted histories
When lives are in flux, house plants are a source of constancy and calm.
ByGardening
My neglected garden is as pleasing as it’s ever been
Soft grass, roses and tangling clematis entwine, all in a year when I’ve never done less gardening.
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Life at home is a delicate balance
One of the hardest things about my strained back is my lack of agency.
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Gardening, grief and memory
A garden tended to by departed loved ones deserves to be celebrated.
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I am a long-lapsed Christian, but the rituals of Easter still draw me in
The cravings to fill the house with tulips and white narcissus are irresistible.
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We should admire the complexity of garden design
There’s much more to it than wafting around in a kaftan.
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The playful trend of “chaos gardening”
It’s time to tear up the horticultural rulebook and indulge in curiosity.
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Finding gifts for gardeners should be easy
But most of what we want can’t be bought.
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The gardener’s bittersweet acceptance
We may not be able to stick around long enough to enjoy the fruit of our labours.
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Even the most dedicated gardeners go through times of growing apathy
It’s taboo to say, but I’ve felt a disconnect from the thing I pour hours of labour into.
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Even garage-bought flowers can provide delight
The joy of the simple pelargonium.
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Gardening laziness is the best way to encourage pollinators
Doing nothing is the antidote to declining insect populations.
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I couldn’t beat our local fly-tippers. Instead, I found myself joining them
Often I find myself picking among jettisoned debris, looking for incriminating documents, but rarely with any luck.
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Bridgerton’s flowers are pure fantasy
Many raised their eyebrows at the sex scenes; I was outraged that anybody thought wisteria, apple trees and roses bloom…
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The Chelsea Flower Show goes green
A focus on rewilding and sustainability has not diminished what the world-famous garden show does best.
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The lure of the English garden
Olivia Laing and Richard Mabey reveal the joys, crises and politics of making a garden of one’s own.
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The Clarksonification of the countryside
Also this week: AI enters the classroom, and the British obsession with gardening vs Brexit red tape.
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The drama and delight of chicks leaving the nest
I’m no birdwatcher, but I was glued to the garden, willing on the fledgling great tits like my own offspring.
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The joys of a low-maintenance garden
One of the beautiful things about gardens is that they are continuously being made anew.
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The warm winter’s underwhelming crop
The marvellous front gardens near Kew leave me in awe of those who managed to grow tulips this spring.
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