Gardening

  • LifestyleThe Telegraph

    How to get an Oxford college-perfect lawn

    Gardeners “have been led down the garden path” by so-called hard-wearing ryegrass mixes, says lawn consultant David Hedges-Gower.

    6-min read
  • LifestyleThe Telegraph

    How to get the best from your peonies

    Peonies provide more than flower power, they’re magical in every sense of the word. They take their name from Paeon, the Greek physician to the gods, because some species are used in Chinese medicine to prevent pain, lessen swelling and treat more serious ailments.

    8-min read
  • LifestyleThe Telegraph

    10 essential steps to building a year-round cutting garden

    During the abundance of the growing season it’s easy to find something to cut in the garden, but the real mastery of growing your own cut flowers is in ensuring that there’s something interesting to cut for the house all year round. Here are 10 steps for maximising your cut-flower patch and filling vases full of scent and flowers gathered from all around the garden.

    9-min read
  • LifestyleThe Telegraph

    How to spot box blight, and what to do about it

    The relentless rain of the last few months is probably going to have a sting in its tail, because it’s going to encourage lots of fungal spores. One of the most feared diseases among gardeners is box blight, which reduces a healthy box to an unsightly, leafless skeleton. It’s caused by two closely related pathogens: Calonectria pseudonaviculata and C. henricotiae (syn. Cylindrocladium buxicola). White spore masses can be seen on the undersides of infected leaves in wet conditions, and you’ll als

    6-min read
  • LifestyleThe Telegraph

    Gardening jobs to do in April: a guide to borders, wildlife gardening and vegetable plots

    Magnolias and ornamental cherries are in full glorious bloom this month, blackthorn, damson and pear blossom is out, and the bees are buzzing from one flower to the next. It is bluebell time in the woods and tulip time in gardens, each of them creating their own wonderful spectacle.

    5-min read
  • ScienceThe Telegraph

    How to improve biodiversity in your garden, whatever its size

    Every gardener can help. That’s the message from a new report which says everyone can make a difference to halting biodiversity loss, even if you only have the smallest window box to work with.

    6-min read
  • LifestyleThe Telegraph

    How to plant a beautiful summer border in a small garden

    Perennials can provide a spectacular display of flowers for many months of the year, and most are easy to grow. In fact, you can find an herbaceous perennial to fit almost any situation in your garden. And if you choose carefully, you can have flowers for many months of the year.

    6-min read