how to plant, grow & care for rhododendrons Blowsy pinks, saturated purples and the purest, brightest reds, rhododendrons come in a whole range of dramatic colours, bringing a real bit of razzmatazz to the spring and early summer garden. For la
how to plant, grow & care for penstemons It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of colour in the garden and on that front alone, penstemons more than deliver. Available in a whole boudoir-full of silky, satiny hues, these easy-to-grow, drought-t
how to plant, grow & care for phlox For ice-cream-soft clouds of late summer flowers – almost all of them deliciously scented – you can’t do better than phlox. The taller perennial varieties are great for borders; the shorter half-hardy
how to plant, grow & care for petunias We’ve trialled hundreds of container plants at Perch Hill over the years, and petunias – and their closely related cousins, calibrachoas and petchoas (hybrids of the two) – are always at the top of th
how to plant, grow & care for nemesias There’s something irresistible about nemesias. Prolific bloomers, these cheery little plants, only about 30cm tall, are covered – and I do mean covered – in sweetly scented flowers for months on end.
how to plant, grow & care for lavender Lavender is such a versatile plant – equally at home on a city balcony or in a country cottage garden. Wherever it is, it conjures thoughts of sun, summer and the south of France, helped of course by
how to plant, grow & care for crocuses Early spring colour is so important in the garden, bringing mood-enhancing optimism just when we need it most. Delicate and colourful, crocuses are the ideal cheer-givers in February and
How To Stop Slugs Eating Your Dahlias If you have a garden or a balcony, you’d be mad not to grow dahlias – there’s no better plant for flowers both inside and out. However, slugs and snails can o
Tom's Town Garden container gardening in Tom's town garden Tom is our Head of Horticulture and he has a beautiful garden — small, exquisite and perf
one pot, one year – lots of colour When it comes to low maintenance container gardening, there are two key times of the year to focus on. 1. May planting for your summer/autumn display 2. No
Growing Tips For Gardening Success Read our guide and explore how to get started on container gardening watering and feeding your plants For the best results, water less regularly than you might think, but wa
light-as-a-feather courgette cake This is my favourite cake, very simple to make, perfect every time, truly light, and utterly delicious with an equally light, non-claggy filling in the sandwich. It’s a recipe from our v
Spaghetti with beans and tomatoes This is originally a River Café recipe that I make all the time for supper when the beans and tomatoes are abundant and utterly delicious. Pick the beans snappy and small rather than la
Grilled figs with lemon and pomegranate A perfect late summer and autumn pudding, when figs are plentiful, (we grow ‘Brown Turkey’ here and even from a 3-year-old tree we can hardly keep up with the harvest). Serve with a dollop of yoghurt
Lemon Soufflé An extremely lemony mousse – tart and delicious – at its best when citrus is fresh and plentiful as it is right now in the early months of the year. You can also make this with blo
lamb fricassee This is a light and summery Greek dish, packed with herbs, using lettuce as a wilted green. It’s one of my favourites and so easy to make. serves 4-6 900g boned shoulder or n
