Horticulture Ideas, Tips & Guides

This article has been checked for horticultural accuracy by Oliver Parsons.

How to Grow and Care for Friendship Plants Pilea involucrata

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden was one of the key reasons I wanted to visit Cape Town. I’d long heard of the famous gardens, and their importance to horticulture worldwide, so the chance to explore them for real was a dream come true. There’s so much to do and see in Cape Town and, with only a few days to fit it all in, my wife and I had to carve out dedicated time to visit Kirstenbosch, but we’re so pleased we did.

I visited Singapore with my family – it was a trip of a lifetime for all of us, a holiday full of new cultural experiences, exciting food, brilliant shopping and attractions like we’d never seen before. There’s just so much to do in a place where most people only stop for a couple of nights on their way to or from another destination – it really is worth staying longer.

It won’t be a surprise if I say the many garden visits were the highlight of my trip last April to the Côte d’Azur. All were enjoyable and fascinating, but one stood out for me. In Le Jardin Serre de la Madone, Menton, I discovered a terraced garden carved into old farming land by Lawrence Johnston in the 1920s. Already the heir to Hidcote Manor in the Cotswolds, shortly before commencing his masterpiece Johnston had been so seriously injured in WW1 he’d been left for dead.

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How to Grow and Care for Banana Leaf Figs Ficus maclellandii

How to Grow and Care for Bamboo Palms Chamaedorea seifrizii

This article has been checked for horticultural accuracy by Oliver Parsons.

Chances are it will take a while for you to notice any parlor palm problems, because these plants are so relaxed and easygoing. Capable of thriving in low light and sometimes crowded conditions, Neanthe Bella palms (as they are also known) are relatively unfussy and well adapted to indoor culture. If you give them a little care now and then, they won’t cause you much trouble.

Oh, dear listeners…it’s the most glorious time of the year! No, not because it’s time to hang the stockings or trim the tree—because it’s time to make the 2024 gardening wish lists. This year Carol and Danielle have selected the 8 plants they are pining over most. You will hear about a brand-new perennial that few, if any, have seen before. And there’s also a new hydrangea with…brace yourselves…BLACK foliage!  The list also includes plants that our contributors have written extensively about, and we’ve just now sat up and paid attention. Listen now to hear about the plants we’ll be dreaming about as the flakes fly this winter.

Last week, I told you about a garden talk I attended at the Robert Mills Carriage House and Gardens in Columbia, SC. Jim Martin (The Magnolia Plantation and Gardens Director of Horticulture & Landscape) was the second presenter. He discussed using bulbs to create “special little moments” every day.

Made up of mellow stone buildings, many of which are medieval, the city of Oxford is the ideal base for an exploration of Oxfordshire. The city itself is picturesque, but also compact, making it easy to walk around and take in the many sights on offer. See the college buildings that make up the University of Oxford, visit the world’s oldest museum, the Ashmolean, to see its Egyptian and Anglo-Saxon treasures, and admire Oxford Botanic Garden, Britain’s oldest botanical garden, right in the heart of the city.

In the verdant world of gardening and outdoor living, British Garden Centre vouchers become a key to unlocking a treasure trove of possibilities. As you hold these vouchers in your hands, you're not just carrying monetary value; you're entering a realm where blooms, foliage, and tranquility converge. Let's explore the myriad ways you can turn these vouchers into a flourishing experience.

Do you ever need inspiration? I find that I do. So, occasionally, I seek opportunities to surround myself with “plant people” while learning about plants and how to use them in ways I had not thought of or had forgotten about.

How to Grow and Care for Waffle Plants Strobilanthes alternata

The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) is a low maintenance houseplant and a popular holiday gift beloved for its stunning blooms. Christmas cacti naturally flower following the rainy season in their native habitat, but we can trick our indoor plants to bloom by altering their growing environment. By adjusting temperatures and limiting the amount of light your Christmas cactus receives, you can encourage plants to bloom. And once you know how to make a Christmas cactus bloom, you can coax it into flowering at different times of the year.

In much the same way that most great meals are made using a combination of skill, knowledge, passion, artistry and the right tools as well as, most importantly of all, the best of ingredients, so it is with most great gardens. So it doesn’t matter, for example, how brilliant a chef Alain Ducasse is or how many Michelin stars he has garnered so far over the course of his glittering career (21 at the last count), he’s still never going to be able to rustle up his signature bouillabaisse, sauté gourmand of lobster or truffled chicken quenelles without those essential staples. Likewise, no matter how great a gardener you are, you’re never going to be able conjure up your very own leafy oasis without that most important of horticultural ingredients, which is a half-decent soil.

“Chrysanthemums do have an image problem,” says Judy Barker, holder of the National Collection of winter-hardy chrysanthemums. A far cry from the fussy chrysanthemums that grace the benches of horticultural shows, the plants Judy recommends are easy to grow, and come in a great colour range of autumnal yellows, oranges, reds and russets, as well as vibrant pinks, sunny yellows and pure, brilliant white. They are an asset in the border and a boon to pollinating insects, but the key is plant choice. “If you want good border chrysanthemums, you have to pick plants that are fully winter hardy,” Judy says.

Of all the wonderful experiences enjoyed by clients who travel with Sisley Garden Tours, it’s the private gardens that often stand out. Sisley is the UK’s leading garden tour specialist and has been running its six- to nine-day tours since 1992. The thoughtfully crafted itineraries offer exclusive access to gardens open to the public, but also include many private gardens that aren’t usually open to visitors.

It’s easy to feel helpless in the face of unprecedented drought, water restrictions, and soaring temperatures—but we gardeners are not powerless. With careful planning we can create beautiful, drought-resilient gardens that thrive no matter what the weather may bring. And by applying water-conservation techniques in our backyards, we not only lessen our dependency on supplemental water but also help to preserve and protect natural waterways downstream.  

“Chrysanthemums do have an image problem,” says Judy Barker, holder of the National Collection of winter-hardy chrysanthemums. A far cry from the fussy chrysanthemums that grace the benches of horticultural shows, the plants Judy recommends are easy to grow, and come in a great colour range of autumnal yellows, oranges, reds and russets, as well as vibrant pinks, sunny yellows and pure, brilliant white. They are an asset in the border and a boon to pollinating insects, but the key is plant choice. “If you want good border chrysanthemums, you have to pick plants that are fully winter hardy,” Judy says.

This month, we’re collaborating with some brilliant businesses to bring you our very special “12 days of Christmas” prize draw, offering 12 generous prizes to 12 lucky winners throughout the month of December.

Starting plants from seed opens a world of possibilities to gardeners of all skill levels. Many vegetables, annual flowers, and even perennial plants can be started from seed using a few basic supplies and easy-to-master techniques. This can be an economical way to fill garden space and enjoy a much wider variety of plants than you could find in any nursery. In this course, horticulturist Niki Jabbour will share tips and tricks from her decades of starting seeds. After covering the basics, she will delve into more advanced topics such as timing and stratification. Participants will learn about which tools and supplies the pros recommend to make seed-starting easier, and how to set up a simple DIY lighting system. Build your gardening skills and enjoy the satisfying feeling of growing plants from scratch with this fun, fast-paced course.

Take a tour of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and discover a meeting ground of natural beauty, expert design, and horticultural excellence. Nestled in the picturesque landscape of coastal Maine, this garden offers a symphony of colors, fragrances, and serene vistas that will surely captivate any nature enthusiast. In this video, director of horticulture (and frequent Fine Gardening contributing writer) Andy Brand takes us on a journey through three of his favorite gardens and gives insights as to what makes them unique. This tour barely scratches the surface of what CMBG has to offer, however, with its more than 300 acres and 16 unique gardens connected by well-maintained paths and trails. You can spend days at the garden and still find something new.

Why do plants get sick? The simple answer is for lots of reasons, many of them similar to the reasons why we humans do. Take, for example, poor diet. Just as it’s one of the root causes of disease, poor growth and reduced life expectancy in humans, so it is with plants.

When my budding interests in horticulture started developing in junior high school, I came across Hortus Third, an encyclopedic tome of horticulture compiled in the 1970s. Learning about plants from my dad while working on landscape installations, and then looking them up in Hortus Third after hours, I developed a sense of wonder about plant diversity both in the natural world and in cultivation in our gardens and landscapes. How could a genus described in Hortus Third such as Michelia (later reclassified as Magnolia) have “about 50 species of evergreen trees and shrubs” but only eight listed? What about the other 42 species? Were they unworthy of cultivation, or had we simply not tried the other ones yet? With many genera, the latter often proves to be the case. It turns out that the world of horticulture often overlooks many worthy plants.

From elegant roses to exotic orchids, hot pink flowers are the showstoppers of the horticultural world, offering an unparalleled combination of drama and elegance.

BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair returns to Beaulieu, in Hampshire on 3-5 May 2024. Book your great value tickets now with 15% off, or 20% off for Gardeners’ World Subscribers (see below) and look forward to a great day out!

Obelisks give you the chance to grow climbing plants throughout your garden, rather than limit them to just your walls and fences, while plant supports are indispensable for helping prevent herbaceous perennials flopping over paths, lawns or their plant neighbours.

One of nature's most unique plants, the monkey puzzle tree (also known as araucaria araucana) is a bit of a mystery. Due to their unusual, thorny branches, it's a great option for plant lovers looking to add a dose of flair to their space. «There isn't a tree out there like the monkey puzzle, especially compared to native choices within the United States,» says Tamara Hogan, resident plant expert at Fast Growing Trees, an online nursery. «Its blade-like leaves and branch structure are unlike any other conifer trees. It's also an evergreen that can handle some cooler, humid environments since the southern areas of Chile is where this tree comes from.» Another benefit of growing one? You can live with a monkey puzzle tree for a long time. It can grow up to 90 feet tall and survive for thousands of years if it isn't cut down. However, since a monkey puzzle tree is so rare, many people aren't sure how to make one thrive indoors or outdoors. To help you out, we've consulted with experts at Fast Growing Trees to share everything you need to know about caring for a monkey puzzle tree.

Fionuala Campion says in her article, Dazzling Deer-Resistant Perennials, “Though very graceful and delightful to behold in their native habitat, deer are a voracious force to reckon with in many Northern California gardens, particularly in summer and fall.” But these majestic creatures are not just an issue for gardeners on the west coast. There are populations of deer in all 50 states, and all are munching on the many different plants we’re growing across the country.

This article has the potential to be very short. That is because most garden plants provide some type of environmental benefit to their immediate surroundings—assuming they are chosen appropriately for the location, are not over-managed, and are not invasive. Plants cool the air in summer, reduce localized flooding risks, act as homes and corridors for wildlife, are barriers to pollution, and attenuate noise. But there may be some characteristics that help specific plants excel at providing benefits to us. And this may give some species or varieties an environmental edge, particularly on a small (individual plant and garden) scale. This is something I have been exploring in my research over the last 15 years for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in the United Kingdom.

The impressive topiary-framed Italianate formal gardens at Mapperton

As all good gardeners know late September marks the beginning of the spring-flowering bulb planting season. Pop these fleshy, modified stems in the ground this autumn and you’ll be casting a kind of horticultural spell that will magic up a world of beauty, a form of horticultural alchemy that never ceases to amaze.

Q: I don’t know the name of these trees but they seem to be dying, with casting of leaves getting worse and worse. Can you help? BMcW, Co Donegal