15 of the Best Gardening Books

French toast is a classic breakfast dish and for good reason. It's made by soaking stale bread in a mix of milk, beaten eggs, cinnamon, and sugar and then cooking it in a skillet until it's golden-brown. The results are crispy on the outside and custard-like on the inside. It's even better with a pat of butter and maple syrup on top. It's a nostalgic breakfast that many of us grew up with. The basic recipe has been unchanged for years until our Test Kitchen stumbled across a new TikTok hack.

We’re visiting Catherine’s Dickerson’s garden today in San Diego. We’ve visited before (A Little Slice of Heaven in San Diego), and it is always a pleasure to see what is growing there.

33 of the Best Plants to Grow Under Black Walnut Trees

21 of the Best Trees for Yellow Fall Color

A cherry plum, sweet, thin-skinned and very prolific (you’ll also find it sold under ‘Red Grape Sugar Plum’). It was in the top three of our recent taste test and everyone liked it for its strong tomato flavour that’s sweet but not overly so, and its firm not mushy texture. It has a slight acidity running through it which all sweet tomatoes need. It ripens quite late compared to ‘Sungold’ and produces for a long period of time. It’s lovely in a mixed salad with the larger varieties. 

With seeds to sow and plants to care for, why not garden in comfort and treat your feet to a pair of gardening shoes? Practical and easy to slip on and off, they’re ideal for wearing through the spring, summer and early autumn and are best left by the back door so you can slip them on whenever you need to nip outside. Most are lightweight and made from waterproof materials so they’ll not only keep your feet dry but are durable and easy to clean.

Like honeybees, bumblebees visit flowers to collect pollen and nectar to take back to their colonies to feed the developing brood.

When it comes to garden gear, there is a clear divide among growers: Those who love tomato cages, and those who consider them an absolute useless eyesore. I’m controversially the latter. Aesthetics aside, there are a lot of questions I have about the invention of this particular metal torture device, and I have opinions about how it might not be the best way to grow your tomatoes. In fact, there are a lot of things that can go wrong with your crops due to cage structure—increased pests and lower fruit production to start! 

China is one of the great destinations for visiting gardens. The influence over garden design and the vast array of plants and flowers is secondary to the investment in time and dedication demonstrated in so many great locations. This is just a selection of those you may consider visiting if you can make the journey..

Tips for Best Foxgloves

Cop hold of these gardeners tips designed for the upcoming Cop26 summit on the climate

The Elizabethan Tower where Vita had her study. Credit: Shutterstock